More about John Thomas Cain

John is believed to have a possible brother, Pte Augustine Cain, S/21312, 1/7th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders.

John Cain was the son of Mr Augustine Cain of 156 Strathmartine Road, Dundee and was employed as a Millworker before the war. In January 1916 he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for service at sea. After initial training at the Crystal Palace in Kent he was sent to Portsmouth Naval Base in April 1916. Here he joined the newly built battleship HMS Royal Sovereign but his ship did not participate in the Battle of Jutland. In April 1917 he retrained at HMS Excellent as a Gunner in Defensively Armed Merchant Ships and served in various merchant vessels until he was demobilised in February 1919. He died at home from pneumonia whilst on demobilisation leave and is commemorated on the Dundee Eastern Necropolis Special Memorial, Marble Slab, grave number 2143.