Original Grouping. One-of-a-Kind. This is the unprecedentedly-remarkable and extensive grouping of “Fighting Bob” Cain, a grizzled Scottish-Born veteran of three wars and recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Italian War Merit Cross, and the French Legion of Honour for actions in France while serving as Captain of the 111th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces. The highlight of the grouping is without a doubt the cut-up and battle-torn uniform that Captain Cain wore when he was shot in the back right shoulder on September 6th, 1918 along the Vesle River. Also included is Cain’s Mini-Medal bar with a staggering 11 medals still attached. Cain was a truly phenomenal individual, having been born in Scotland and enlisting to serve in the Spanish-American War, Mexican Border War, and World War I. After the war he would serve as Aide-de-Camp to the Army Adjutant General, Commander-in-Chief of the United Spanish War Veterans, along with running for public office on several occasions under the nickname “Fighting Bob” Cain. The only piece that isn’t with the group is his original issued Distinguished Service Cross, which we were told was buried with him, so this is truly as good as it gets!

Note: We are offering pickup at our Gillette, New Jersey location for this grouping as it is very extensive and heavy all-together.
 
Cain’s Distinguished Service Cross Citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Infantry) Robert S. Cain, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 111th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in the Bois-de-Chateau-Diable, west of Fismette, August 11 – 12, 1918. Armed with a Chauchat rifle, Captain Cain personally led the advance elements of the line, driving the enemy before him and clearing the above forest south of the railroad and north of the Vesle River, along the Reims-Rouen road. By personally exposing himself on the railroad, he maintained liaison at great personal risk. In all of this, he displayed sterling qualities of leadership and fearlessness beyond that required to perform the duties of his office.

