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72484 Private
CHARLES CAIN
16^th (Service) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters
(Notts and Derby Regiment)(Chatsworth Rifles)
(formerly 26596 Air Mechanic 1^st Class, Royal Flying Corps)  

by

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, PE, MInstRE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(November 2020)

Figure 1.   Air Mechanic 1^st Class Charles Cain, R.F.C., c. September 1916.
(Photograph from the author’s collection)

1.  INTRODUCTION  

            This research is based on a study of original documents purchased by the author in February of 2001 as well as the sources listed in the REFERNCE section of this work.  Some of the narrative that follows is the work of Roger Perkins of Newton Abbot, Devonshire who at one time owned Charles Cain’s British War and Victory medals along with his Memorial Plaque and the original documents now in the collection of the author.  A photograph in the author’s research file shows that the medals and papers were together at one time.  In fact, the photograph shows them on display at the Orders and Medals Research Society annual show in September of 1982.[1]  Somewhere along the way the medals and papers got separated.  It appears that Roger Perkins sold the collection complete in May of 1983.  At some time after that date the medals and papers parted company.  Hopefully one day they will be reunited.

Figure 2.  Display of Cain Medals and Documents.  Orders and Medals Research Society Annual Convention and Show, September 1982.
(Photograph courtesy of Roger Perkins)  

NOTE:  All the original documents and the photograph shown in Figure 2 are now in the author’s possession.  The medals and Memorial Plaque are not.  It is believed that Roger Perkins sold the Cain collection to someone who then separated the medals and plaque from the documents.  The documents and photograph were then offered for sale by a medal dealer in the U.K. and were purchased by the author.

2.  EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION  

            Charles Cain’s mother was Amelia Mary Munson (1851-1888) who was born at Hill Street, St. Helier, Jersey on the 18^th of March 1851.  His father was Charles Cain (1854-?), a General Labourer, who was born at Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex.

            Charles Cain, the subject of this study, was born at 72 Wornington Road in Kensington, London on the 10^th of April 1878.[2]  The family tree[3] of Charles Cain, the elder, used for this study indicates that Charles had two older brothers:

·         William Cain (1876-?) born in Whitechapel, London (mother unknown), and

·         Harry Cain (1877-?) born in Kensington, London (mother unknown)

Amelia Mary Cain, née Munson, is the implied mother of these two men, so it appears that they were born prior to the marriage of Charles and Amelia.  That marriage took place on the 20^th of May 1877 at All Saints Parish Church in Kensington.  This may be All Saint Notting Hill Church, shown in Figure 3 below.

            The 1881 Census shows the composition of the Cain family living at 72 Wornington Road at that time.  

1881 Census of England  

             As the 1881 Census was taken on the 3^rd of April 1881, it appears that Amelia, known as Milly, must have been born in January of that year.  William (5 years old) and Harry (4 years old) do not appear in the census.  If their mother was a woman other than Amelia Mary Munson, then perhaps they were living with her at the time, although the Cain family trees shown on Ancestry.com persistently show Amelia as their mother.  Perhaps because their births occurred prior to the marriage of their parents, the boys were placed to live with other relatives.

            Charles and Amelia had another daughter, Mary Ann (1887-1888) who was born on the 18^th of November 1887 at Hampden Street[4] in Paddington, London.  Amelia Mary Cain died on the 14^th of January 1888 in Paddington.  Young Mary Ann followed her mother in death just over two months later when she passed away on the 27^th of March 1888 at Coleman Street in Southampton, Hampshire.

            Charles Cain, Sr. married a second time to one Susan Eden at Christ Church in Notting Hill, Kensington on the 9^th of June 1889, less than a year after Amelia’s death. 

            The 1891 Census shows the composition of the Cain family in the table below living at 65 Wornington Road, across the street and a few houses down from their former residence.

1891 Census of England

             In 1891 we now see William and Harry back with the family from wherever they were in 1881.  Instead of a General Labourer, Charles Cain had become a Railway Plate Labourer, in all probability a more prestigious and higher paying job.

