Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 2 January 1901 – and therefore in Queen Victoria’s reign – Mayne was in the RFC from mid-1917. He transferred to the RAF on its formation.
As an airman pilot he was with No 74 Squadron at its re-establishment on board the HMT Neuralia at Southampton on 3 September 1935. The squadron sailed for Malta, where it was stationed at Hal Far for a year.
Mayne was promoted to Warrant Officer on 15 May 1940. Over Dunkirk on the 26th he shared in the probable destruction of a Hs 126 and on the 27th he destroyed a Bf 109.
He probably destroyed a Bf 109 and a Bf 110 and damaged another of each on 11 August. On this day his eardrums were damaged in a steep descent in action. It was his final operation. He had flown 2,000 hours in fighters. From then on he was mainly engaged in ferrying Spitfires around the Hornchurch sector and subsequently Wittering and Kirton-in-Lindsey.
Mayne was posted away to 6 OTU, Sutton Bridge on 17 September, as an instructor.
Commissioned in August 1941, Mayne was awarded the AFC in 1942. In June 1945 he was posted to Manston as Station Gunnery Officer. He retired on 4 December 1945 as a Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader.
Mayne died on 24 March 1978.
