HAMILTON GAULT, EARLY LIFE

Hamilton Gault was born on the 18th of August, 1882, in Kent, the son of a wealthy Montreal cotton manufacturer. His mother had difficulties with childbirth and went to stay with her own mother in England during her pregnancy.

Hamilton Gault as a young officer with
The Royal Scots of Canada 

Gault belonged to a family of “Ulster Scots” which, like many others, immigrated to Canada from Ireland in hope of a brighter economic future.

Affectionately known as “Hammie,” Hamilton Gault enjoyed a privileged upbringing in Montreal, Canada’s centre for trade and commerce in the early 20^th century. He attended one of Canada’s most prestigious institutions, Bishop’s College in Lennoxville, Quebec. Throughout his childhood, Gault showed a great appreciation for the outdoors. He learned to ride horseback, shoot and would later join the Bishop’s College cadet corps. 

The Cadet Corp provided Gault with his first taste of military life. Like others at school, he became fascinated with Britain’s colonial wars, reading extensively about campaigns in India. This exposure to military culture would propel Gault to a lifelong interest in the profession of arms and international relations. 

Over six feet tall, with a good build, Gault was known for his dashing good looks and love of the wilderness.  In pursuit of a military career befitting of his character, Gault would go on to join the 5^th Royal Scots of Canada, a Highland militia regiment in Montreal also known as the Black Watch. 

As conflict, and later war, arose in South Africa between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free States in 1899, Hamilton Gault moved to enlist with the 2^nd Canadian Mounted Rifles. Gault left Canada with the Regiment in 1902 and saw service in South Africa as the war was winding down. 

JULY 29TH, 1914 BRITAIN ORDERS WAR PREPARATIONS TO THE "PRECAUTIONARY STAGE". CANADA FOLLOWS SUIT

HAMILTON GAULT DEVISES A CONCEPT TO RAISE A REGIMENT

Young Hamilton Gault 

Enjoying one of the hottest summers in memory, few Canadians concerned themselves with the political climate in Europe during the summer of 1914. Understanding the severity of the situation in Europe, however, Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault, was determined to create an army unit that could be mobilized quickly for the coming crisis. In late July, Gault devised a concept to raise a regiment with his own funds to prepare troops to come to the aid of the Empire. He felt certain this would be a quick and bloody war all over by Christmas. Canada’s quick response to the war was largely due to the insight of this dapper 33 year old Montreal millionaire. 

WELCOME TO THE BLOGSPOT FOR PPCLI 100TH ANNIVERSARY!

This blog is intended to give viewers a sense of the history as it happened by following the Regiment's path chronologically from its founding through the First World War using letters, documents and war diaries from well researched published sources and original sources from the archives. 

In the coming weeks and months readers will have a chance to follow the early days of the Regiment's origins and enjoy stories about some of the most interesting personalities that made up the contingent of "Originals" that sailed overseas as the newly formed Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on September 27th, 1914. 

Please sign up for regular posts by submitting your email address into the box on the upper right corner as illustrated

Join us on the journey!

JULY 28th IS THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY'S DECLARATION OF WAR ON SERBIA

As the 100^th anniversary of the formation of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) approaches, understanding why this unique formation was created and deployed to Belgium and France during the First World War necessitates a look at some of the major events that paved the way for war to be initiated in 1914. 

Rise of the German Empire

To better explain how war materialized in 1914, the rise of the German Empire must be briefly touched upon.  The German state that found itself engaged in a bitter struggle from 1914-1918 did not exist prior to 1870.  Instead, numerous Germanic states of various sizes occupied the territory.  The Kingdom of Prussia, the largest and most powerful of these, embarked upon a campaign in 1848 to unify the Germanic states.  Following the defeat of France during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the German Empire finally came into being.  For the major European powers, this development undermined the balance of power that existed on the European continent.  For France and Russia, they now had to contend with a new, large, and powerful enemy right along their borders.

Decline of the Ottoman Empire

By 1914, the Ottoman Empire was a shadow of its former self.  Since 1829, many of the Empire’s territorial possessions had either been snatched away by the major powers in Europe or were granted independence from Ottoman rule.  France seized Algeria in 1830 and Tunisia in 1881; Great Britain was given Cyprus in 1878 and conquered Egypt in 1882; Italy captured Libya in 1912; and Bosnia was surrendered to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1878.  Among the states to gain their independence were Greece in 1829, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia in 1878, Bulgaria in 1908, and Albania and Yemen in 1913.  The granting of independence to Serbia in 1878 and its longstanding relationship with the Russian Empire that had existed since the early 19^th century served as one of the major facilitators for the breakout of war in 1914.  

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Serbian nationalism was able to build in the years following independence and directly led to the creation of several ultra-nationalist organizations in Serbia and Austro-Hungarian-controlled Bosnia.  A member of one of these organizations, Gavrillo Princip, fired the fatal shots that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.

Alliances

Commonly seen as one of the major contributing factors to the opening of hostilities in 1914, the alliance system in Europe served to divide the continent militarily into two distinct camps.  The Dual Alliance, signed in 1879, witnessed the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire entering into a defensive partnership.  Italy joined with Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1882 to form the so-called Triple Alliance.  Mere days after Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia, the Ottoman Empire allied itself with Germany on 2 August 1914.  The Central Powers, as they became known, would remain, for the most part, unified until the end of the war.  Italy departed from the alliance in 1915 in favour of a more advantageous partnership with the Entente.

Military Alliances in 1914

Opposing the Central Powers was an alliance of several countries including France, Russia, Great Britain, and, later, Italy.  In 1892, France and Imperial Russia entered into the Franco-Russian Alliance.  Twelve years later, France and Britain signed the Entente Cordiale.  In 1907, Russia and Great Britain entered into the Anglo-Russian Entente.  As a result of this treaty, the three countries became members of the Triple Entente.  Italy later joined the alliance in 1915 following its departure from the Central Powers.  Russia would remain a member of the Entente until the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and subsequent Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany.

Important Dates

28 June – Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife assassinated in Sarajevo,        Bosnia by Gavrillo Princip, a member of an ultra-nationalist Serbian group

23 July – Ultimatum given by Austria-Hungary to Serbia

25 July – Serbia rejects ultimatum

28 July – Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

30 July – Russia mobilizes its forces

1 August – Germany declares war on Russia

2 August – The Ottoman Empire allies itself with Germany

3 August – Germany declares war on France

3 August – Belgium rejects Germany’s ultimatum that German forces be permitted to pass freely the country

4 August – German troops invade Belgium

4 August – Great Britain declares war on Germany.