            On the 31^st of March 1901, at the time of the 1901 Census of England, Young Charles Cain was residing as a lodger in a boarding house in Paddington as shown in the table below.

1901 Census of England

                       Young Charles Cain was a quiet man, shy and reserved in his manner.  A bachelor for many years, he married Helen Maud Pinnell (1875-1951) on the 12^th of August 1901 at Barking Church in Essex and took up residence at 156 Third Avenue in Queens Park, London.  The fact that he was living as a lodger with a man named William Pinnell is significant.  William Henry Pinnell (1880-1951) was his wife’s brother, so Charles obviously had been introduced to Helen by him. 

Figure 4.  The Cain Residence at 156 Third Avenue, Queens Park, London.
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)  

            Charles and Helen had a son, Lawrence Sidney (1903-1987).  Lawrence was born at Brentford, London on the 11^th of November 1903.[5]  On the 25^th of June 1908 Helen gave birth to a daughter, Helen Margaret (1908-1980), again in Brentford.  The 1911 Census of England and Wales shows the composition of the family at that time.

1911 Census of England and Wales

TABLE NOTES:

(a)    Willisden is an area in north west London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent (or Brentford).

(b)   Hanwell is a town in the London Borough of Ealing in the County of Middlesex.   It is about 1.5 miles west of Ealing.  The location of Helen Margaret’s birth in the census differs from that shown in the family tree.

            Charles Cain continued his work as a Builder’s Slater until after the beginning of the Great War of 1914-1918.  At the age of 38, with a wife and two children, he decided to enlist in the Army.

3.  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

            The only photograph available of Charles Cain shows that he was slight of build with a receding hairline and handlebar mustache.  This following information was obtained during a medical examination given to him at the Duke of York Headquarters.

            TABLE NOTES:  

(a)    Cain’s height and weight indicate that he was a small man, although his chest measurements indicate that he must have had considerable upper body strength, perhaps due to his work in the building trade.

(b)   Visual acuity is measured using the Snellen scale. A Snellen test usually consists of a number of rows of letters which get smaller as one reads down the chart.  On the Snellen scale, normal visual acuity is called 6 / 6, which corresponds to reading the bottom or second bottom line of the chart at a distance of 6 meters.

4.  ENLISTMENT AND TRAINING  

Enlistment

            When Lord Kitchener made his appeal for volunteers to fill the trenches in France Charles Cain offered his service, but he was initially refused enlistment on medical grounds.  As can be seen by his physical description above, he did not have a robust physique and was inclined to develop bronchitis in cold weather.[6]  He made several attempts to join the Army in 1914 and was refused each time.  Finally, in December of 1915, when the demand for more and more men was becoming desperate, Charles was accepted.  Apparently his age, his state of health and his physical condition were such that he was not considered to be qualified for service in the infantry, cavalry or artillery, those units that were most likely to see action at the front.  As a Slater, a man who worked in the building trade, the Royal Engineers would have seemed to be an ideal corps for him; however, this was not to be the case.  The document in Figure 5 below provides details of Charles Cain’s first enlistment in the Army.

Figure 5.  Army Form W. 3194. Attestation of Charles Cain.
(Original document from the author’s collection)  

            The form shows Cain’s home address and indicates that he attested for service on the 9^th of December 1915 at Paddington.  After his attestation he was immediately posted to the Army Reserve, probably because of his age and physical condition.  The form does not indicate into which regiment or corps he was assigned upon attestation.  The medical examination referenced in Section 3 above was administered to him at the time of this original attestation and he was found fit for service in the Army.

