page_title: Hamilton Gault
section_title: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
hierarchical_section_title: Hamilton Gault / Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
context_page_description: Andrew Hamilton Gault DSO was a Canadian Army officer and British politician. At his own expense, he raised the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the last privately raised regiment in the British Empire. Hatch Court in Somerset today houses a small museum commemorating Gault's military career. From 1924 to 1935 he was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Taunton, Somerset. Returning to Quebec after World War II, Gault vigilantly defended his estate of Mont Saint-Hilaire from expropriation by mining interests and bequeathed it to McGill University to help ensure its preservation.
context_section_description: Following the example set by fellow countryman Lord Strathcona, who raised Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), on the eve of the First World War Gault offered the Canadian government $100,000 to help raise and equip an infantry battalion for overseas duty. Lt.-Col. Francis Farquhar of the Coldstream Guards, military secretary to Canada's Governor-General, the Duke of Connaught, supported Gault's idea. Between them, they made the decision to recruit men who had already seen military action, but who were not attached to any militia units, in order to hasten the regiment's departure for Europe.
  The Governor-General's daughter, Princess Patricia of Connaught, was known for her public appreciation of Canada's vast wilderness and its people. The Gaults had entertained the Connaughts during their visits to Montreal, and they had also been frequent guests at Rideau Hall. Colonel Farquhar approached the Duke of Connaught for permission to name the Regiment after his daughter. The request was made to the Princess, who was said to be delighted. On 10 August 1914, through a charter embodied in a report of the Committee of the Privy Council of Canada, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry came into being. Princess Patricia, the Colonel-in-Chief, designed and made by hand the regimental flag.
  Captain Gault was promoted to Major and appointed second-in-Command of his regiment. He was first wounded at St. Eloi on 28 February 1915. He rejoined the battalion on 27 April 1915 shortly before Lt.-Col. Buller was wounded:
  The leadership of Major Gault did much to strengthen the will and determination of the men. Lieutenant Hugh Niven remarked in hindsight: "With Hamilton Gault there, nobody could think of retiring... Nobody knows why, but it gave everyone a tremendous lot of courage that nobody else in the world could give to the other regiments".
  Gault commanded the Patricia's during the first part of the Second Battle of Ypres. He was wounded in the morning but carried on until a second more serious injury compelled him to pass command on to Captain Adamson. When he rejoined in October 1915, he brought with him reinforcements from the University Companies. He was wounded for a third time and lost a leg at Sanctuary Wood during the Battle of Mont Sorrel, 2 June 1916.
  Despite the loss of his left leg, Gault refused repatriation to Canada and returned to France where he was initially seconded as Aide-de-camp to Major General Victor Williams, the General Officer Commanding 3rd Canadian Division. Later Gault commanded the 3rd Canadian Division Reinforcement Camp (CCRC) with the local rank of lieutenant colonel. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of his own regiment on 28 March 1918 but remained seconded with CCRC. Finally, he rejoined his regiment on 21 November 1918, and commanded the Patricia's until demobilization. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order; the Russian Order of St. Anne (Third Class with Swords); the Belgian Ordre de Leopold and was four times Mentioned in Despatches.
caption: Princess Patricia inspecting the regimental flag in 1919
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