AUGUST 3RD, 1914, GAULT MAKES VERBAL PROPOSAL TO MINISTER OF DEFENCE TO RAISE A REGIMENT WITH HIS OWN FUNDS

Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence

By the beginning of August, Hamilton Gault moved to actualize his goal of raising a regiment. There were concerns in the political realm that by the time Canadian militia were mobilized, the war in Europe would be over. Gault’s initial idea was to immediately form a cavalry regiment at his own expense ensuring that he would not miss the war. He already had a preliminary list of officers who would join his regiment if their’s were not mobilized in time. The formation of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse Regiment, raised with private funds in 1899 to join the Boer Wars, had set a precedent for Gault’s ambition.

Gault wired the Minister of Militia and Defence, Sam Hughes, in order to set up an appointment to discuss his plans personally with the Minister in Ottawa. Gault secured his meeting and, on August 3rd, travelled on the early morning train from Montreal to Ottawa to make a verbal proposal to Hughes. 

During a break in a war-planning meeting, Gault made his proposal. Hughes listened intently and promised Gault the Government would consider his proposition to raise his own regiment. Hughes suggested, however, that an infantry regiment would be more useful to the government. Without hesitation Gault agreed to alter his plan. 

Before he returned to Montreal that day he met briefly with Lt-Col Francis Farquhar, Military Secretary to the Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada. Farquhar was already aware of Gault’s proposal to Sam Hughes and offered to help in any way he could.