Fallen ANZACs,
Territory ANZACs,
First World War, 1914-1918,
Place of birth
Port Wakefield (S.A.),
Place of enlistment
Townsville (Qld.),
Date of enlistment
1915-03-22,
Age
30,
Occupation
Engineer,
Service
Australian Imperial Force,
Unit
9th Battalion, 5th Reinforcement,
Rank
Private,
Service number
2060,
Next of kin
Thomas and Margaret Cain - Parents ; Hergott Springs, S.A.,
Date of death
1916-04-20,
Place of death
Rouge de Bout (France),
Place of burial
Rue-du-Bacquerot, 13th London Graveyard (France),
Memorial
Darwin Cenotaph,
Biographical notes
Thomas Cain arrived in Port Darwin on ss ‘Changsa’ on 29 June 1898 with his wife Margaret Cain and five of their youngest children (Cyril Francis, Olive Mary, (Arthur) Norman, James (Jim) Laurence & Roy Augustine) to take up a position with the Palmerston – Pine Creek Railway. John Michael and Joseph joined them at a later date. Thomas was to spend fourteen years working as the District Maintenance Foreman before leaving to take up a similar position with the Great Northern Railway at Hergott Springs, South Australia in 1912. Another child, Leo was born in 1900. The family quickly integrated itself within the community, due largely to the musical abilities of Thomas and at least four of the children, performing at events with the Palmerston Musical and Dramatic Society. The children participated in fancy dress parades, and as they matured, joined various sporting clubs such as the Palmerston Cricket club and Palmerston Rifle Club. Jimmy received his education mainly in the Northern Territory. On leaving school he entered the locomotive workshops at 2½ Miles, where he learned the fitting branch of the engineering trade, eventually graduating as leading fitter. He was a born mechanic and had a brilliant future before him.
When war was declared four of the boys enlisted: Joseph (Joe), (Arthur) Norman, Cyril Francis and James Laurence better known as Jim who was the only one killed in action.,
History
James left Darwin on the 'Montoro' bound for Brisbane where he joined the 9th Battalion. The Unit embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A55 'Kyarra' on 16 April 1915. He joined the Battalion on Gallipoli 27 June 1915. Sent to hospital on 29 August 1915. Rejoined Battalion 8 January 1916. Embarked on 'Saxonia' at Alexandria 27 March 1916. Disembarked Marseilles 3 April 1916.
9th Battalion War Diary, 20 April 1916:
"At 1315 today the billets occupied by C Company were subjected to heavy bombardment by the enemy : fifty or sixty shells H.E. were landed in the billet area. Early in the bombardment a shell landed in one of the Caurus Huts wounding four men. Some men ran to the assistance of the wounded and another shell caught them. A subsequent shell struck the wall of the billet (Brick) and accounted for 47 casualties. All were buried in the English Cemetery the same evening....",
Subject
World War, 1914-1918,
Northern Territory,
Australia. Army. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,
History,
ANZAC,
Related links
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=3188671&I=1&SE=1,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067546%5CRCDIG1067546--370-.JPG,
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1559054/,
http://hdl.handle.net/10070/10834,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/bundled/RCDIG1003092.pdf,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/38686275,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8475888,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8470446,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3280330,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3278117,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3279403,
http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=5492,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3279186,
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/597893/CAIN,%20JAMES%20LAURENCE,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/bundled/RCDIG1003092.pdf [Unit War diary: p.9-11.],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3278117 ["Our boys at the front", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 16 March 1916: p.15.],
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8475888 [From Anzac to the Hindenburg Line : the history of the 9th Battalion, A.I.F. by Norman K. Harvey. Uckfield, East Essex, U.K. : The Naval & Military Press in association with Imperial War Museum, 2009.],
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=3188671&I=1&SE=1 [Service Record],
http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM131/008/008282.pdf [Roll of Honour],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3279403 ["Roll of Honor", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 18 May 1916: p.12.],
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/38686275 [Darwin Returned Servicemens' League (RSL) : A Concise History of its Conception and Development by Clive Francis Geddes. Darwin : Clive Francis Geddes, 2011: p.38.],
http://hdl.handle.net/10070/10834 [PictureNT : Military men],
http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=5492 [NT Place Names Register: Cain Road],
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1559054/ [Nominal Roll],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3280330 ["Volunteers for Active Service", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 1 October 1914: p.10.],
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8470446 [Campaigning with the fighting 9th (in and out of the line with the 9BN A.I.F.) 1914-1919 by C.M. Wrench. Brisbane : Boolarong Publications for 9th Battalions Association, 1985.],
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067546%5CRCDIG1067546--370-.JPG [Embarkation Roll - HMAT A55 'Kyarra'],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3279186 ["Our Boys at the Front", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 11 May 1916: p.7.],
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/597893/CAIN,%20JAMES%20LAURENCE [Commonwealth War Graves - Rue-Du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie - James Laurence Cain],
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10678288/#biography [Biography of Private James Laurence Cain],