Andrew Gault - Toll of War

Toll of War

By the end of August, 1914, after only requiring ten days for recruiting, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was a regiment 1,098 strong - and only fifty of them had not seen action in the Boer Wars or with the British Army. They were the first Canadian soldiers to arrive on French soil. Its first commanding officer, Lt.-Col. Francis Farquhar, who had been so instrumental with Gault in organizing the regiment, was killed at St. Eloi (1915) in their first action. Gault became the third commanding officer, but as described previously was wounded several times and lost his left leg. By May 7, 1915, the regiment numbered 635 men, but by the end of the following day they numbered just 150. Gault was one of only two of the regiment's officers to survive World War One, the other being Lt.-Colonel Agar Adamson, of Ottawa, who skillfully led the regiment at both Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. Aside from Farquhar, Gault lost another close friend and fellow officer in Talbot Mercer Papineau, at the Battle of Passchendaele.