Charles Augustus William Payne
Charles Augustus William Payne (1881-1944)
1945 Obituary [1]
CHARLES AUGUSTUS WILLIAM PAYNE spent the greater part of his professional career in India, where for many years he was concerned with the oil industry. He was born in 1881 and served his apprenticeship with the Davis Engineering and Launch Building Company at Abingdon, Berks, from 1898 to 1903. After a brief experience at sea as marine engineer in the service of the P. and O. Steam Navigation Company he was employed for the next four years as engineering clerk of works during the construction of the new generating station for the Borough of Hammersmith.
In 1908 he proceeded to Singapore to take up the appointment of assistant manager to the Asiatic Petroleum Company in connection with the installation of oil in bulk, and was later transferred to Madras as installation manager. During the war of 1914-18 he served as major and adjutant in the Madras Artillery. In 1920 he was placed in charge of the construction of oil installations at Colombo, and three years later was appointed superintending engineer to the Burmah-Shell Oil Company, remaining with that firm until his retirement in 1933.
During the present war Mr. Payne returned to active life and was employed at Messrs. Morlands Brewery, Abingdon, up to the time of his death, which occurred in May 1944. He had been a member of the Institution since 1905, in which year he was elected a Graduate. He was transferred to Associate Membership in 1909.
He was one of the first to be enlisted in the Home Guard on its formation in 1940, and he formed the Clifton Hampden and Burcot Platoon, which he commanded until his retirement through ill-health.