Donald Charles Bain was born on 21 August 1897 in Nunhead, London, one of the three children of Charles William Bain (1872-1920) and Jane Elizabeth Bain née Hawes (1868-1935). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1897 in the Camberwell registration district, London. On 8 September 1897 he was baptised in St Antholin's Church (now renamed as St Antony's Church), Nunhead Lane, London, SE15, where the baptismal register shows the family was living at 151 Kimberley Road, (now renamed as Kimberley Avenue, London, SE15) and that his father was a wine packer.
In the 1901 census he was shown as living in two rooms at Tennant 3, Block A, Rye Dwellings, Camberwell, London, with his parents. His father was described as a house painter. When his sister, Elizabeth Alice Bain (1902-1973), was baptised on 25 July 1902 at St Chrysostom's Church, Peckham Hill Street, Peckham, the baptismal register shows the family was living at 5a Block, Rye Dwellings, Peckham Rye and that their father was a labourer painter.
Having attended the Choumert Road School, Peckham, London, on 26 November 1902 he was admitted into the Lyndhurst Grove School, Peckham where the school admissions register shows the family residing at 56 Heaton Road, Peckham.
When his father completed the 1911 census return form he was shown as a milk boy at school, living in two rooms at 7 Wingfield Street, Peckham, with his parents and his sister. His father described himself as a house painter and that his wife had given birth to three children but that only two were still alive.
The Banns of Marriage between him and Alice May Dennis (1902-1982) were read on three consecutive Sundays commencing 3 May 1925 at St Mary Magdalene Church, St Mary's Road, Peckham. The register shows them both residing in this parish. The marriage was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1925 in the Camberwell registration district.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register he is shown a wharf labourer, living at 6 Hathway Street, Deptford, London, with his wife.
He died, aged 43 years, as a result of enemy action whilst working in the Royal Victoria Yard, on 19 March 1941. It was announced in the London Gazette dated 30 May 1941 that as a labourer working at an Admiralty Outstation he had been posthumously commended for brave conduct in Civil Defence.
He is shown as Bain D C on the Royal Victoria Yard war memorial located at The Colonnade, Grove Street, London, SE8. He is also commemorated, as D. Bain, on the Victoria Cross Holders and local WW2 Civilian Heroes plaque inside Lewisham Shopping Centre, Molesworth Street, London, SE13 7HB, on the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey, on the Lewisham War Memorials website that tells the story of what happened on the night of his death and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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