Raising the Battalion

General Order 103a authorized the raising of twelve battalions of infantry, the 57th to 68th, and for them to be on active service as of April 20, 1915.  Initially the 60th was to be raised in Montreal and the maritimes but Sam Hughes the minister of Militia intervened and it was raised in Military District No 4 which included Montreal and the surrounding area.

Four of the local Militia units were to raise a Battalion of two hundred and fifty men each. ‘A’ Company was raised by the 3rd Regiment Victoria Rifles of Canada.  ‘B’ Company was raised by the 5th Regiment Grenadier Guards of Canada,  The 55th Irish Canadian Rangers raised ‘C’ Company and ‘D’ company was raised by the 65th Westmount Rifles.  Collectively they raised ‘E’ Company which became the 60th Battalion’s 1st Reinforcing Draft.

Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Arthur DeLong Gascoigne the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Regiment Victoria Rifles of Canada was appointed the Commanding Officer.

The Montreal Daily Mail for Friday June 4, 1915 ran a story on page twelve titled “Many recruits are being accepted for service in Sixtieth” In the article they listed the recruiting stations that were set up. There were ten in total:
The Victoria Rifles Armoury on Cathcart St, the Grenadier Guards Armoury on Esplanade Avenue, the Westmount Rifles Armoury at the Mount Royal Riding Academy. In addition to its armoury at 91 Stanley St. the 55th Irish Canadian set up two additional centres, one at 600 St Catherine Street West and the other in the McGill Building at the corner of McGill and Notre Dame Streets. The others were: 156 St. James St., In the Southam Building on Bleury St, the corner of St Catherine and Elm Streets and in the Chabolliez Square at the corner of Peel and St. Jacques. The recruiters even set up a tent in Victoria Square to entice enlistment.