[4] Accompanied by life-long Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) activist Thora Silverthorne, Wainman helped to establish the first British hospital in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

[3] During his time in Spain, Wainman indulged his passion for photography by capturing behind-the-scenes photos of Republican everyday life.

[6] Having travelled in Europe extensively, Wainman spoke at least seven European languages including English, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, German, Russian, and Italian.

[6] Wainman returned to civilian life as a lecturer, then as a professor, on Slavic studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

[8] In 2013 his son John Alexander Wainman, known by the pseudonym 'Serge Alternês', salvaged his father's photo collection and published a selection, along with his memoir, in the book Live Souls.