CAIN, Albert Ernest
(Service number 26/1088)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Lance Corporal |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 12 November 1891 | Place of Birth | Temuka |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Elizabeth Street, Timaru | ||
| Occupation | Baker | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | |||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Ellen CAIN (grandmother), Seadown, Timaru | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 4th Battalion, D Company | ||
| Date | 5 February 1916 | ||
| Transport | Ulimaroa or Mokoia or Navua | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Rifle Brigade | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 15 February 1972 | Age | 80 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Ashburton | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Ashburton Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Albert Ernest Cain was born on 12 November 1891 at Temuka, the son of Sarah Cain. He was probably brought up by his grandparents, Samuel Cain being his guardian (parent) on admission to Seadown School. Albert named his grandmother – Mrs Ellen Cain, Seadown, Timaru – as next-of-kin. Ellen was Samuel Cain’s second wife, his first wife being Ellen’s sister, Sarah Ann who was the mother of the younger Sarah Cain, and who died in 1890.
A. E. Cain was in a contingent of South Canterbury soldiers who came from Christchurch by a special train and were welcomed home on 9 May 1919. A great crowd gathered at the station and cheered loudly when they arrived. The soldiers expressed their appreciation to the ladies who gave them fruit and cigarettes. The Mayor congratulated the soldiers on their heroic achievements abroad, thanked them on behalf of the whole community and expressed the hope that they would soon regain their health, before calling for three hearty cheers for them. Mr Craigie, M.P., said that all were proud of what they had done in the struggle for liberty and freedom, and expressed the hope that “they would have many happy years in this prosperous land”.
Albert married Joyce Evelyn Holland in 1936. He died on 15 February 1972 at Ashburton, aged 80 years, and was buried there, his grave marked with a services plaque. Three uncles of Albert served in World War I – William Cain, Andrew Cain (killed in action in 1918 in France) and Gordon Cain. William Smith (73526), the son of Sarah née Cain and Isaac Smith, and thus a half-brother of Albert Cain, also served in World War I.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [23 June 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Depratment of Internal Affairs) [24 June 2020]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [23 June 2020]; Ashburton Cemetery headstone image & burial record (Ashburton District Council) [23 June 2020]; Timaru Herald, 10 May 1919 (Papers Past) [21 June 2020]
External Links
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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