| Regimental number | 4748 |
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria |
| School | State School, Northcote, Victoria |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Occupation | Ship's fireman |
| Address | Jasper Road, Brighton North, Victoria |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 21 |
| Height | 5' 8" |
| Weight | 140 lbs |
| Next of kin | Mother, Mrs M O J Caines, Jasper Road, Brighton North, Victoria |
| Previous military service | Served in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve, Citizen Military Forces; joined in 1911 at the age of 14. |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 8th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/25/5 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 59th Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France |
| Age at death | 22 |
| Age at death from cemetery records | 22 |
| Place of burial | No known grave |
| Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 16), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 167 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: John and Jane CAINES, 1 Rutland Street, Clifton Hill, Victoria. Native of Melbourne |
| Family/military connections | Cousins: 1427 Pte Arthur SOUTH, 6th Bn, killed in action, 7 August 1915; 3932 Pte Frank Joseph John SOUTH, 59th Bn, killed in action, 19 July 1916. |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Transferred to 59th Bn, 19 April 1916; taken on strength, 59th Bn, Duntroon Plateau, 20 April 1916. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916. Reported missing in action, 19 July 1916. Fate subsequently changed to 'killed in action', 19 July 1916. File (p. 4) bears notation: 'Presumed buried in No Man's Land approx at 5J90-43 to 5K 0.2.5.1 Sheet Hazebrouck 5A'. Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Miscellaneous details | Mother's address subsequently (1924) Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe, Victoria; Sister: Nurse Beatrice CAINES, Hospital for Insane, Kew, Melbourne (1916) |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, CAINES Percy Colston
Red Cross file |