Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Encyclopedia
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as Patricia's
) is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers. The PPCLI is the main lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton
in Alberta
and CFB Shilo
in Manitoba
, and belongs to the Land Force Western Area
; as such it is the "local" regular infantry regiment for much of western and Pacific Canada. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is the reserve battalion of the regiment and carries the designation '4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry'.
The regiment is a ceremonial structure, and the four battalions are independent operational entities, under the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
for the Regular Force
and the 41 Canadian Brigade Group
for the Primary Reserve. Although the regiment carries the designation of 'Light Infantry', two of its battalions are mechanized infantry
, and the unit has never been organized as a traditional light infantry regiment.
The PPCLI was raised on the initiative of Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault in 1914, to participate in the Canadian war effort for the First World War. It was the first Canadian infantry unit to enter the theatre of operations, arriving in France
on December 21, 1914. The regiment has also participated in the Second World War, the Korean War
and the War in Afghanistan
, as well as in numerous NATO operations and UN peacekeeping missions.
The regiment has received 39 battle honours, two mentions of the Commander-in-Chief and the United States Presidential Unit Citation.
. The fourth battalion is part of the 41 Canadian Brigade Group. The Regimental Headquarters are located on CFB Edmonton.
(light armoured vehicle) as its primary fighting vehicle.
The battalion is made of four rifle companies, one support company and one command and support company. The current commander is Lieutenant-Colonel William H. Fletcher, SMV, CD.
Its regimental sergeant-major (RSM) is Chief Warrant Officer S.D. Stevens, MMS, CD.
The battalion is a mechanized infantry unit of the Regular Force and is part of the 1CMBG. The battalion is composed of three rifle companies (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie), one Combat support company, and one command and administration company. Each rifle company is made of three platoons and a headquarters element, and has 15 LAV III infantry fighting vehicles. The Combat support company is composed of a reconnaissance platoon and a signals platoon. The current battalion commander is Lieutenant-Colonel Michael C. Wright, MSM, CD.
Its RSM is Chief Warrant Officer Christopher J. Waugh.
unit of the Regular Force, and the only one in Western Canada
.
The battalion is composed of three rifle companies (A Coy being airborne), one combat support company and one administration company. The Commanding Officer is Major K.A. Barry, CD.
The Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) is Chief Warrant Officer G.R. Cavanagh, CD.
, when Canada was lacking regular military forces, the then-Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault raised the Patricia's. Hamilton Gault offered $100,000 (around 2 million in 2006 Canadian Dollar
s) to finance and equip a battalion in order to participate in the Canadian war effort overseas.
The government
temporarily accepted his offer on August 6, 1914, and officially authorized it on August 10, 1914. The Department of Militia and Defence
contributed to the equipment of the unit. The charter of the regiment was signed on August 10, and the Governor-General of Canada, HRH
The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
, approved the existence of the regiment.
Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Farquhar was instrumental in assisting Hamilton Gault in founding the regiment. Colonel Farquhar, Military Secretary to Canada's Governor-General, 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 Patricia's were established. The name Light Infantry in the battalion name was chosen by Captain Gault, who served during the Second Boer War
and liked the impression of an irregular force that the name inspired.
Farquhar and Gault moved expeditiously to mobilize the regiment. The day after authority was granted, 11 August 1914, the two men began an aggressive recruitment campaign. Due to the patriotic outpouring following the 4 August declaration of war, some 3000 applicants were recruited within eight days. By 19 August, a full complement of 1,098 had been selected, of those, 1,049 had previously served in South Africa
or in the British Army
. Lieutenant-Colonel Francis D. Farquhar, DSO, became the first commander of the battalion. The Regiment's first formal parade was conducted on 23 August in Ottawa during which Princess Patricia presented the regimental standard.
Princess Patricia, the Colonel-in-Chief, designed and made by hand the regimental flag to be presented on that occasion. It is a crimson flag with a circular royal blue centre. In the circle are gold initials V P which stands for Victoria Patricia. The regimental standard became known as the "Ric-A-Dam-Doo". This flag was carried in every regimental action during World War I
. It was not officially adopted as a regimental colour and consecrated as such until after the First World War.
As a Canadian regiment mobilized in a time of wartime shortages, the Regiment was equipped with weapons from a variety of sources. Private soldiers initially carried the Canadian .303 Ross
rifle, while officers, gunners, and noncommissioned officers normally carried the 1914 Colt Canadian-contract .45 M1911 pistol.
The Regiment left Ottawa on 28 August and boarded the SS Megantic in Montreal
. However, because of enemy action in the Atlantic Ocean
, the regiment had to deboard at Lévis
. During the period of Training at Levis, following extensive tests on the Ross Rifle, the Patricia's issued the first of what would be many damning reports of the suitability of the Ross rifle for combat. The Regiment finally left on September 27 from Quebec
onboard the Royal George for England
in company with the rest of the First Canadian contingent.
Upon arrival in England on October 18, the Regiment was first stationed at Bustard Camp on Salisbury Plain
near Stonehenge
. On November 16, the unit joined the 80th Brigade of the British Expeditionary Force at Winchester
. At that time, the Regiment abandoned the troubled Ross Rifle in favour of the British Lee-Enfield.
On 20 December, the Regiment departed for the port of Southampton with the rest of the brigade and embarked for France arriving the next day.
On this date, the PPCLI was the first and only Canadian infantry unit on the battlefield, only the 1st Canadian Medical Corps was there before.
The Patricias first took their place in the trenches on 6 January 1915, at a location known to the English-speaking soldiers of the British army as "Dickiebush".
