"Officers 72nd Regt S H of C Sidney Camp 1913 with Sir Sam Hughes and General Sir Ian Hamilton. Vancouver Island, BC" (Original caption) - 3 Photos in envelope. The 72nd Regiment, Seaforth Highlanders of Canada trained in Sidney from 26 June to 1 July, 1913. While there, they were inspected by General Sir Ian Hamilton, Sir Samuel Hughes, KCB, PC (January 8, 1853 – August 23, 1921) was the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence during World War I. He was notable for being the last Liberal-Conservative cabinet minister, until he was dismissed from his cabinet post. General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton GCB, GCMG, DSO, TD (16 January 1853 – 12 October 1947) was a senior officer in the British Army, who is most notable for commanding the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Gallipoli Campaign. He had also fought in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, First Boer War, Mahdist War, North West Frontier, Second Boer War, Russo-Japanese War and the First World War. In June of 1913, Hamilton conducted a widespread inspection of Canada's militia forces. One of his cross-Canada stops brought him to Camp Petawawa, which was only eight years old at the time. On the day-long visit to the camp, Sir Ian was accompanied by Sam Hughes, the Minister of Militia. There were 3,200 men here for the annual summer training camps. His itinerary included an inspection of the Princess Louise's Dragoons Guards and excursions to watch artillery and cavalry manoeuvres in the field. The major-general later told reporters that he was impressed with the skill of the artillery gunners but felt the infantry required more and better equipment. "Petawawa is busy with military men in uniforms of every colour, cut and design," wrote the Pembroke Standard, "And Sir Ian Hamilton, who has completed a tour of inspection covering the whole of Canada, has expressed himself as pleased with the big camp." When he released his report on Canada's military readiness that autumn, Hamilton stressed the need for co-operation in Imperial defence and urged the Canadians to assimilate their small permanent force to the Imperial pattern so British and Canadian units could work more seamlessly together. "The presence of a Canadian regiment in London, Delhi, or Cairo would stir the imagination not only of the Five Nations themselves, but of the whole outside world," Hamilton noted in his report.