             About four month after his attestation he apparently received a “Notice Paper” requiring him to report himself for service.  His Army Form B. 2505, Short Service Attestation, shows that on the 18^th of April 1916 he attested for service in the Royal Flying Corps.[7]  As was customary during the Great War period, the recruit was asked a number of standard questions regarding his place and date of birth, his age, his current address, his trade, marriage status and whether he was a British subject.  Cain also indicated on the form that he had never previously served in His Majesty’s forces and that his response to this question was truly stated.  He indicated his willingness to be vaccinated or re-vaccinated and to be enlisted for General Service for the duration of the war.  His Oath of Attestation was certified by a Justice of the Peace on the 18^th of April and was certified by a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps (R.F.C.) at South Farnborough on the 24^th of April.  On that date he had become 26596 Air Mechanic 2^nd Class Charles Cain, R.F.C.[8]

Training

            Cain joined his R.F.C. unit at the Balloon Park at South Farnborough on the 19^th of April 1916.  He was initially posted to an observation balloon unit where most of this service time would have been behind the front lines and where he simply was required to lend his weight to the lines holding balloons and to assist in winding the balloons up or down.  In the vernacular of those times, he had a “safe cushy billet.”  According to members of his family, Charles had a poor mechanical aptitude and did not appear to be qualified for service in an aircraft squadron.[9]

            As a Slater in civil life Cain had no experience with aircraft mechanics; however, he subsequently was designated an Air Mechanic 2^nd Class at South Farnborough.  This action may have been the result of a new Royal Flying Corps squadron being formed.  In fact, No. 70 Squadron of the R.F.C. was being formed at South Farnborough just about the time when Cain arrived there.[10]  The squadron was equipped with the Sopwith 1½ Strutter.  Since Cain arrived at South Farnborough only two days after the squadron had been formed, it is most likely that he was diverted from his balloon duties and was posted to the squadron.  He and many other men in the unit probably underwent “on the job training.”  Just over a month after joining his squadron, Cain went to France.  His Home Service was reckoned from 18 April to 23 May 1916, 36 days inclusive.

5.  ASSIGNMENTS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

Service with the R.F.C. (1916-1917)  

            Lacking specific information, it must be assumed that Cain served with No. 70 Squadron prior to his transfer to the infantry.  On the 1^st of September he was appointed Air Mechanic 1^st Class, so apparently he performed his duties well while with the R.F.C.[12]  On the 17^th of July 1917 he was admitted to 94^th Field Ambulance complaining of myalgia (pain in a muscle or group of muscles).  The 94^th was part of the 31^st Division located near Oppy Wood at the time.  Cain was treated and discharged to duty on the 21^st of July 1917.  He continued to serve with the Royal Flying Corps until September of 1917 when something happened to cause him to be posted to the infantry.  This may have been a critical need for infantrymen at the front, or his position with the R.F.C. may have become redundant, or perhaps his skill as a mechanic was not sufficient to keep him in that corps.  There is no indication in his record as to why he left the R.F.C. other than he was “compulsorily transferred.”

Service with the Sherwood Foresters (1917-1918)

            On the 3^rd of September 1917 Charles Cain was attached to the 63^rd Royal Naval Division for training as an infantryman, probably in the vicinity of Ypres.  As the infantry in the 63^rd Division consisted of Royal Marines, it was the marines that trained him.  Following about three weeks of training he was posted to the 16^th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby) Regiment as a Private with Regimental Number 72484.  This battalion was serving with the 117^th Brigade of the 39^th Division.  At the time that Charles joined the battalion it had already seen considerable action and had taken some heavy casualties. 

            Prior to his training with the 63^rd Division Charles Cain had no training or experience as an infantryman except perhaps for the usual musketry instruction given to recruits when they entered the Army.  His family recalled that his training only included one visit to the rifle range in England where he fired a total of ten rounds with a Lee Enfield rifle.[13]  Now, with very little training he was to find himself at the front during a dire period in the Great War.

            On the 25^th of November 1917, after joining the Sherwood Foresters, Private Cain was granted leave 14 days leave and presumably went home to visit his family.  At that time his battalion was in the trenches in front of “Ridge Wood” in the “Tower Hamlets Sector” during the Battle of “Polygon Wood.”  Cain returned to his battalion from leave on the 9^th of December 1917.  Although things were quiet for him during the winter of 1917/1918, the Germans were going to change all of that in the spring. 