When Francis Farquhar, the first commanding officer was killed in action at St Eloi on March 20, 1915, he was replaced by Lt Col H. Buller, another British regular who had served with him of the staff of the Governor General before the war. On May 8th, the stout defence of Bellewaerde Ridge during the Battle of Frezenberg established the reputation of the Patricia's but at tremendous cost. When the came out of the line they had lost 500 men in three days. The tattered remains were commanded by a lieutenant, all other officers having been killed or wounded. The PPCLI served for a year with the 80th Brigade before joining the new 7th Brigade
within the 3rd Canadian Division
on December 22, 1915. In 1916, the Regiment fought major battles at Mount Sorrel and on the Somme. It was not until October 1916 that the first Canadian, Lt Col Agar Adamson, was appointed to command the Regiment. In 1917 as part of the Canadian Corps,Regiment took part in the Battle of Vimy Ridge
on April 9, 1917 and Passchendaele later the same year. In 1918, the Regiment fought at Amiens, Jigsaw Wood and Canal du Nord as part of the great battles of the Hudred Days that ended the war. The 4th Company, PPCLI, entered Mons
with other Canadian troops early on November 11, 1918, before the armistice took effect at 11 AM.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, a Patricia Lieutenant Hugh McKenzie
, VC, then seconded to the Canadian Machine Gun Corps, and Sergeant George Harry Mullin both earned the Victoria Cross
, the highest honor in the Commonwealth
. Sergeant Robert Spall
won the regiment's third Victoria Cross at Parvilliers
on August 12 and 13, 1917.
On 4 February 1915, Private Guy Dwyer became the Patricia's first combat casualty of the war ( Ralph Hodder Williams, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 1914-1919, Vol 2, Record of Service p 165)
The last of the Patricias killed in action was likely Corporal Percy Wainwright Carleton on 10 November 1918.
In total 1272 officers and enlisted men of the Patricias were killed and 82 officers and enlisted men were captured during the war.
At the beginning this Canadian Regiment was commanded by British regulars, equipped with British weapons, and serving in a British Brigade. By the end of the war it would be transformed into a very much more Canadian unit and be one of only two selected for retention in the regular army.
A full history of the PPCLI in World War 1 is available at www.birthofaregiment.com. The site includes records of over 5000 soldiers who served with the Regiment during the Great War.
The PPCLI perpetuates the 260th Battalion, Canadian Rifles, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Siberia).
. In 1920, the regimental headquarters, A Company and D Company were relocated to Fort Osborne Barracks, in Winnipeg
, Manitoba, while B Company relocated to Esquimalt, British Columbia
. The period between the two wars was a recession period for the Canadian Armed Forces, and the regiment lost 209 soldiers in 1924.
World War II
began in Europe
on 1 September 1939, and the Canadian Parliament declared war between Canada and Germany
on September 10, 1939. The same day, the Patricias were mobilized for active service. The regiment recruited in Winnipeg and Vancouver
until October. The Regiment sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia
on the December 21, 1939, arriving in Aldershot
, Scotland
, as part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel W.G. Colquhoun. They spent New Year's Eve
in Cove
, west of Farnborough
. On February 10, 1940, the Colonel of the Regiment, Princess Patricia, inspected her regiment for the first time in twenty-one years. The Regiment spent three and a half years United Kingdom
, most of which was spent in coastal defence and training in various parts of the country.
On July 10, 1943, the PPCLI, forming part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the British Eighth Army
, landed in Sicily
during Operation Husky. The Patricia won its first battle honors of the Second World War at Leonforte
. Later, on September 4, 1943, the regiment landed and fought in Italy
, advancing North for two months. The unit was slowed down by the demolished bridges and the German
rear guard. In December 1943, the regiment fought during the Moro River Campaign; that year, the soldiers spent christmas
in Ortona
.
In May 1944, the PPCLI took part in the offensive against the Hitler Line
, west of Monte Cassino
, during the allied offensive against Rome
. At that point, the regiment was a component of the newly formed 1st Canadian Corps
. In August, the unit took part in the offensive against the Gothic Line
and in the assaults on San Fortunato and Rimini
.
On March 13, 1945, the 1st Canadian Corps was transferred to Northwest Europe where it joined the 1st Canadian Army and took part in the liberation of the Netherlands
. Shortly after, the regiment captured the city of Apeldoorn
, and on May 7, 1945, it was the first allied force to enter Amsterdam
, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Clark.
On June 1, 1945, a new battalion of the Regiment was authorized to form part the Canadian Pacific Force in the campaign against Japan
. Its official designation was 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 2nd Canadian Infantry. After the destruction of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki
by American atomic bombs and Japan's subsequent surrender on August 15, 1945, the Pacific Force was disbanded. On September 2, the new battalion was renamed 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canadian Infantry Corps and becomes a component of the interime force, waiting for the formation of a permanent force.
In October 1945, the regiment's serving battalion in Europe, understrength, returned to Winnipeg and was demobilized.
, Alberta. On March 1, 1947, the battalion was renamed from 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canadian Infantry Corps to 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
In 1948, on the eve of the Korean War, an emphasis was put on the airborne troops and the 2nd Battalion was the first unit chosen to fill this role, on a voluntary basis.
In the end, all the members of the unit, including the officers, became paratroopers; training was completed in the spring of 1949.
On August 15, 1950, a second battalion was created within the regiment to be a component of the Canadian Army special force in response to the Chinese
invasion of South Korea
; the unit adopted the designation of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The new battalion trained in Calgary and at CFB Wainwright
, before boarding the USS Private Joe P. Martinez on November 25, 1950, to Pusan in South Korea. The Battalion landed in Korea in December and trained in the mountains for eight weeks before finally taking part in the war on February 6, becoming a component of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade
of the IX Corps in the 8th US Army. The second battalion of the PPCLI was the first Canadian infantry unit to take part in the Korean War.
