The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

THE 4TH CANADIANMOUNTED RIFLESCHAPTER ICANADA AND ENGLANDr 1^\HE Fourth Canadian Mounted Rifles under authority Aug.of the Department of Militia and Defence became 1914a unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force onNovember 5th, 1914. Major-General F. L.Lessard,C.B., commanding Military District No. 2 issuedinstructions that the personnel was to be drafted from fourcavalry militia regiments of Ontario, a quota to be takenfrom the Governor-General s Body Guard, 2nd Dragoons,9th Mississauga Horse and 25th Brant Dragoons. Thecommand was given to Lieut. -Colonel Vaux Chad wick, ofthe Reserve of Officers, a former commanding officer ofthe 9th Mississauga Horse.The establishment called fortwenty-eight officers and five hundred and seventy-sevennon-commissioned officers and men.At the outbreak of war in August, 1914, cavalrymenwere among the first to volunteer their services and weredisappointed when they learned that they would not becalled up with the first contingent. They were told bythe Government, however, that they would be requiredeventually and the Governor-General, H. R. H. the Dukeof Connaught, intimated that cavalry would probably beneeded in Egypt. With this encouragement the Governor-General s Body Guard, commanded by Lieut. -ColonelSandford Smith and the 9th Mississauga Horse commandedby Lieut. -Colonel H. D. Lockhart Gordon on their owninitiative opened voluntary training camps, the former atAurora, Ontario, and the latter on the shore of Lakeii