Pte Rufus Payne 3057186

1^st Eastern Ontario Depot Battalion

Regimental Number 3057186

Rufus Reginald Payne was born in Warsaw, Ontario on June 13^th, 1884 to parents Nathan and Eliza (Little) Payne.  The family farmed Lot 18 of the Second Concession of Dummer.

Rufus was living in Warsaw when he was called on October 20^th 1917, to Peterborough for a medical examination under the Military Service Act.  He was declared fit for overseas service.   This was merely a first step to register for conscription and Payne was not called to Barriefield Camp, Kingston for training until the 9^th of March, 1918.  At the camp he was assigned to the 1^st Depot Battalion Eastern Ontario Regiment.  He was just over 23 years old at the time. He stood 5 feet, 6 inches tall and had a ruddy complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.  Rufus was a farmer, his religion was Methodist and he declared that he was single and had no previous military experience.

Rufus spent the bulk of spring and summer at Barriefield before leaving for Quebec City and boarding the H.M.T. City of Cairo” there on September 29^th.  He disembarked in Devonport, England two weeks later. Shortly after arriving in England, Rufus was struck down with Influenza and entered the hospital in Devonport on October 11^th.  He was transferred to the Canadian General Hospital at Basingstoke on December 2^nd and later discharged at the end of the month.  By then the war was over and the Canadian army was in the process of demobilization.

Rufus sailed from Liverpool aboard the S.S. Belgic arriving in Halifax on July 1^st, 1919.  He was formally discharged from the army four days later in Kingston.

Rufus Payne returned to the Warsaw and later married Elizabeth Aitken there on June 19^th 1928.  He would later work in the city of Peterborough as an insurance agent.  Rufus Payne died in 1981 buried in Springville at Rosemount Memorial Gardens.

Sources

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Series: MS929; Reel: 123.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Year: 1901; Census Place: Dummer, Peterborough (east/est), Ontario; Page: 11; Family No: 107.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Year: 1911; Census Place: 19 - Dummer Township, Warsaw Village, Peterborough East, Ontario; Page: 9; Family No: 116.

Library and Archives Canada. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: RG 31; Folder Number: 81; Census Place: Dummer (Township), Peterborough East, Ontario; Page Number: 12.

Canada. "Military Service File of Rufus Payne." Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa: Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 7672 - 31. Item Number 570779.

Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 547.