CAIN, Hurtle Arnold
| Service Number: | 3256 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Maylands,South Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Maylands (SA), Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia |
| Schooling: | public school. South Australia |
| Occupation: | motor mechanic |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 10 June 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery, Flanders, Belgium Plot III, Row E, Grave No. 24, Belgium, Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery, Wulverghem, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Magill Honour Board, Magill War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3256, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3256, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide | |
| 16 Aug 1916: | Wounded Wounded in action in France after the battle of Mouquet Farm. | |
| 10 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3256, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3256 awm_unit: 50 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-06-10 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Hurtle Arnold Cain was born on Laura Street, Maylands, South Australia in 1897. His family was made up of his father Ezra Daniel Cain, his mother Mary Cain and his younger brother Ezra Stanley Cain. He had no girlfriend or wife. Hurtle was a Baptist and went to a public school in Adelaide. He served in the Cadets as a 2Lt prior to enlisting in WW1. His occupation was motor mechanics.
Hurtle had a fair complexion, brown hair and grey eyes. He weighed 53kg (116lbs), which is very light for a grown man. His height was 5 feet 4.5, which may seem short nowadays but during the early 1900s it was normal.
Hurtle enlisted for WW1 at Keswick on the 26th July 1915. He was given the service number 3256 and placed in the 10th battalion, 11th reinforcement. His rank was private. On the 27th October 1915 he embarked from Adelaide on the HMAT A24 Benalla to Egypt. This ship was built in 1913, weighed 11, 118 tons and could travel at an average speed of 14 knots.
In Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, Hurtle was reassigned to the 50th battalion on the 26th February 1916. This was made up of soldiers from the 10th battalion that had fought in Gallipoli and new South Australians. They lived in white tents and it was very hot and dusty. Hurtle trained there for about 3 months before embarking for France.
In France, Hurtle and the 50th battalion took part in their first major battle at Mouquet Farm. It was part of the Battle of the Somme and was against Germany. They were trying to capture land the enemy occupied. The battle occurred between the 13-15 August. The 50th battalion suffered heavily.
Hurtle was admitted shell shock on the last day of the battle, and was then wounded in action the following day. Shell shock is trauma that results from being exposed to gunfire and bombing. He was put in hospital for about 7 months, meaning the unknown injury must have been serious. For one month he was part of the 4th division signallers, before rejoining the 50th battalion on the 27th April 1917.
On the 5th of March 1917, Hurtle’s younger brother Ezra Stanley Cain Enlisted for WW1. This was when Hurtle was still in hospital. Ezra was promoted to the role of Lance Corporal in the 43rd battalion. He returned to Australia on the 20 May 1919.
The second battle Hurtle was involved in was the Battle of Messines between the 7-12 June. This was fought in the Ypres sector in Belgium. The British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers attacked the Germans with their objective being to takeover a strongly held strategic position on the Western Front.
On the 10th June 1917, about halfway through the battle of Messines, Hurtle Arnold Cain was killed in action. The location was in Belgium and he was 20 years old. He was buried in Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery plot III, Row E, Grave no. 24. The memorials his name is found in is Adelaide 1 National War Memorial and MagillM.
Hurtle’s father Ezra Daniel Cain wrote to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) asking that any belongings of Hurtle’s be sent to them, as they had not received anything. In return, The AIF wrote that no effects had been received. In 1921 Hurtle’s family received two identity discs.
Hurtle received 3 medals for his efforts in WW1; The 1914-15 Star, The Victory Medal and The British War Medal. These medals were awarded for signing up in 1915, the allies being victorious in the end, and fighting in the war. Hurtle showed true ANZAC spirit through his bravery and loyalty to his country. He never gave up and will always be remembered.
Bibligraphy
50th Australian Infantry Battalion n.d., Australian War Memorial, accessed 8 March 2016, https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51490/
Anzac Spirit n.d., Australian War Memorial, accessed 9 March 2016, https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit/
Coughlan, A (ed.) 2012, Pearson History 9, Pearson Australia, Melbourne.
Curating, Cain, Hurtle Arnold n.d., RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 8 March 2016, https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/projects/118/edit
Guide to Medals of WW1 2016, The Great War, accessed 13 March 2016, <http://www.greatwar.co.uk/medals/ww1-campaign-medals.htm>
Hurtle Arnold Cain 2015, The AIF Project, accessed 8 March 2016, https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=42912
National Archives of Australia 1998, Cain, Hurtle Arnold service record, Australian Government, accessed 4 March 2016, http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/army-wwi.aspx
Tel-el-Kebir Australian Army training camp 1916, Photograph, Australian War Memorial, accessed 14 March 2016, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H12873/
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