            On the 21^st of March 1918 the Germans began their large Spring Offensive.  The 1918 Spring Offensive, or Kaiserschlacht ("Kaiser's Battle"), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front.. The Germans had realised that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the United States could fully deploy its resources. The German Army had gained a temporary advantage in numbers as nearly 50 divisions had been freed by the Russian withdrawal from the war with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

            There were four German offensives, codenamed Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau, and Blücher-Yorck. Michael was the main attack, which was intended to break through the Allied lines, outflank the British forces (which held the front from the Somme River to the English Channel) and defeat the British Army. Once that was achieved, it was hoped that the French would seek armistice terms. The other offensives were subsidiary to Michael and were designed to divert Allied forces from the main offensive effort on the Somme. No clear objective was established before the start of the offensives and once the operations were underway, the targets of the attacks were constantly changed according to the battlefield (tactical) situation.      

            Once they began advancing, the Germans struggled to maintain the momentum, partly due to logistical issues. The fast-moving storm trooper units could not carry enough food and ammunition to sustain themselves for long, and the army could not move in supplies and reinforcements fast enough to assist them. The Allies concentrated their main forces in the essential areas (the approaches to the Channel Ports and the rail junction of Amiens).

Figure 7.  Map Showing the Progress of the German Spring Offensive.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

            Strategically worthless ground, which had been devastated by years of conflict was left lightly defended. Within a few weeks, the danger of a German breakthrough had passed, although related fighting continued until July.  The German Army made the deepest advances either side had made on the Western Front since 1914. They re-took much ground that they had lost in 1916-17 and took some ground that they had not yet controlled. Despite these apparent successes, they suffered heavy casualties in return for land that was of little strategic value and hard to defend. The offensive failed to deliver a blow that could save Germany from defeat, which has led some historians to describe it as a pyrrhic victory. In July 1918, the Allies regained their numerical advantage with the arrival of American troops. In August, they used this and improved tactics to launch a counteroffensive. The ensuing Hundred Days Offensive resulted in the Germans losing all of the ground that they had taken in the Spring Offensive, the collapse of the Hindenburg Line, and the capitulation of Germany that November.

            Cain’s casualty form shows that on the 25^th of March 1918 he was reported to have a broken wrist.  At the time he was located at Gailly, (actually Cerisy-Gailly) France, a small village in the district known as the Santerre, to the east of Amiens and 12 kilometers from Albert.  On the 26^th of March he was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital at Le Havre where his condition was diagnosed as a gunshot wound to the left hand.  On the 27^th of March his casualty form appears to indicate that he was at the 4^th Canadian Depot at Le Havre where his injury was again reported as a gunshot wound to the hand.[14]  On the 31^st of March 1918 his unit commander verified that he had been wounded in action. 

            Cain’s wife was informed of his wound when she received Army Form B. 104-81a.  This form only mentions his admission to No. 2 General Hospital and does indicated the his injury was the result of a gunshot wound received on the 26^th of March.  During the war gunshot wounds to the hands, arms, legs or feet were scrutinized by the commanders of units.  Many self-inflicted wound reports during the Great War placed soldiers under suspicion for injuries that could have been genuine accidents or caused by enemy fire.  It appears that in Cain’s case his wound was considered to be due to enemy action.

            Cain was discharged from hospital on the 10^th of April 1918 and was sent to join an unspecified unit at Calais.  Presumably he was en route to his battalion and stopped over to billet with another unit.  On the 13^th of April, according to his casualty form, he rejoined his unit in the field; that is, the 16^th Battalion of The Sherwood Foresters, after being quickly patched up.  The battalion was located near the town of Hazebrouck and shortly after Cain’s arrival back at the unit the much under-strength battalion was caught up in another German attack and almost completely wiped out.

Figure 8.  The Original Army Form B. 104-81A Received by Mrs. Cain.
(Image of the original form from the author’s collection)  

            On the 21^st of April the remnants of the battalion moved into camp behind the front line where it was shelled over a period of four days.  At this location the battalion was serving as the reserve for a Composite Brigade of the division.  The battalion suffered two casualties while in this position.  One of them is thought to have been Private Charles Cain, who was killed in action on the 23^rd of April 1918, probably a victim of German artillery fire. 

