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Gault, Andrew Hamilton, Montreal, Quebec. Medals/Honours: Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O), Russian Order of St. Anna (Third Class with Swords), Belgian Ordre de Léopold, Four times Mentioned in Dispatches (MID). Occupation: Philanthropist and Soldier. Military Service: Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commander, PPCLI. Attestation Papers not found online. Diary References: “Speech by Brig. Gen. Smith bidding us farewell to his brigade. Reply by Maj. Hamilton Gault,” 2:8 Nov ’15; “When roll was called, 450 were either killed, wounded or missing. Dunc Gay dead, Walker Walter dead. [A.] Giles missing, Mc…dead, Tom Flintoff [Flintoft] dead, [W.H.] Hoey badly wounded, the Colonel [H.C. Buller] dead, [A.H.] Gault wounded, all 2 Company officers dead or wounded, dozens of my chums and acquaintances gone. This is a regiment of mourning,” 2:4 Jun ’16; Note Reference: “and the Dumbells Divisional Officer was Lt Col Hamilton Gault, formerly of the Princess Pats,” 3:16 Jun ’16; “From the Colonel [Gault] down the crowd welcomed me back in no unmistakable manner,” 7:30 Nov ’18.
Additional Biographical Information:
Lieutenant-Colonel A. Hamilton Gault. Appointed Major and Second in Command P.P.C.L.I., August 12, 1914. Wounded at St. Eloi, February 28, 1915. Rejoined April 27, 1915, Commanded during first part of Battle of May 8, 1915 (Bellewaerde Lake), and wounded on this day. Rejoined October 17, 1915. Severely wounded at Sanctuary Wood (Battle of Mount Sorrel) June 2, 1916. Again brought on establishment P.P.C.L.I. June 20 1917, remaining seconded as A.D.C. to G.O.C. 3rd Can. Div. Commanded 3rd Can. Div. Wing C.C.R.C. with local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel from November 28, 1917. Lieutenant-Colonel P.P.C.L.I. March 28, 1918, remaining seconded at C.C.R.C. Rejoined November 21, 1918, and commanded P.P.C.L.I. until demobilization, March 20, 1919. D,S.O. Russian Order of St. Anne (Third Class with Swords). Begian Ordre de Léopold. Four times Mentioned in Despatches.” See Hodder-Williams, Ralph, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 1914-1918, Vol. 2. The Roll of Honour and Appendices (London & Toronto: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd., 1923), 72.
Major Hamilton Gault, an officer popular with the enlisted men, was the founder of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He arrived at the front on 16 October 1915 from the base at Shorncliffe to assume his duties as the regiment’s second in command.
For his role in founding the P.P.C.L.I, see Wikipedia Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
For information on his family background, see his father Andrew Frederick Gault Dictionary of Canadian Biography.