This phenomenal grouping includes:
- Cain’s Battle-worn uniform with heavy cutting and staining at the back of the right shoulder. This is the jacket that Cain was wounded in, having been cut off of him by surgeons. The jacket retains both US Collar insignia (although one is broken off of one side) and one Infantry collar insignia.
- Cain’s French-made uniform jacket with bullion Captain’s bars, a 28th Division patch, one overseas & one wound chevron. There are several photographs and portraits of Cain wearing this exact jacket. The jacket has suffered some very heavy moth damage and there is heavy wear across, but it will still display well. The collar insignia has been removed, if there was ever any at all.
- Cain’s Dog Tag, reading Robert S. Cain, Captain, 111th Inf. This single tag is worth a great deal in its own right.
- Roughly 40+ different medals in various Riker cases including the Purple Heart (WWII Issue & not engraved), Spanish War Medal, Mexican Border Medal, WWI Victory Medal with the correct four bars for Cain, the French Legion of Honor (with original presentation case), Italian War Merit Cross, PA Mexican Border Medal, PA WWI Medal, Chateau Thierry Cote 204 Medal, Verdun Medal, several United Spanish War Veterans Medals, several SAW Medals, two PA National Guard ladder marksmanship medals, several American Legion of Valor medals, 40/8 Medal, Military Order of the Serpent Medal, and several other fraternal or organizational medals. There are also some extra medals, planchets missing ribbons, spare copies of medals already mentioned, etc. 
- Cain’s Original 11-Place Mini-Medal Bar with the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart Medal, the Spanish-American War Medal, the Mexican Border Medal, the WWI Victory Medal with 4 bars, the French Legion of Honour, the Italian War Merit Cross, the Pennsylvania Mexican Border Service Medal, the Pennsylvania WWI Service Medal, the Chateau Thierry Cote 204 Medal, and the Verdun Medal. This mini-medal bar is extraordinarily valuable in its own right. 
- Cain’s original Bailey, Banks, & Biddle Medal Case, missing the cloth cover entirely but the interior looks great. There are still two rosettes inside, but the rest of the medals are in riker cases. These BB&B Cases are extremely scarce, and the top lid still shows the embossing of Cain’s name, rank, and organization.
- Cain’s AEF Logbook which has heavy wear and material loss to the cover. This book contains his written service record as well as logistical and training information about his unit. The back of this book has a typed history of his battalion of the 111th Infantry as well as a typed commendation spoken about the 28th Division by General Bullard. This logbook isn’t chronological, and has many notes and lists that were likely just written in random spots.
- Several of Cain’s other smaller log/notebooks and bible in a small leather case embossed with his name and information.
- The original War insurance policy document which told Cain’s wife (incorrectly) that he was killed in action and that his policy would pay out, with the death mention underlined. 
- A Studio portrait of a German soldier with a fantastic story behind it. During the war, Cain came across and captured this soldier, Friedrich Wurm, sparing his life. The back of the paper which the portrait is on has a letter sent to Wurm by Cain on August 20th, 1931. Cain mentions he is the Captain who was able to be of assistance to him and his comrade, and asked him for a photo of him in uniform. This capture occurred on September 6th, 1918, the same day Cain was wounded, and he mentions in the letter, “Shortly after you were taken prisoner one of your good Bavarian comrades was kind enough to put a bullet through me which compelled me to remain in the hospital for 9 months. However, I am well again and am glad that the whole mess is over.” When Cain visited Europe in 1932, he actually met Wurm in person, 14 years after the incident. There are other letters to Wurm’s comrade setting up the meeting, and with these other letters are two shoulder boards which were captured from the soldiers. Such a small piece of such an amazing grouping that in itself is spectacular. 
- Cain’s named 1903 Rifle Breech cover, dated March 1918.
- Cain’s M1910 Officer’s Visor with extremely heavy moth damage.
- The original Western Union Telegram alerting Cain’s family that he had been severely wounded in action about September 9th. This is pasted onto a piece of paper, the back of which has pasted a War Department letter alerting the family that Cain was under treatment for a severe gunshot wound in the right shoulder.
- Boxes with tons of letters stretching from the Spanish-American War era through Post-World War I. There are likely letters from other periods as well, but there are just too many to go through.
- A lovely photograph of Cain with the Army Adjutant General in front of the wreath and medal used at the Tomb of the Unknown French Soldier, the ceremony for which was attended by Cain and the AG. This photograph was used as the cover for the July 1922 issue of "Foreign Service”, the official VFW magazine, a copy of which is in one of the scrapbooks. 
- 2 Great 111th Infantry 28th Division veterans armbands.
- Cain’s copy of “Our Second Battalion, 111th Infantry”, written by a comrade of his, with many annotations. 
- Two scrapbooks with much later post-war homefront material but great bits of service history and newspaper clippings.
- Binder of notes and expense reports while Cain served as Commander-in-Chief of the United Spanish War Veterans. 
- Engraved small silver statue named to Cain when he served as Commander-in-Chief of the United Spanish War Veterans. It was gifted to him at Columbia Camp No. 11 in Vancouver, B.C. on June 1st, 1936.
- Cain’s wallet from the Spanish American war era with several letters stuffed inside from the 1901-1903 era.
- Large metal box with several more bits of ephemera, rolled up yard longs, letters, small framed pieces, buttons and other bits.
- The original son-in-service banner that Cain’s family hung at their home while he was overseas. 
- A great bunch of paperwork from when Cain was inquiring about the wounded and dead of the 111th Infantry regiment from the War Department, and the original list that they sent back to him.
- A great deal of other bits of ephemera that would take far too long to list individually.

