most part were instructors and men on guard
duty, provided a nucleus for a training organization. In addition to its
"standing army," the Dominion had an active militia numbering
approximately 60,000 men. Their training consisted of what has been
aptly called "after-supper soldiering." Members of city regiments
drilled for one night each week, participated in an annual church parade
and spent two weeks every year in summer camp.

The training of the rural regiments consisted almost entirely of the two
weeks in summer camp. Yet from these militia units were drawn a large
proportion of the men in the first Canadian oversea contingent, while
the militia regiments, to a large extent, formed the basis of Canada's
recruiting organization after the outbreak of hostilities.

Enlistments during the first two years in the expeditionary force
numbered approximately 415,000, while probably 150,000 applicants were
rejected as physically unfit.

Immediately upon the declaration of war Major General Sir Sam Hughes,
Minister of Militia, telegraphed the officers commanding the militia
regiments to commence recruiting for oversea service. After the
recruits were signed up and accepted, they lived at home and drilled
during the day at the armories throughout the Dominion.

Meanwhile, Valcartier camp was being prepared for the gathering army.
The building of this great military center almost overnight was an
engineering feat of no mean magnitude. Two weeks after work was started,
troops recruited by the militia regiments began to arrive, and before
the end of a month Valcartier was a tented city of 25,000 soldiers.

There were some complaints, of course. They were inevitable in an
encampment so hastily prepared. But the essentials were there, and when
the contingent sailed from Gaspe, on the coast of Quebec, on October 3,
it was a well-trained, efficient body of soldiers, besides being the
largest army that ever crossed the Atlantic at one time.

AN EFFICIENT COMMANDER.

The contingent was in command of Lieutenant-General Edwin Alfred Hervey
Alderson. He was born at Ipswich in 1859 and began his military career
with the Militia, going to the regular army in 1878. He joined the Royal
West Kent Regiment as Second Lieutenant and rapidly won promotion. He
served in the Transvaal, later in Egypt and participated in actions at
Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir, receiving the Khedive's bronze star. Service
in South Africa and in India followed