On April 22, 1951, Chinese forces undertook a major offensive against the United Nations forces and succeed to peirce through the first line of defense held by the 6th South Korean Division. During the Battle of Kapyong
, the 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
and Alpha Company, 72nd Armored Regiment (US), are tasked with the defense of the Kapyong Valley. The formation delayed the Chinese forces for three days while United Nations
forces withdrew to a new defensive line, thus saving Seoul. For their action, these three units received the United States Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
On May 25, 1951, the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was transferred to the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
within the 1st Commonwealth Division
. In the fall, the second battalion is replaced by 1PPCLI and returned to Calgary. Meanwhile, in Canada, a new battalion was created on November 30, 1950. This third battalion trains in Wainwright, at CFB Borden
and at Camp Ipperwash
, before sending troops with the first and second battalions during their tour in Korea.
The third battalion replaced the first battalion in the fall of 1952, and occupied Hill 355 until the Korean War ended on July 27, 1953. After three months of active service, the battalion was disbanded on February 8, 1954. The PPCLI was again reduced to two battalions, and the commander, regimental sergeant major, and members of the disbanded third battalion were chosen to form the new 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Guards.
From 1950 to 1969, Canada, as a NATO member, maintained a brigade-group in Germany.
The 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, serveed in Germany from October 1953 to the fall of 1955, when the first battalion replaceed it until the fall of 1957. In the fall of 1963, the first battalion deployed for its second rotation until 1966. The second battalion returned in July 1984 for four years. In 1994, CFB Lahr
in Germany closes, effectively ending the Canadian rotations.
in 1968 within the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
(UNFYCIP). Different infantry units including the two PPCLI battalions then undertook six month rotations in the country until 1993. The PPCLI completed 12 tours in Cyprus.
In 1970, the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
, based in Victoria
, British Columbia, is renamed 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and became a Primary Reserve unit. The regiment also increased in size when the Canadian government decided to close the 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
The Patricias also served in Israel
, Golan
, Egypt
, Liban
, Kuweit, Iraq
, Congo
, Vietnam
, Central America
, Angola
, Somalia
, Rwanda
, Korea
, Croatia
and Bosnia, for various missions.
During the Yugoslav Wars
in the early 1990s, soldiers from the PPCLI served in UNPROFOR, the United Nations
peacekeeping force in Croatia
. The third battalion was the first to deploy to the theater in 1992. It was replaced by 875 members of the 2nd Battalion in 1993. The battalion was dispatched to the Medak Pocket
in September 1993 to interpose themselves between Serb and Croatian forces. After the Croatians opened fire on the PPCLI troops, they became involved in an intense firefight. In 2002, Colonel Jim Calvin and his men were awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Unit Commendation for their bravery. The first battalion replaced the second in 1994; the second battalion also served with the stabilization force in 1997, 2000 and 2003, the third battalion in 2000, and the first battalion in 2002 and 2003.
Elements of the PPCLI served with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
during the 1917–1918 winter, and in 1999, the 1st Battalion sent a complete battlegroup to the Kosovo Force.
In the spring of 1997, the first battalion is called to support civil authorities with the Manitoba floods yet again. In 1998, it is again mobilized, this time to respond to the 1998 North American ice storm in Quebec
.
In 1998, to celebrate the announcement of the re-opening of Canada House
, a detachment of the 3PPCLI is sent to London
to mount the Royal Guard
at the Buckingham Palace
, a rare honour. The Royal Canadian Regiment has the same honour two years later, at the re-opening.
In January 22, 2002, during Operation Apollo
, the Canadian contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom and the War in Afghanistan, the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, deployed to Afghanistan
.
The Battlegroup also included a reconnaissance squadron from Lord Strathcona's Horse
and support elements from the 1st Service Battalion
. These were the first major troops Canada sent in the theatre of operations, only preceded by a small team of Joint Task Force 2
operators in late 2001.
In March 2002, during Operation Anaconda
, members of the 3PPCLI were in the Afghan province of Paktiya, clearing the mountains looking for Taliban and members of Al-Qaeda
. The Canadian element of the operation, led by the United States, was composed of sixteen soldiers including six snipers. This sniper team, led by Master-Corporal Graham Ragsdale
, registered more than 20 kills while Master-Corporal Arron Perry
set the new world record for farthest combat kill with a rifle .50 cal McMillan Tac-50
sniper rifle
that killed a Taliban fighter at a distance of 2310 metres (1.4 mi). Later on in the mission, Corporal Rob Furlong
set yet a new record by firing a shot from a .50 cal McMillan Tac-50
sniper rifle
that killed a Taliban fighter at a distance of 2430 metres (1.5 mi). Both shots surpassed the long-standing previous world record of 2250 metres (1.4 mi) set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock
during the Vietnam War
. The U.S. Army awarded the team members the Bronze Star
for their actions in combat. The Canadian government of the day, however, acted to prevent the awards from being made.
On March 13, 2002, Operation Harpoon
was launched in parallel of Operation Anaconda, with the goal of eliminating a small pocket of Taliban fighters. The operation involved air elements as well as a ground battlegroup composed of Canadian and American soldiers, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Stogran, commander 3PPCLI battlegroup. The next day, a reconnaissance platoon from 3PPCLI led the American troops to a network of caves and bunkers used by Al-Qaeda resisters. The battlegroup proceeded to destroy the bunkers and Operation Harpoon ended on March 19.
