Michael Payne

[Chris Goss]

I am sad to report that Michael Payne, the long-time Bf 109 E historian, passed away last Wednesday. I have known Michael for many years and following the sudden death of his wife, he started to fade away-he would have been 80 this year. His cremation will be in Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK this coming Friday. I hope to be there and will pass on the condolences of those who knew him and cannot make it

[Brian]

Hi Chris

Obviously sad when any acquaintance departs - we corresponded briefly some years ago.

Please offer my condolences to the family

Regards
Brian

[CJE]

Chris,
I never had the opportunity to meet him or even correspond with him but I came often across his works when I was younger. Like William Green, he is associated in my mind to many of my personal researches. With the Belgian "Mister Kit" he published numerous books and booklets in French, some I still use nowadays. It's just like I had ever known him.
As we put it in French : the best persons always leave first.

Chris

[FalkeEins]

I hope to be there and will pass on the condolences of those who knew him and cannot make it

You are the bearer of very sad news. I have a letter on the desk here for him. He was a long-time contributor to Scale Aircraft Modelling and Aviation News - he was kind enough to read through the first piece I ever compiled for SAM. His last photographic feature for SAM appeared only a couple of months ago. Michael was a gentleman, always willing to lend his expertise where ever he could...

[John Beaman]

I corresponded with Michael off and on for many years. He was extremely helpful and always patient and kind. He will be missed. Please pass my thanks for his life and condolences to his family.

John

[John Vasco]

Very sad news. A wonderful researcher with an incredible eye for detail. I was privileged to spend an evening with him many years ago, and I will never forget his wit, knowledge of his chosen subject, and friendly manner, as well as the many humourous tales that he regaled me with. A sad loss indeed to our community.

Chris, I join with others in asking you to pass on my condolences to his family.

[Jochen Prien]

Dear Chris,

this is really sad news. I have known Michael for more than 30 years and we had become friends during this time. This is not the place to elaborate on this but I will always remember the times I visited him or - if only once - he came here to see me, the uncounted times we were talking propellors on the phone and many things more. He was one of the characters I met through my occupation with the Bf 109 who was always willing to discuss any other matter and aspect of life - which is something I really relished. It was a tragedy when his wife Jeannie died so suddenly and life so visibly lost its meaning for him.

So please pass on my deeply felt condolences to his family, especially to his wonderful daughter Rebecca.

Jochen Prien

[Peter Cornwell]

Chris,

It's always sad when a member of our community passes but particularly so when they are of the ilk of Michael. His expertise & clinical eye will be sorely missed. He was a regular & valued correspondent over decades. We first made contact following a piece he wrote about Ernst Arnold's 109E back in 1970 - a typically thorough & diligent bit of research that resolved the significance of the Scherer Schwarm emblem & opened up a whole new tranche of enquiry. Something not widely appreciated was that both he & Jeannie were avid Francophiles, their frequent sojourns across the Channel to their favourite watering holes something he missed badly when she passed. He never got over her loss I think but, though frail, his wry sense of humour was still firmly in place when we met last Summer. As Michael would have said, "A l'eau, c'est l'heure !" See you Friday.

[steve sheridan]

Chris, A great loss indeed to the community.
Sadly i never knew the chap or corresponded with him, but his legacy will live on for ever, with his wonderful works on the Messerschmitt 109.
I too remember the article on Ernst Arnold and the mystery of the Scherer
Schwarm, and i cherish all the articles he wrote for Scale a/c Modelling, and Aviation News. These ive used for reference many many times.
He was quite simply Mr Messerschmitt 109 !!

A sad day for the aviation community, and enthusiasts a like.
The world is a poorer place, in his passing.
My condolences to his family too Chris. RIP.
Steve.

[Tom1UK]

Hi Chris and to everyone

Although I never met Michael we corresponded and exchganged information about Bf 109s and Spitfires throughout the 1980s & 1990s. He certainly added much to my knowledge and I hope I helped him in the same way

He certainly never stopped writing to me. My first impression of him was that he was so generous with his information, always willing to help others who had just started on the research rung of the ladder

Sadly his loss will be missed not only in the field of aviation research but by his family and friends

Thanks Michael and Godspeed

Regards

Tom Willis

[Chris Goss]

Michael was cremated this afternoon in Salisbury and all your kind comments were passed to his daughter Rebecca and son Matthew. They were very touched so on behalf of them, many thanks to you all
Chris