AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE WW2 SUBMARINERS D.S.M.

Charles Edmund Hunkin Payne was born on the 12th of October 1911 in Buckland, Portsmouth. The son of Noah and Harriett Payne. 

While still attending school in Greenwich, Charles joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class, following in the footsteps of his father. He started his training at H.M.S. Ganges on the 8th of March 1927. Charles completed his training and signed on as a trained rating on the 12th of October 1929.

During the Second World War, Charles served on the Parthian-Class Submarine H.M.S. Pandora as Petty Officer. Payne was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal 'For courage and skill in action against the enemy'; his award was announced in the London Gazette on the 6th of May 1941. Pandora operated in the Mediterranean from 1940 to 1942 and sank three ships in January 1941, including SS Palma and SS Valdivagna; Payne was likely awarded the D.S.M. for these actions. 

In August 1940, Pandora delivered supplies through the blockade to Malta. On the 31st of March 1942, Pandora arrived in Malta with supplies for the besieged island. While unloading on the 1st of April, a bombing raid took place, and Pandora was sunk after receiving two direct hits. Twenty-five members of the crew were killed in the attack. 

The surviving crew members, including Payne, were transferred to the Submarine H.M.S. Olympus. Survivors of P36 and P39 that had been sunk in Malta were also transferred to Olympus; she left Malta with 98 men onboard. While on route to Gibraltar, Olympus struck a mine with the loss of 86 men. The survivors, Payne amongst them, had to swim 7 miles back to Malta. 

Charles was transferred to H.M.S Traveller and was promoted to Acting Chief Petty Officer.

Traveller operated in the Mediterranean; she started her first war Patrol on the 3rd of June 1942, sailing from Gibraltar. The crew didn't have much success against enemy vessels; her sole success was against the Italian Merchant ship Albachiara'. 

Off the coast of Rhodes on the 17th of September, Traveller picked up Lt. David Sutherland and Marine Duggan of the SBS, who had taken part in 'Operation Anglo'. 

On the 28th of November 1942, Traveller sailed on her 5th war patrol from Malta; she was ordered to carry out reconnaissance of Taranto for 'Operation Principal'. The operation was going to be the use of Chariot Human Torpedoes against Italian ports and ships. Traveller did not return from the patrol, and it is believed she sunk after hitting a mine in early December, with all of the crew killed in action. She wasn't reported late until the 12th of December 1942, which is the date of death given for Charles and the rest of the crew. 

Charles is remembered on the Portsmouth Navy Memorial. He was 31 years old when he was killed.