Arnold Gaine (1892-)
East Boldon man served as lieutenant in the Canadian Army
Arnold Gaine arrived in Canada on board the Royal George on 21 June 1911 with the intention of making for Toronto, but on arrival found himself a job as a bank clerk in Victoria, British Columbia. A member of a local militia group, on 25 March 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Vancouver. As Private 116259, he was attached to 11th Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles. Nine months later he was discharged and reenlisted as an officer, taking a commission in the 103rd Battalion as a lieutenant and by the end of July 1916 he was in England at the base at Aldershot attending courses on Bombing and Rifles.
Before a medical board at Shorncliffe in October he was found to be of “poor physique” and suited to home service in the UK only. Based at Seaford for six months in July 1917 Lieutenant Gaine was seconded to the Canadian Forestry Corps (CFC), initially at the base depot at Sunningdale in Windsor Great Park, and then as a temporary captain to District 55 at Stirling in Scotland.
At the end of August 1918, Arnold was transferred to 9 Company CFC in Bordeaux, France. He also spent some time with 13 Company, who were working on aerodrome construction in conjunction with the Royal Air Force, before returning to Sunningdale in February 1919. In October 1919 Lieutenant Gaine was in Wharncliiffe War Hospital, Sheffield having his tonsils removed, and in January 1920 he retired from the army.
Arnold returned to Canada and worked for the Canadian Bank of Commerce; he travelled widely and was awarded an Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours list of 1946.
Civil Parish: Boldon
Birth date: 8-Oct-1892
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 9 Sydenham Terrace, South Shields (1891 census)
Burnham Grove, East Boldon (1911 census)
Religion: Church of England
Employment: Shipowners Clerk (1911 census)
Family: Parents: George Gauntlet Gaine, Mary Burnett Gaine, nee Gibb
Siblings: James Sherwood Gaine, Herbert Gaune, Una G.Gaine, Ernest Gaine, Donald Gaine, Cyril Gaine
Military service:
British Columbia Horse (pre-war militia)
Lieutenant
103rd Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Forestry Corps
Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal
Gender: Male
Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham | (Mod - Gemma, Durham University Intern)