After Operation Harpoon, the 3PPCLI returned to Kandahar International Airport, and started training for future operations. On April 18, 2002, the 1st battalion was involved in a highly publicized case of friendly-fire (blue on blue
). The Canadian soldiers were participating in planned nighttime training exercises near Kandahar
when Major Harry Schmidt, an American pilot from the Illinois
Air National Guard
, flew overhead. Believing he was being fired upon by enemy soldiers, Schmidt dropped one 500 pounds (226.8 kg) laser-guided bomb
on the soldiers from his F-16. Sergeant Marc Léger, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Private Richard Green and Private Nathan Smith were killed instantly and eight were injured. Schmidt was court-martial
ed by the U.S. and convicted of dereliction of duty as a result, in what became known as the Tarnak Farm incident
.
On May 4, 2002, Operation Torii is launched, and Lieutenant-Colonel Stogran leads an international task force, of which 400 Canadian soldiers. The goal of the mission was to discover networks of caves used by the Talibans and Al-Qaeda, as well as to gather intelligence in the Tora Bora
region.
From June 30 to July 4, 2002, the majority of 3PPCLI relocated to Zabul Province
, North-West of Kandahar, to establish for the first time a coalition presence in the region.
The 3rd Battalion started preparing it's redeployment back to Canada on July 13, and its members came back home in two contingents, on July 28 and July 30, after a short stay in Guam
. On March 2003, the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, deployed a 35 soldier platoon to serve alongside already deployed units from Operation Apollo. The platoon was replaced in July by a Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
platoon.
, the 1st Battalion deployed a reconnaissance squadron in Kabul
.
A battlegroup built on 1PPCLI deployed in Kandahar
from February to July 2006.
When the 1PPCLI deployed to Afghanistan, the Taliban began a major offensive and the Canadians were caught in the middle. After a spring in which a record number of attacks against Canadian soldiers had been set, which included six deaths to the Canadian Forces, the Taliban in Kandahar
and Helmand provinces were massing and Operation Mountain Thrust
was launched in the beginning of the summer. Canadians were one of the leading combatants and the first fighting in the Battle of Panjwaii
took place. Complex mud-walled compounds made the rural Panjwaii district take on an almost urban style of fighting in some places. Daily firefights, artillery bombardments, and allied airstrikes turned the tides of the battle in favour of the Canadians.
After Operation Mountain Thrust came to an end, Taliban fighters flooded back into the Panjwaii district in numbers that had not been seen yet in a single area in the post Anaconda war. The Canadian Forces, which came under NATO command at the end of July, launched Operation Medusa
in an attempt to clear the areas of Taliban fighters once and for all.
The fighting of Operation Medusa led the way to the second, and more fierce, Battle of Panjwaii, largely fought by the rotation replacing the 1PPCLI, a battlegroup built around the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR).
For their actions in 2006, the 1PPCLI and Task Force 1-06 were given the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation from the Governor-General of Canada.
The 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, took over from the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment
(R22eR) in February 2008. In August of the same year, it is replaced by the 3RCR, and in August 2009, 1PPCLI returns in Afghanistan to replace 2R22eR, where it stayed until February 2010.
Three soldiers of the regiment have been awarded the Victoria Cross
.
Since March 17, 2007, the regiment's colonel-in-chief
is former Governor-General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson
. The previous colonel-in-chief was Countess Mountbatten of Burma
, herself succeeding Princess Patricia. This is the first time that a person who is not a member of the Canadian Royal Family has been invited to take such a position with the regiment. The new colonel-in-chief took up her appointment at a ceremony on March 17, 2007, at the Regimental Headquarters in Edmonton
.
The regiment still uses its non-official motto, Once a Patricia, Always a Patricia, which reminds that the regimental family includes retired soldiers and officers and those who transferred elsewhere in the Canadian Forces.
March 17 is the most important date within the regiment, as it corresponds to Princess Patricia's birthday.
May 8 is the anniversary of the 1915 Battle of Frezenberg and is observed by a parade and a church ceremony. April 25 is the anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong
, normally observed by the 2nd Battalion with a parade. On August 10, the regiment celebrates the foundation of the PPCLI in 1914.
September 21 is the anniversary of the Battle of San Fortunato in 1944.
In 1946, a monthly paper started publishing, but was suspended during the Korean War. In 1953, The Patrician started publishing again, as a semestrial paper, until 1960 when it became annual because of financial restraints. The Patrician adopted its present format in 2003.
Ric-A-Dam-Doo is a nickname for the original camp flag of the PPCLI. Various sources claim that "Ric-A-Dam-Doo" is, a presumably phonetic version of, the Gaelic for "cloth of thy mother"; but it is not clear that this claim has been confirmed by a Gaelic speaker. In the late 19th Century, members of The Royal Highland Regiment of the British Army, The Black Watch, were known to have referred to their regimental colours in Gaelic as the "rikk u dan du". In 1984, in a conversation with the PPCLI Colonel-of-The-Regiment, Colonel William Sutherland, Lieutenant James MacInnis surmized that the PPCLI's founder, Brigadier Hamilton Gault, a former 'Black Watch' officer from the Canadian Militia, may have used the Gaelic term when referring to the flag and Lt MacInnis believed that subsequent soldiers' bastardization of the Gaelic became accepted practise. The Ric-A-Dam-Doo was hand-sewn by Princess Patricia and presented to the Regiment.
, but they are associated through name with the Regina Pats
who were formed in 1917 in Regina, Saskatchewan
, as a major junior hockey team. The "Patricias" shortened their name to the Regina "Pats" in 1923, and to this day wear the PPCLI patch on their hockey jersey's shoulders. The Regina Pats are the longest lived major junior hockey team in the world.
