Donald Bain was born in Vananda, British Columbia, Canada on 26th June 1918 and was living in Agaissiz, British Columbia when he enlisted into the RCAF in Vancouver on 16th April 1941. He trained at 2 ITS (graduated 7th August 1941), 19 EFTS (graduated 22nd September 1941) and 10 SFTS (graduated 19th December 1941). He received his commission in December 1941 and on arrival in the UK in March 1942 he trained with 22 OTU at Wellesbourne Mountford flying Wellingtons and here he met up with what would become the main part of his Halifax crew - Magson, Acorn, Haugen and Wood. On 1st May 1943 he and this five-man crew was posted to 1659 HCU based at Topcliffe where they picked up the remaining two members of their heavy bomber crew and completed their training. He and his crew became operational on joining 408 Squadron at Leeming on 18th May 1943.
For his actions in bringing the crippled Halifax JD174 back to Yorkshire F/O Bain was awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross and notification was published in the London Gazette on 26th July 1943 and presented on 8th December 1944. The citation reads..
"One night in July 1943 this officer piloted an aircraft to attack Aachen. Whilst over the target area the bomber was seriously damaged when engaged by an enemy fighter. Despite this, Flying Officer Bain made several determined runs over the objective. On the return flight two more enemy fighters were encountered but Flying Officer Bain out-manoeuvred them. By superb airmanship and great tenacity he succeeded in flying the crippled bomber to this country. He displayed commendable courage and a fine fighting spirit in circumstances of great difficulty."
Air historian Mr Hugh Halliday's research into RCAF honours and awards has also found the following which relates to the Arden incident and must have been issued many years later.. "Wing Commander Don Bain was a young Flying Officer piloting a Halifax bomber heading for Aachen in the summer of 1943 when he was badly shot up by night-fighters five minutes before reaching the target. He pressed on, only to find that his hydraulics and bomb doors would not operate. On his return to England, he outmaneuvered two other enemy fighters. Unable to crash land because of his bomb load, he ordered his crew to bail out. He then directed the plane to a safe area where it crashed into a hill and exploded and bailed out himself, breaking both ankles badly on landing. Subsequently, he was awarded the DFC."