Dr David Payne retired after 34 years of service as a staff member of the World Health Organisation where he worked around the Globe mainly in the field of malaria control and research.
In the 1950s he also served in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
His interest in the Great War began in the 1980s when he belatedly sought to find out more about to his then late father’s service in the Northamptonshire Regiment. His father served from 25 August 1914 to 23 July 1919 and participated in the Battles of the Somme (First) and Gaza (Third). After some considerable effort, Dr Payne managed to acquire enough archive material, including his complete Army Service Record, to write a satisfyingly full history of his father’s military service.
Dr Payne’s interest in the Great War also led, on his retirement, to him joining the Western Front Association (WFA) and its South Wales Branch. Here he was motivated to research and present talks on various aspects of the Great War – particularly on medically-orientated subjects - and to write for the journals of the WFA. Latterly, this activity has extended to the WFA website to which he regularly submits articles.