– The Royal Australian Regiment – The Hauraki Regiment
) is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers. The PPCLI is the main lodger unit of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton
CFB Edmonton
CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".-History:...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and CFB Shilo
CFB Shilo
Canadian Forces Base Shilo is an Operations and Training base of the Canadian Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba. During the 1990s, Canadian Forces Base Shilo was also designated as an Area Support Unit, which acts as a local base of operations for south-west Manitoba in times of military...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and belongs to the Land Force Western Area
Land Force Western Area
Land Force Western Area is one of four operational commands of the Canadian Army. LFWA is responsible for all Canadian Army administration and operations in western Canada from the Pacific Ocean to Thunder Bay, Ontario...
; as such it is the "local" regular infantry regiment for much of western and Pacific Canada. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment is the reserve battalion of the regiment and carries the designation '4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry'.
The regiment is a ceremonial structure, and the four battalions are independent operational entities, under the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group
1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces brigade group that is part of Land Forces Western Area of the Canadian army...
for the Regular Force
Regular Force
In the Canadian Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve.Regular Force personnel are employed full-time, and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service...
and the 41 Canadian Brigade Group
41 Canadian Brigade Group
41 Canadian Brigade Group is a brigade group that is part of Land Forces Western Area of the Canadian Army. It is a reserve formation and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, at the former location of CFB Calgary....
for the Primary Reserve. Although the regiment carries the designation of 'Light Infantry', two of its battalions are mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
, and the unit has never been organized as a traditional light infantry regiment.
The PPCLI was raised on the initiative of Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault in 1914, to participate in the Canadian war effort for the First World War. It was the first Canadian infantry unit to enter the theatre of operations, arriving in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on December 21, 1914. The regiment has also participated in the Second World War, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, as well as in numerous NATO operations and UN peacekeeping missions.
The regiment has received 39 battle honours, two mentions of the Commander-in-Chief and the United States Presidential Unit Citation.
Structure
The regiment is composed of four battalions, three of which are Regular Force units and the last a Primary Reserve unit. All three Regular Force battalions are part of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1CMBG). Each battalion is a distinct operational entity in the Canadian Forces Order of Battle. The two first battalions are mechanized infantry, while the third one is light infantryLight infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
. The fourth battalion is part of the 41 Canadian Brigade Group. The Regimental Headquarters are located on CFB Edmonton.
| Battalion | Base | Brigade | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Battalion | CFB Edmonton (Alberta) | 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group | Mechanized Infantry |
| 2nd Battalion | CFB Shilo (Manitoba) | 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group | Mechanized Infantry |
| 3rd Battalion | CFB Edmonton (Alberta) | 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group | Light Infantry |
| 4th Battalion | CFB Edmonton (Alberta) | 41 Canadian Brigade Group | Primary Reserve, Infantry |
1st Battalion
The 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (1PPCLI) is located at Lancaster Park on CFB Edmonton in Alberta. 1PPCLI is a mechanized infantry battalion of the Regular Force and uses the LAV IIILAV III
The LAV III armoured vehicle is the latest in the Generation III Light Armoured Vehicle series built by General Dynamics Land Systems, entering service in 1999. It is based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8....
(light armoured vehicle) as its primary fighting vehicle.
The battalion is made of four rifle companies, one support company and one command and support company. The current commander is Lieutenant-Colonel William H. Fletcher, SMV, CD.
Its regimental sergeant-major (RSM) is Chief Warrant Officer S.D. Stevens, MMS, CD.
2nd Battalion
The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2PPCLI) is based at Kapyong Barracks on CFB Shilo, Manitoba.The battalion is a mechanized infantry unit of the Regular Force and is part of the 1CMBG. The battalion is composed of three rifle companies (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie), one Combat support company, and one command and administration company. Each rifle company is made of three platoons and a headquarters element, and has 15 LAV III infantry fighting vehicles. The Combat support company is composed of a reconnaissance platoon and a signals platoon. The current battalion commander is Lieutenant-Colonel Michael C. Wright, MSM, CD.
Its RSM is Chief Warrant Officer Christopher J. Waugh.
3rd Battalion
The 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (3PPCLI) is based at Lancaster Park on CFB Edmonton, alongside the 1st Battalion. The battalion is a light infantryLight infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
unit of the Regular Force, and the only one in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
The battalion is composed of three rifle companies (A Coy being airborne), one combat support company and one administration company. The Commanding Officer is Major K.A. Barry, CD.
The Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) is Chief Warrant Officer G.R. Cavanagh, CD.
The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
The 4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (4PPCLI), also known as the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, is the only Primary Reserve battalion of the PPCLI. The unit, part of the 41 Canadian Brigade Group, is located at the Brigadier James Curry Jefferson Armoury, in Edmonton, Alberta. The current commander is Lieutenant-Colonel Michael J. Prendergast, CD.Early history and First World War (1914–1918)
At the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when Canada was lacking regular military forces, the then-Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault raised the Patricia's. Hamilton Gault offered $100,000 (around 2 million in 2006 Canadian Dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s) to finance and equip a battalion in order to participate in the Canadian war effort overseas.
The government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
temporarily accepted his offer on August 6, 1914, and officially authorized it on August 10, 1914. The Department of Militia and Defence
Department of Militia and Defence (Canada)
The Department of Militia and Defence was the department responsible for military forces in Canada from 1906-1921.The Minister of Militia and Defence was in charge of this department....
contributed to the equipment of the unit. The charter of the regiment was signed on August 10, and the Governor-General of Canada, HRH
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
, approved the existence of the regiment.
Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Farquhar was instrumental in assisting Hamilton Gault in founding the regiment. Colonel Farquhar, Military Secretary to Canada's Governor-General, asked the Duke of Connaught for permission to name the regiment after his daughter, Princess Patricia of Connaught
Princess Patricia of Connaught
Princess Patricia of Connaught was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria...