Figure 9.  Army Form B. 104-82 Informing Mrs. Cain of Her Husband’s Death.
(Original form in the author’s collection)

            Private Cain’s remains initially were buried in the field near Hazebrouck, probably in the vicinity of where he was killed.

Figure 10. Army Form B. 104-121, 17 January 1919,
Informing Mrs. Cain of Charles’s Initial Grave Location.
(Original document in the author’s collection)

            Charles’ body subsequently was moved for burial in a military cemetery.  See Addendum No. 2 for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemoration of his service.

Figure 11. Army Form B. 104-121, 22 October 1919,
Informing Mrs. Cain of Charles’s Final Grave Location.
(Original document in the author’s collection)

_______________________________________________________________________

            The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Cain’s promotions, appointments, military training and qualifications and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army.  They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military service.  The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage, personal information and post-service life.

__________________________________________________________________________

6.  PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

            Charles Cain received the following promotions during his time in service:

TABLE NOTES: It would appear that Cain actually took a reduction in grade when he was transferred from the Royal Flying Corps to The Sherwood Foresters.  Air Mechanic 1^st Class surely was a higher rank than Private.  However, Cain had agreed to General Service when he attested; therefore, he had to accept the transition from the R.F.C. to the infantry and the loss of rank.  He did, however, retain the pay of his Air Mechanic rank.

7.      MILITARY TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS  

Military Training: Cain received the following military training during his time in service:

 Qualifications:  Cain earned the following qualifications during his time in service.

8.      MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

            Private Cain received the following medals during his time in service.

TABLE NOTE: His family also was presented with the Memorial Plaque and Scroll to commemorate his service (see Addendum No. 1).

Figure 12.  The Medal Index Card of Private Charles Cain.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

9.  MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

Marriage

            Charles Cain’s marriage and family are described in Section 2 of this study.  When he died he left behind a wife, a 14-year old son and a 9-year old daughter.  He did not leave much behind in the way of personal effects.  On the 3^rd of August 1918 the War Office presented Mrs. Cain with £11 7s 6p to settle the account of her late husband.

Figure 14.  Effects – Form 45B for Private Charles Cain.
(Original document in the author’s collection)

Family Information

            In 1979 Charles Cain’s son Lawrence (now deceased) wrote to the Ministry of Defence on Bourne Avenue in Hayes, Middlesex requesting copies of his father’s military service papers.  He received a response from the Departmental Record Officer (Administrative) dated 20 June 1979 stating the following:

“I am to refer to your recent letter and in reply to advise you, with regret, that no records relating to the military service of 72484 Private Charles CAIN, Royal Flying Corps in the British Army during the 1914-18 war can now be traced from the particulars furnished.  Unfortunately, a large proportion of the records of soldiers who served during the period 1914-1920 were totally destroyed by enemy air action in 1940 and it is very probable that those of the above named were among them.  

The only information now available has been obtained from the Medal Rolls which show the following information:

British War and Victory Medal issued 16.1.22

Killed in Action (France) 23.4.18.”  

            This letter was addressed to Mr L S Cain, 57 Twickenham Road, Newton Abbot, Devon.  One of the problems that may have been associated with this record search is the fact that Lawrence used his father’s regimental number (72484) in the Notts and Derby Regiment, but he indicated to the MOD that he was in the Royal Flying Corps.  This of course was a mismatch.  He should have indicated that his father was either 26596 Royal Flying Corps or 72484 Notts and Derby Regiment.  This mismatch of regimental number and regiment may have misdirected the search in the MOD records. 

            The statement in the MOD letter about the destruction of many records certainly was true; however, many records that were in locations hit by the 1940 bombings did survive as burnt records and have been found in War Office files WO 363.  Many of these records were badly singed or partially burned or were damaged by water while the fire brigades attempted to put out the fires.  Cain’s records fall into this category.  An example of this is the first page of Cain’s attestation papers, which shows much blurring of the entries on the form due to water damage.  This damage made them very difficult to decipher. 

