On 19 February 1943 B111044, Pte Bain, Angus Borden was taken on strength in the UK by the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders from 4 Cdn Inf Reinforcement Unit. His service number indicates that he did not enlist with the 48th Highlanders but transferred to the 48th, likely in the UK. (Service Records required from his date of enlistment). He embarked with the battalion from Gourock, Scotland on 28 June 1943 and landed at Pachino, Sicily on 10 July. He was engaged in all the battles during the Sicilian Campaign and was appointed A/L/Cpl on 23 July at the attack of the town of Nissoria. On 26 December 1943 A/Cpl Bain received a shrapnel wound to his left leg at “Cemetery Hill” , in a defensive position that the battalion had taken over 2 miles behind the German lines after penetrating at night in single file along a goat path. This position, west of Ortona, threatened the only roads in and out of Ortona that Germans could use and contributed to the German withdrawal from Ortona on the 27th. Bain returned to the battalion in early 1944 as shown by the order on 13 February 1944 confirming his appointment as A/Cpl. Cpl Bain was sent to hospital (X-3 List) on 22 February. He was discharged from hospital on 23 May and returned to the battalion on the 30th but was back and forth to hospital throughout July while the battalion was at rest at Piedmonte d-Alife, following their successful breaching of the Hitler Line on May 22/23. In August the battalion began its advance through the Gothic Line and on 2 September he was appointed L/Sgt in D Company, as the battalion attacked the Rimini Line, the last of the Gothic Line defences.
On 16 December, when the battalion was between the Lamone and Senio Rivers, L/Sgt Bain was injured again by a shrapnel wound to the right lower leg, during an attack at the Vecchio Bridge. Following recovery L/Sgt Bain returned to the battalion on 31 January 1945 as the battalion was moving to the Ravenna marshes area. Bain remained with the battalion for the transfer from Italy on 12 March 1945, going through France with the 1st Canadian Division to complete the liberation of Holland in April.
On 22 March L/Sgt Bain was struck off strength to the X-8 list (non-effective soldiers to be returned to the UK). He returned to Canada separately from the 48th Highlanders.
L/Sgt Bain was awarded a Mentioned in Dispatches. (Likely either the Gothic/Rimini line or Lamone/Senio battle)