.
She was pleased to accept this honour and thus the Princess Patricia's were established. The name Light Infantry in the battalion name was chosen by Captain Gault, who served during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and liked the impression of an irregular force that the name inspired.
Farquhar and Gault moved expeditiously to mobilize the regiment. The day after authority was granted, 11 August 1914, the two men began an aggressive recruitment campaign. Due to the patriotic outpouring following the 4 August declaration of war, some 3000 applicants were recruited within eight days. By 19 August, a full complement of 1,098 had been selected, of those, 1,049 had previously served in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
or in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Lieutenant-Colonel Francis D. Farquhar, DSO, became the first commander of the battalion. The Regiment's first formal parade was conducted on 23 August in Ottawa during which Princess Patricia presented the regimental standard.
Princess Patricia, the Colonel-in-Chief, designed and made by hand the regimental flag to be presented on that occasion. It is a crimson flag with a circular royal blue centre. In the circle are gold initials V P which stands for Victoria Patricia. The regimental standard became known as the "Ric-A-Dam-Doo". This flag was carried in every regimental action during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was not officially adopted as a regimental colour and consecrated as such until after the First World War.
As a Canadian regiment mobilized in a time of wartime shortages, the Regiment was equipped with weapons from a variety of sources. Private soldiers initially carried the Canadian .303 Ross
Ross rifle
The Ross rifle was a straight-pull bolt-action 0.303 inch calibre rifle produced in Canada from 1903 until the middle of the First World War....
rifle, while officers, gunners, and noncommissioned officers normally carried the 1914 Colt Canadian-contract .45 M1911 pistol.
The Regiment left Ottawa on 28 August and boarded the SS Megantic in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. However, because of enemy action in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, the regiment had to deboard at Lévis
Levis
-People:*François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , French soldier best known for his command in Canada in 1760*George Levis , American college basketball player and coach*Georges Lévis , French adult comic artist-Places:Canada...
. During the period of Training at Levis, following extensive tests on the Ross Rifle, the Patricia's issued the first of what would be many damning reports of the suitability of the Ross rifle for combat. The Regiment finally left on September 27 from Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
onboard the Royal George for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in company with the rest of the First Canadian contingent.
Upon arrival in England on October 18, the Regiment was first stationed at Bustard Camp on Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
near Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
. On November 16, the unit joined the 80th Brigade of the British Expeditionary Force at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
. At that time, the Regiment abandoned the troubled Ross Rifle in favour of the British Lee-Enfield.
On 20 December, the Regiment departed for the port of Southampton with the rest of the brigade and embarked for France arriving the next day.
On this date, the PPCLI was the first and only Canadian infantry unit on the battlefield, only the 1st Canadian Medical Corps was there before.
The Patricias first took their place in the trenches on 6 January 1915, at a location known to the English-speaking soldiers of the British army as "Dickiebush".
When Francis Farquhar, the first commanding officer was killed in action at St Eloi on March 20, 1915, he was replaced by Lt Col H. Buller, another British regular who had served with him of the staff of the Governor General before the war. On May 8th, the stout defence of Bellewaerde Ridge during the Battle of Frezenberg established the reputation of the Patricia's but at tremendous cost. When the came out of the line they had lost 500 men in three days. The tattered remains were commanded by a lieutenant, all other officers having been killed or wounded. The PPCLI served for a year with the 80th Brigade before joining the new 7th Brigade
7th Canadian Infantry Brigade
The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade , along with the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade , formed the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, which was a Canadian Army formation during World War II...
within the 3rd Canadian Division
3rd Canadian Division
The 3rd Canadian Division was a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War.The 3rd Canadian Division was formed in France in December 1915 under the command of Major-General M.S. Mercer. Its members served in both France and Flanders until Armistice Day...
on December 22, 1915. In 1916, the Regiment fought major battles at Mount Sorrel and on the Somme. It was not until October 1916 that the first Canadian, Lt Col Agar Adamson, was appointed to command the Regiment. In 1917 as part of the Canadian Corps,Regiment took part in the Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
on April 9, 1917 and Passchendaele later the same year. In 1918, the Regiment fought at Amiens, Jigsaw Wood and Canal du Nord as part of the great battles of the Hudred Days that ended the war. The 4th Company, PPCLI, entered Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
with other Canadian troops early on November 11, 1918, before the armistice took effect at 11 AM.
During the Battle of Passchendaele, a Patricia Lieutenant Hugh McKenzie
Hugh McKenzie
Hugh McDonald McKenzie VC, DCM was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, VC, then seconded to the Canadian Machine Gun Corps, and Sergeant George Harry Mullin both earned the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest honor in the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
. Sergeant Robert Spall
Robert Spall
Robert Spall VC , was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
won the regiment's third Victoria Cross at Parvilliers
Parvillers-le-Quesnoy
Parvillers-le-Quesnoy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D238 and D34 crossroads, some southeast of Amiens.-Population:-External links:*...
on August 12 and 13, 1917.
On 4 February 1915, Private Guy Dwyer became the Patricia's first combat casualty of the war ( Ralph Hodder Williams, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 1914-1919, Vol 2, Record of Service p 165)
The last of the Patricias killed in action was likely Corporal Percy Wainwright Carleton on 10 November 1918.
In total 1272 officers and enlisted men of the Patricias were killed and 82 officers and enlisted men were captured during the war.
At the beginning this Canadian Regiment was commanded by British regulars, equipped with British weapons, and serving in a British Brigade. By the end of the war it would be transformed into a very much more Canadian unit and be one of only two selected for retention in the regular army.
