868003 Acting Lieutenant John Farquhar Bain was born on  24 April 1896 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, the son of Hugh Urquhart Bain and Florence Ann Clarke. He had three sisters and three brothers, one of which – Hugh Rupert Bain – also joined the 182nd Battalion, transferred to the 201st Battalion and eventually to the 1st Tank Battalion.

John married Marjorie Hastings Pentecost on 7 April 1917 in Toronto – just a month before embarking for England. They had three sons. One was Pilot Officer John Douglas Norman Bain, who served during WWII in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was declared dead on 31 May 1942 after failing to return from a mission.

Bain was working as a banker and had two and a half years of service with The Queen’s Own Rifles when he enlisted with the 182nd Overseas Battalion, CEF in Whitby, Ontario on 22 February 1916. He arrived in England in May 1917 and by June had been transferred to the 208th Battalion where he reached the rank of Acting Sergeant. His service record shows that he reverted to permanent rank on 21 January 1918 in order to proceed overseas to Belgium or France however it appears he only served in England.

On 4 February 1918, he was posted to the No. 2 Cadet Wing of the Royal Flying Corps then posted to the Royal Air Force School of Aeronautics (presumably to train as a pilot) on 5 April 1918.

Bain was eventually demobilized on 29 August 1919.

Census records show Bain living in Toronto in 1921. We know he was still alive when his son was pronounced dead in 1942 but it is unknown when Bain died.