Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the most decorated regiments in the Canadian Armed Forces. It currently consists of four battalions, three in the regular army and one in the reserve force (militia). The PPCLI is ranked second in the order of precedence for the regular infantry, and 38th in the infantry militia.
| Battalion | Home | Brigade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | Edmonton, Alberta | 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group | Mechanized infantry |
| 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | CFB Shilo (Manitoba) | 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group | Mechanized infantry |
| 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | Edmonton, Alberta | 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group | Light infantry. Includes a parachute company |
| The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) | Edmonton, Alberta | 41 Canadian Brigade Group | Reserve, Dismounted infantry |
- Headquarters
- Edmonton, Alberta CFB Shilo (Manitoba)
- Facings
- French grey
- Official abbreviation
- PPCLI
- Colours
- Motto
- Regimental march
- "Has Anyone Seen the Colonel / Tipperary / Mademoiselle from Armentières" (medley)
- Regimental charge
- Order of precedence
- 2nd (regular), 38th (militia)
- Unofficial Nicknames
- Patricias, Princess Pats
Armourial description of badge
The cipher of Princess Patricia of Connaught (VP) enfiling a coronet (gold) within an annulus (crimson) edged and inscribed PRINCESS PATRICIA'S CANADIAN LIGHT INFANTRY (also gold) ensigned by the royal crown proper.
Regimental names
1914: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Battle honours
- World War I
- World War II
- Korea
- Kapyong
- Korea 1950-53
Victoria Cross recipients
Basic facts
History
History 1914-1938
A new regiment
At the outbreak of World War I the regular military forces in Canada were pitifully small. To help rectify this situation the Patricias, the brain child of Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault, were created almost overnight. Hamilton Gault personally offered $100,000 to finance and equip a battalion as a contribution to Canada's war effort. The government provisionally accepted his offer on August 6, 1914. Official authorization was granted on August 10. The Canadian Department of Militia and Defence undertook the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of the regiment.
Farquhar and Gault
Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Farquhar was instrumental in assisting Hamilton Gault in founding the regiment. Colonel Farquhar, Military Secretary to Canada's Governor General, the Duke of Connaught, asked the Duke of Connaught for permission to name the regiment after his daughter, Princess Patricia of Connaught. She was pleased to accept this honour and thus the Princess Pat’s were established.
Mobilization
Farquhar and Gault moved expeditiously to mobilize the unit. The day after authority was granted, August 11, 1914, they began an aggressive recruitment campaign. Due to the patriotic outpouring following the August 4 declaration of war, 3000 applicants were recruited within eight days. On August 19 the complement was complete and the regiment's first formal parade was scheduled for August 23.
Victoria Cross
During the battles around Passchendaele on the 30th of October, 1917 two members of the Regiment won the Victoria Cross for gallantry. Another Victoria Cross was won at Parvillers in August, 1918.
Princess Patricia
Princess Patricia designed and made by hand the regimental colours to be presented on that occasion. It is a crimson flag with a circular blue centre. In the circle are gold initials V P which stand for Victoria Patricia. The regimental colours became known as the "Ric-A-Dam-Doo". This colour was carried in every regimental action during World War I.
Princess Pat and the Ric-A-Dam-Doo
Public Domain – Patricias' soldiers song from 1916
- The Princess Pat's Battalion
- They sailed across the Herring Pond,
- They sailed across the Channel too,
- And landed there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- The Princess Pat's Battalion Scouts
- They never knew their whereabouts.
- If there's a pub within a mile or two,
- You'll find them there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- The Lewis Guns are always true
- To every call of the Ric-A-Dam-Doo.
- They're always there with a burst or two
- Whenever they see the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- The Bombers of the Princess Pat's
- Are scared of naught, excepting rats,
- They're full of pep and dynamite too,
- They'd never lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- The Transport of the Princess Pat's
- Are all dressed up in Stetson hats.
- They shine their brass and limbers too
- I believe they'd shine the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- Old Number Three, our company
- We must fall in ten times a day.
- If we fell out 'twould never do
- For then we’d lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- Old Charlie S., our Major dear,
- Who always buys us rum and beer,
- If there's a trench in a mile or two
- You'll find him there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- Old Ackity-Ack, our Colonel grand,
- The leader of this noble band,
- He'd go to Hell and charge right through
- Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- Old Hammy Gault, our first PP,
- He led this band across the sea,
- He'd lose an arm, or leg or two
- Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- And then we came to Sicily.
- We leapt ashore with vim and glee.
- The Colonel said the Wops are through
- Let's chase the Hun with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
- The Ric-A-Dam-Doo, pray what is that?
- 'Twas made at home by Princess Pat,
- It's Red and Gold and Royal Blue,
- That's what we call the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
- Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
History 1939-1945
World War 2 began in Europe on 1 September 1939. The Patricia's were mobilized for active service on the 1st of September, 1939. The Regiment sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 21st of December, 1939 arriving in Scotland, the Regiment moved to Aldershot Command and spent New Year's Eve in Cove, England. The Regiment spent three years in the United Kingdom, most of which was spent in coastal defence and training in various parts of the country.
On 10 July, 1943 the PPCLI, forming part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 8th Army, landed in Sicily. After the short Sicilian campaign, the Regiment landed and fought in Italy from September, 1943 to March, 1945.
In March 1945, the Regiment was transferred to North West Europe where they participated in the liberation of the Netherlands. On the 7th of May, 1945 the Regiment was the first Allied force to enter Amsterdam.
On the 1st of June, 1945 a new battalion of the Regiment was authorized to form part the Canadian Pacific Force in the campaign against Japan. After the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs and Japan's subsequent surrender on the 15th of August, 1945 the Pacific Force was disbanded. In the meantime, the Regiment's serving battalion in Europe, very much understrength, returned to Winnipeg in October, 1945 and was demobilized.
History post-1945
Kapyong
The 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry received the Distinguished Unit Citation (now Presidential Unit Citation) from the President of the United States to recognize its stand at Kapyong during the Korean War in April 1951. The Patricia's together with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, which received the same honour, held up the Chinese forces for three days while United Nations forces withdrew to a new defensive line. This citation is the American equivalent of a battle honour. The citation is represented by a blue streamer bearing the name of the action. The streamer is attached to the pike of the regimental colour. The use of this streamer was authorized by King George VI. In addition to the streamer, the Presidential Citation is also worn on the uniform. It is a small royal blue bar with gold trim. Although battle honours are awarded on a regimental basis, and the whole of the PPCLI carries Kapyong on its colours, the distinction of bearing this streamer belongs to the 2nd Battalion PPCLI alone and is carried on the battalion's regimental colour.
Following the Korean War, the PPCLI was reduced to two battalions, with the 3rd Battalion being redesignated as 2nd Battalion, Canadian Guards.
Recent activities
In 1998, the 3rd Battalion became one of the few Commonwealth units to mount the guard at Buckingham Palace.
Afghanistan and the ‘War on Terrorism’
The Regiment deployed approximately 700 troops to Afghanistan as part of the Canadian contribution (Operation Apollo) to Operation Enduring Freedom in February 2002. On April 18, 2002, four Canadians soldiers died when an American pilot dropped a bomb on them as they took part in a night time training exercise near Kandahar. The Regiment also deployed troops as part of the International Security Assistance Force.
In 2002, during Operation Anaconda, a three-man sniper team from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry set a new record for farthest combat kill. They killed a Taliban soldier at over 2400 metres with a 50 calibre browning machine gun.