Bernard Howell Payne was born at Taree on 12 February 1899 to Alexander John Matheson Payne and Mary Ann Quinlivan.
He was 41 when he enlisted in the Australian Army at Newcastle on 10 June 1940 naming his wife Isabella as his next of kin.
Bernard was raised on the family dairy farm at Upper Lansdowne and attended Upper Lansdowne School.
He married Isabella Ann Doyle in 1918. Prior to enlisting, Bernard worked as a lineman and a government railway electrician in Newcastle.
During his enlistment Bernard served in the Middle East (Tobruk) from 26 December 1940 to 16 March 1942. He also served in Lae, New Guinea from 18 April 1945 to 19 September 1945.
Bernard was awarded the Africa Star and the Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.
At the time of his discharge on 17 October 1945 he was posted to 1 Corps of Signals.
Bernard’s son Bernie Michael Payne also served in WW2.
On his return from war Bernard cut sleepers up behind ‘Claremont’ Upper Lansdowne and also did some logging. Bernard died on 6 June 1969 at Cundletown.