A full history of the PPCLI in World War 1 is available at www.birthofaregiment.com. The site includes records of over 5000 soldiers who served with the Regiment during the Great War.
The PPCLI perpetuates the 260th Battalion, Canadian Rifles, Canadian Expeditionary Force (Siberia).
Between the wars (1918–1939)
On March 20, 1919, the regiment became a component of the Permanent Active MilitiaPermanent Active Militia
Permanent Active Militia was the proper name of Canada's full-time professional land forces from the 19th century to 1940 when the Canadian Army was so designated....
. In 1920, the regimental headquarters, A Company and D Company were relocated to Fort Osborne Barracks, in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba, while B Company relocated to Esquimalt, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The period between the two wars was a recession period for the Canadian Armed Forces, and the regiment lost 209 soldiers in 1924.
Second World War (1939–1945)
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on 1 September 1939, and the Canadian Parliament declared war between Canada and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on September 10, 1939. The same day, the Patricias were mobilized for active service. The regiment recruited in Winnipeg and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
until October. The Regiment sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
on the December 21, 1939, arriving in Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, as part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Infantry Division was a formation mobilized on 1 September 1939 for service in the Second World War. The division was also reactivated twice during the Cold War....
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel W.G. Colquhoun. They spent New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
in Cove
Cove, Hampshire
Cove is an ancient village forming the western part of Farnborough in the county of Hampshire in the south-east of England, located 33 miles south west of London...
, west of Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
. On February 10, 1940, the Colonel of the Regiment, Princess Patricia, inspected her regiment for the first time in twenty-one years. The Regiment spent three and a half years United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, most of which was spent in coastal defence and training in various parts of the country.
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
, landed in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
during Operation Husky. The Patricia won its first battle honors of the Second World War at Leonforte
Leonforte
Leonforte is a town and comune in the province of Enna, Sicilia, Italy....
. Later, on September 4, 1943, the regiment landed and fought in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, advancing North for two months. The unit was slowed down by the demolished bridges and the German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
rear guard. In December 1943, the regiment fought during the Moro River Campaign; that year, the soldiers spent christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in Ortona
Ortona
Ortona is a coastal town and municipality of the Province of Chieti in the Italian region of Abruzzo, with some 23,000 inhabitants.Ortona was the site of fierce fighting between German and Canadian forces during the Italian campaign in World War II...
.
In May 1944, the PPCLI took part in the offensive against the Hitler Line
Hitler Line
The Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War. The strong points of the line were at Aquino and Piedimonte. In May 1944, the line was re-named the Senger Line, after General von Senger und Etterlin, one of the generals commanding Axis forces in the area...
, west of Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
, during the allied offensive against Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. At that point, the regiment was a component of the newly formed 1st Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during World War II. From December 24, 1940 until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps...
. In August, the unit took part in the offensive against the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
and in the assaults on San Fortunato and Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
.
On March 13, 1945, the 1st Canadian Corps was transferred to Northwest Europe where it joined the 1st Canadian Army and took part in the liberation of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Shortly after, the regiment captured the city of Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland, about 60 miles south east of Amsterdam, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre and has 155,000 . The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has over 155,000...
, and on May 7, 1945, it was the first allied force to enter Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Clark.
On June 1, 1945, a new battalion of the Regiment was authorized to form part the Canadian Pacific Force in the campaign against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Its official designation was 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 2nd Canadian Infantry. After the destruction of Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
by American atomic bombs and Japan's subsequent surrender on August 15, 1945, the Pacific Force was disbanded. On September 2, the new battalion was renamed 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canadian Infantry Corps and becomes a component of the interime force, waiting for the formation of a permanent force.
In October 1945, the regiment's serving battalion in Europe, understrength, returned to Winnipeg and was demobilized.
After the war (1945–1950)
After the war, in January 1946, while the interim force was gradually disbanded and the permanent force was formed, the 2nd Battalion returned to CFB Shilo. On June 10, it was relocated to CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta. On March 1, 1947, the battalion was renamed from 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canadian Infantry Corps to 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
In 1948, on the eve of the Korean War, an emphasis was put on the airborne troops and the 2nd Battalion was the first unit chosen to fill this role, on a voluntary basis.
In the end, all the members of the unit, including the officers, became paratroopers; training was completed in the spring of 1949.
Korean War (1950–1954)
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
invasion of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
; the unit adopted the designation of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The new battalion trained in Calgary and at CFB Wainwright
CFB Wainwright
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, commonly referred to as CFB Wainwright is a Canadian Forces Base located in Denwood, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Wainwright.-Military Camp Wainwright:...
, before boarding the USS Private Joe P. Martinez on November 25, 1950, to Pusan in South Korea. The Battalion landed in Korea in December and trained in the mountains for eight weeks before finally taking part in the war on February 6, becoming a component of the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade
27th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 27th Infantry Brigade was a British Army brigade during the Second World War and Korean War. In Korea, the brigade was known as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade due to the addition of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian units....
of the IX Corps in the 8th US Army. The second battalion of the PPCLI was the first Canadian infantry unit to take part in the Korean War.
On April 22, 1951, Chinese forces undertook a major offensive against the United Nations forces and succeed to peirce through the first line of defense held by the 6th South Korean Division. During the Battle of Kapyong
Battle of Kapyong
The Battle of Kapyong , also known as the Battle of Jiaping , was fought during the Korean War between United Nations forces—primarily Australian and Canadian—and the Chinese communist People's Volunteer Army...