The framed items in this group include:
- Cain’s Framed Distinguished Service Cross Certificate dated December 28th, 1918 and signed by General Pershing.
- Cain’s Framed French Legion of Honour Chevalier Rank Certificate, dated 1922.
- Cain’s Framed WWI Columbia Wound Certificate.
- Cain’s Italian War Merit Cross Certificate (NOT FRAMED).
- A large framed photograph of Cain with two soldiers seated outside in France. Cain is clearly wearing the French-made uniform which is present in this group. 
- A framed studio portrait of Cain, the back of which is scrawled with information about the entire grouping. It also notes that Cain’s D.S.C. Medal was most likely placed in his coffin beside him, which explains why it’s not in this group. Cain is also wearing the French-made uniform in this grouping in this portrait.
- Cain’s large framed Army and Navy Legion of Valor DSC Award certificate, dated March 11th, 1919.
- A small framed photo of a statue of a Spanish American War soldier.
- Cain’s Framed 1908 Pennsylvania Promotion Certificate for 1st Lieutenant.
- Cain’s Framed 1901 Pennsylvania Promotion Certificate for 1st Lieutenant. As Cain enlisted and re-enlisted several times, he would have been promoted to these ranks a number of different times, hence the 7-year gap for the same rank. 

Thankfully, the grouping contains many of Cain’s logs and service records, allowing us to give a detailed account of his life and service.

Robert Sneath Cain was born on September 20th, 1878 in Carmyle, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He traveled to the United States with his family in July of 1888, at the age of 9. On June 18th, 1898, Cain enlisted in Company H of the 18th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and served for a brief period, being mustered out with the rest of the company on October 22nd, 1898. Cain remained in the service, and his logbook shows his promotions from Corporal to 1st Lieutenant from 1899-1901. He would see scattered service from 1901-1910 before taking a 6-year break from the service. He enlisted for his 2nd service period on June 22nd, 1916, four days after President Wilson’s “Mexican Emergency” Call for troops. At the age of 37, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and served along the Mexican Border with Company G, 18th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was mustered out on January 5th, 1917. 3 months later on April 12th, 1917, he enlisted once more in the 18th, where he remained until March 28th, 1918 when he was assigned to Company H, 111th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division. On April 4th, he was promoted to Captain of his company, and on May 5th, 1918, he and his company embarked for France.

Cain fought with his regiment through the Aisne-Marne Defensive, Oise-Aisne Offensive, and Champagne-Marne Offensive. On August 11th, 1918, while in the Fismes Sector, he would earn his Distinguished Service Cross, Italian War Merit Cross, and French Legion of Honour. On the 2nd-to-last day of the Oise-Aisne Offensive, on September 6th, 1918, Cain was shot in the back of his right shoulder by a German bullet, and had to be cut out of his uniform. He spent months in several different hospitals, finally being awarded his DSC on December 28th, 1918. He traveled back to the United States on January 30th, 1919, and was discharged on July 23rd, 1919.

After the war, Cain served as Aide-de-Camp to the Army Adjutant General, and soon-after launched a successful political career as a Republican. He became the only man to have held the offices of County Commissioner, County Treasurer, and Sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He ran under the name “Fighting Bob” Cain, and one of his campaign fliers is included in the group. The slogan reads “He fought and bled for us - Can we do less than vote for him?”

Outside of politics, Cain was an active member of the National Sheriffs Association, the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Disabled Officers Association, the Army and Navy Club of Washington, D.C., and the National Organization of the Naval and Military Veterans of the Spanish American War, as well as serving as Commander in Chief of the United Spanish War Veterans from 1935-36.

Cain passed away on November 17th, 1961 at the age of 83. Cain was one of the most spectacular individuals I’ve ever had the honor of researching, and every aspect of his life showed a dedication to service and to the people. For a Scottish-born immigrant to not only enlist in his new country’s military, but to excel as he did and climb the ranks to command a company of men in the worst conflict in all of human history (to that point) at the age of 40 is nothing short of astounding, but the feats he accomplished while in that role cement him as a true hero of the First World War. This is without a doubt the most amazing First World War grouping we have ever offered, never to be repeated. You will not find another grouping as extensive and fascinating as this one, especially not to a Distinguished Service Cross Recipient and especially not one containing the uniform he was wounded in. We were told that his original Distinguished Service Cross was buried with him, but this grouping certainly doesn’t need it, as there is more in this group than you could ever hope to find for a single soldier!

Comes ready to become the centerpiece of any Militaria collection!