The Premier was no longer in Camp, and transport was refused. Possibly, the momentarily expected sailing of the First Contingent made it impractical, and the Battalion sailed from Quebec on September 30, 1914, with a full strength of officers and non-commissioned officers and 773 other ranks, unbrigaded under strength and under-equipped, but with hearts burning with loyalty, on board the S.S. Ruthenia.
Just one hundred and twenty-nine years before the ancestors of many of these men had been disbanded from the 82nd Highlanders in Halifax and given grants of land comprising 20,000 acres in Pictou County. The Regiment had been raised in Perthshire by Col. Alexander Robertson of Struan, then Chief of Clan Donnachie, and was commanded by him. Now commanded by one of the same race and family they were returning to do their part in the world’s tragedy.
The nominal roll of officers was as follows: Lieut.-Col. Struan G. Robertson; Majors, Daniel D. Cameron and Daniel Murray; Adjutant, Capt. Charles E. Bent; Asst.-Adjutant, Lieut. L. Ray Cutten.
Captains: W. H. Allen, L. C. Bentley, W. B. Coulter, Alex. Watson, D. C. Sheppard, W. Forbes, Thos. Curwen Reid.
Lieutenants: G. W. Harris, F. M. Bentley, F. M. McDonald, J. E. Christie, E. W. Mingo, C. J. Groggett, J. M. Gillis, Bruce Donald, A. N. Peerless, R. E. Russell, G. A. Ross, G. E. C. Eager, Norman McKee, J. R. Bell, Alister Fraser, Arthur Hunt Chute, B. J. Walker, A. Marlow.
Paymaster, Hon. Capt. Arthur McKay; Quartermaster, Hon. Capt. Robert McMeekin; Medical Officer, Capt. H. Morrell; Chaplain, Paul Goforth; Transport Officer, C. Hamilton Catty.
For five months the Battalion saw service on Salisbury Plain as a Unit. No drafts arrived to bring the Battalion up to strength, but it was attached to one Brigade after another. Some one has said that the ardor of the Highlander springs from internal sentiment, and that the only thing his spirit cannot brook is disappointment.
It has ever been seemingly fated that governments failed to appreciate this characteristic of Scottish soldiers. Broken faith, real or supposed, caused rebellion in even the Black Watch in 1743. In 1795, when it was proposed to break up the Cameron Highlanders by drafting, their Colonel told the Duke of York, then O. in C., “To draft the 79th is more than you or your Royal father dare do!” The Duke of York replied: “The King, my father, will certainly send the Regiment to the West Indies.” Colonel Cameron thereupon losing his temper warmly rejoined: “You may tell the King, your father, from me, that he may send us to h—l if he likes, and Ell go at the head of them, but he daurna draft us.”
Attempts were made to draft the men of the 17th but as they had been enlisted over three months the Army Act made such procedure illegal, unless voluntary, and the protest of the Officer Commanding, after threatened proceedings, was effectual.
Four Battalions of the First Canadian Contingent, including the 17th, were then made into Reserve Battalions, and the non-commissioned officers and other ranks were drafted into the First Division to make up for the wastage suffered during its sojourn on Salisbury Plain, which then through sickness, desertion and the obtaining of commissions in the Imperial Forces was equivalent to about ten per cent. of the original total strength of the First Contingent.