Monday 4 August 2014

AUGUST 4th, 1914, CANADA DECLARES WAR AGAINST GERMANY

"Gault’s Light Infantry” Leaked to the Canadian Public 


On August 4th, 1914,  Britain  declared  war  on  Germany  in  response  to  the  invasion  of  Belgium.  Due to a deeply entwined alliance structure, war  in Europe had erupted. With its Dominion status, Canada would follow Britain into conflict.  

On that same day, Gault was horrified to learn that a Toronto newspaper, the Toronto Mail & Empire,  had  run  a  story  about  his attempts  to  raise  “Gault’s  Light  Infantry.”  His  proposal  to Hughes  in  Ottawa  had  been  leaked  to  the  public.  Gault  received  a  telegram  from the Minister in Ottawa with the message, “Regret conversation overheard and not understood to be confidential.” This was Gault’s first realization that he could not entirely trust Sam Hughes.

Gault's rough ideas on raising a Regiment