72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA
Exhibition Association.
And now occurred an example of
rapid recruiting which plainly showed the martial spirit al
ready gathering about the inception of the new unit. On
the 1st day of September a telegram was received from the
Adjutant-General announcing that an inspection by the
Duke of Connaught would take place in the near future. At
that time not a man had been taken on the strength of the
Battalion. The first recruits were received on September 4th.
On September 16th 660 overseas Kilties marched past the
Duke in review order. By the end of the month the Battalion
was up to full strength, but lack of equipment prevented a
portion of the men from joining the Battalion at Hastings
Park until the third week in October. But from the 15th of
September till the following April, intensive training was
proceeded with. It was a severe winter, accompanied by
deep snowfalls quite unusual for Vancouver. In the latter
part of October the Battalion was again inspected, on this
occasion by Colonel the Hon. Sir Charles Davidson, K.C.M.G.
The first two months at Hastings Park were devoted to
recruit training, including company and battalion drill.
Upon completion of this preliminary training, a very
thorough course of musketry was carried out, each company
taking its turn for a week at the Richmond ranges. Instruc
tion was also given in tactical exercises, such as company
and battalion in attack ;
advance and rear-guard actions,
etc. In addition to this, the men received training in field
entrenchments and bombing, and a route march was held
once a week. After the Battalion had thus undergone seven
months severe training, Brig.-Gen. John Hughes conduct
ed a final inspection prior to the departure of the Battalion
for overseas on January 16th, 1916. As a last taste of the
wintry conditions that had characterised the stay at Hast
ings Park this review was carried out in a blizzard.
During the Battalion s sojourn at Hastings park, while the
training received was necessarily of a warlike nature, great
attention was also paid to sports, and the conquests of
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the Imperials. To General J. W. Stewart the Battalion owes a debt of grati
tude it can never repay. Mention must also be made here of the very liberal
way in which the employees of the Western Canada Power Company (through
Mr. R. F. Hayward) and the men of the Britannia Mines Company, came for
ward with substantial contributions. It is not too much to say that but for the
help of these and many other supporters at a critical stage in the early days
of the Battalion, it would have been confronted with difficulties of a serious
nature.