Person

James Gaine arrived in Canada in June 1912, a year after his younger brother, Arnold, and found work as a bank clerk. On 15 October 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Montreal and became Private 475435 of the 4th University Company, which supplied reinforcements to Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. James originally named his mother in Boldon as his next of kin. However, a month later, just before leaving Canada, James married Ethel Spence on 18 November and Ethel superseded his mother as his next of kin. James and his unit arrived in England in December 1915 and they were posted to the camp at Shorncliffe, Kent, where James was transferred to the 11th Battalion.

1916 saw James sent on a machine gun course, transferred again to the 86th Battalion and promoted to acting quartermaster sergeant. Meanwhile, his wife Ethel had arrived in England to stay with James’ recently widowed mother (his father had died when his ship was sunk by a German U-boat), but then moved to lodgings in Kent. Transferred at the end of May 1917 to the 18th Machine Gun Company at Witley, James travelled with them to France a year later before being attached to the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade which was billeted in the area around Arras. Promoted to regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS) in December James returned to England with his unit in March 1919 and then onward to Canada for demobilisation on 22 April in Montreal.

Civil Parish: Boldon

Birth date: 1-Sep-1891

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 9 Sydenham Terrace, South Shields (birthplace)
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: Arnold Gaine, Herbert Gaine, Una G Gaine, Ernest Gaine, Donald Gaine, Cyril Gaine
Spouse: Ethel Gaine, nee Spence
Children: Una P Gaine, Donald Gordon Gaine

Military service:

475435
Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant
4th Universities Company, Canadian Expeditionary Force
11th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
18th Machine Gun Company
1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham | (Mod - Gemma, Durham University Intern)