Figure 15.  Page 1 of Cain’s Army Form B. 2505.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

Personal Information

            Charles had one personal ambition in life.  He hoped to train himself as a ventriloquist.  He practiced for hours every week and joined a local amateur concert party.  He built his own dummies and made his own stage uniform.  Apparently he was not particularly skilled as a ventriloquist, but he dreamed of becoming a professional entertainer some day.[15]  A German artillery shell put an end to this dream.

Summary of Service  

 Total Reserve and Active Service: 2 years, 14 months and 14 days.  

Figure 16.  Charles Cain.  Rest in Peace.

 ADDENDUM NO. 1  

Figure 17.  Note Accompanying the Memorial Plaque and Scroll Sent to Family Members of the Deceased Soldier.
(Original document in the author’s collection)

Figure 18.  The Memorial Scroll that Accompanied Charles Cain’s Memorial Plaque.
(Original document in the author’s collection)

ADDENDUM NO. 2  

Figure 19.  Commonwealth War Graves Commission Memorial.
(Image courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Figure 20.  Le Grand Hasard Military Cemetery Details for Rifleman Charles Cain.
(Image courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)  

NOTE:  In this document Charles Cain’s rank is shown as Rifleman.  In all other documents and in his service papers his rank is given as Private.  In Rolls of Honour printed in various histories of the The Sherwood Foresters, the men are listed as Privates and not Rifleman.

REFERENCES

Books  

1.      JAMES, E.A.  Historical Records of British Infantry Regiments in the Great War, 1914-1918.  Henry Mills, Ltd., Birmingham, 1975.  

2.      TRUSCOTT, R.F.  A Short History of the 16^th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Chatsworth Rifles), 1928.

Census

1.      1881 Census of England (RG 11/38).

2.      1891 Census of England.

3.      1911 Census of England and Wales

4.      CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.  1881 Census of the British Isles.  Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Salt Lake, City, 1999.  

Commonwealth War Graves Commission  

1.      Memorial Page.

2.      Commemorative and Cemetery Information.  

Correspondence  

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE.  Letter to Mr. L.S. Cain, 57 Twickenham Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, Reference No. 79/27478/OS9a/4, dated 20 June 1979.  

Family Tree  

Cain Family Tree by Wendy Anson

https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/155095549/person/372048603685/facts?_phsrc=iWN3915&_phstart=successSource  

Internet Web Sites  

1.      List of Royal Flying Corps Squadrons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Flying_Corps_squadrons  

2.      Notting Hill All Saints, Middlesex Genealogy

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Notting_Hill_All_Saints,_Middlesex_Genealogy  

3.      No. 70 Squadron RAF.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._70_Squadron_RAF  

4.      Royal Flying Corps (Wikipedia)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Corps#Ranks_in_the_RFC  

Medal Rolls  

Notts & Derby Regiment Medal Roll: British War Medal and Victory Medal.  

Military Documents  

1. Military Service Papers including the following original documents:  

a.       Attestation Card (Army Form W. 3194).

b.      Notification of Wound (Army Form B. 104-81A).

c.       Notification of Death (Army Form B. 104-82).

d.      Effects (Form 45B).

e.       Notification of Burial (Army Form B. 104-121).

f.       Amended Notification of Burial (Army Form B. 104-121).

g.      Note Regarding Personal Property of Deceased Soldier.

h.      King’s Note of Condolence.

i.        Memorial Scroll.  

2. Soldier’s Service Papers  

a.       Short Service Attestation (Army Form B. 2505)

b.      Descriptive Report on Enlistment.

c.       Statement of Services.

d.      Medical History (Army Form B. 178).

e.       Next of Kin Receipt of Medals.

f.       Service Summary (Home and France).

g.      Effects (Form 118A).

h.      Widows (Form 3).

i.        Casualty Form – Active Service.

j.        Medal Index Card.

k.      Register of Soldier’s Effects.  

Research by Others  

PERKINS, R.  Notes compiled from interviews with Charles Cain’s niece, Cain’s service papers, and the official history of the Notts & Derby Regiment, circa 1982.  

ENDNOTES