, the 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Sydney. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq...
and Alpha Company, 72nd Armored Regiment (US), are tasked with the defense of the Kapyong Valley. The formation delayed the Chinese forces for three days while United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
forces withdrew to a new defensive line, thus saving Seoul. For their action, these three units received the United States Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
On May 25, 1951, the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was transferred to the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
25th Canadian Infantry Brigade
The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade was Canada's primary combat-formation intending to be sent as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Originally composed of three infantry battalions and two armoured squadrons, several individual units rotated through the brigade...
within the 1st Commonwealth Division
1st Commonwealth Division
The 1st Commonwealth Division was the name given, after July 1951, to Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a multinational unit that was part of British Commonwealth Forces Korea, and whilst British and Canadian Army units formed the bulk of the division, Australian...
. In the fall, the second battalion is replaced by 1PPCLI and returned to Calgary. Meanwhile, in Canada, a new battalion was created on November 30, 1950. This third battalion trains in Wainwright, at CFB Borden
CFB Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden is a Canadian Forces base located in Ontario.The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CFB Borden is the largest training facility in the Canadian Forces...
and at Camp Ipperwash
Camp Ipperwash
Military Camp Ipperwash is a former Canadian Forces training facility located in Lambton County, Ontario near Kettle Point.-Geography:...
, before sending troops with the first and second battalions during their tour in Korea.
The third battalion replaced the first battalion in the fall of 1952, and occupied Hill 355 until the Korean War ended on July 27, 1953. After three months of active service, the battalion was disbanded on February 8, 1954. The PPCLI was again reduced to two battalions, and the commander, regimental sergeant major, and members of the disbanded third battalion were chosen to form the new 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Guards.
Service in Canada and Germany (1950–1988)
In the spring of 1950, the first battalion supported civil authorities responding to floods in Manitoba.From 1950 to 1969, Canada, as a NATO member, maintained a brigade-group in Germany.
The 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, serveed in Germany from October 1953 to the fall of 1955, when the first battalion replaceed it until the fall of 1957. In the fall of 1963, the first battalion deployed for its second rotation until 1966. The second battalion returned in July 1984 for four years. In 1994, CFB Lahr
CFB Lahr
Black Forest Airport is a privately owned and operated commercial airport located in Lahr, Germany. Formerly known as Canadian Forces Base Lahr, or CFB Lahr, the Canadian Forces Base was operated primarily as an air force base, and later as an army base, during the late 1960s. The military base...
in Germany closes, effectively ending the Canadian rotations.
Cold War and Peacekeeping (1968–2003)
The 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was sent to CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1968 within the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions...
(UNFYCIP). Different infantry units including the two PPCLI battalions then undertook six month rotations in the country until 1993. The PPCLI completed 12 tours in Cyprus.
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada is a militia regiment within the Canadian Forces, based in Toronto, Ontario. The regiment is part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. It is the only Primary Reserve regiment in Canada to have a parachute role. The regiment consists of the reserve...
, based in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia, is renamed 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and became a Primary Reserve unit. The regiment also increased in size when the Canadian government decided to close the 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
The Patricias also served in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Golan
Golan
Golan was a biblical city in Land of Israel. It was in the territory of Manasseh in the Bashan.Golan was the most northerly of the three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River . Manasseh gave this city to the Gershonite Levites .According to the Bible, the Israelites conquered Golan from the...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Liban
Liban
Liban may refer to:*Lebanon – many Lebanese institutions use the French word Liban, a legacy of the country's colonization by France*Lí Ban, a Celtic goddess*Li Ban, a Chinese prince*Liban in Irish folklore, a mermaid...
, Kuweit, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnia, for various missions.
During the Yugoslav Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
in the early 1990s, soldiers from the PPCLI served in UNPROFOR, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
peacekeeping force in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. The third battalion was the first to deploy to the theater in 1992. It was replaced by 875 members of the 2nd Battalion in 1993. The battalion was dispatched to the Medak Pocket
Operation Medak Pocket
Operation Medak Pocket: Mid-September 1993 United Nations Protection Force and the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry advanced into the Medak Pocket, named after the village of Medak, in Southern Croatia, with orders to implement a ceasefire between the Croatian Army Troops...
in September 1993 to interpose themselves between Serb and Croatian forces. After the Croatians opened fire on the PPCLI troops, they became involved in an intense firefight. In 2002, Colonel Jim Calvin and his men were awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Unit Commendation for their bravery. The first battalion replaced the second in 1994; the second battalion also served with the stabilization force in 1997, 2000 and 2003, the third battalion in 2000, and the first battalion in 2002 and 2003.
Elements of the PPCLI served with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
during the 1917–1918 winter, and in 1999, the 1st Battalion sent a complete battlegroup to the Kosovo Force.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
In 1998, to celebrate the announcement of the re-opening of Canada House
Canada House
The High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom in London is the diplomatic mission from Canada to the United Kingdom. It is housed in two buildings in London.-History:...
, a detachment of the 3PPCLI is sent to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to mount the Royal Guard
Royal Guard
A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as Emperor/Empress, King/Queen, or Prince/Princess...
at the Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, a rare honour. The Royal Canadian Regiment has the same honour two years later, at the re-opening.
Operation Apollo (2002–2003)
Operation APOLLO
Operation APOLLO was the codename for an operation conducted by Canadian Forces in support of the United States in its military operations in Afghanistan. The operation took place from October 2001 to October 2003...
, the Canadian contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom and the War in Afghanistan, the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
The Battlegroup also included a reconnaissance squadron from Lord Strathcona's Horse
Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
Lord Strathcona's Horse is a regular armoured regiment of the Canadian Forces. Currently based in Edmonton, Alberta, the regiment is part of Land Force Western Area's 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group...
and support elements from the 1st Service Battalion
1 Service Battalion
1 Service Battalion is a deployable field unit that provides close and general support to units throughout Land Force Western Area . Located at Steele Barracks, Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, 1 Svc Bn is composed of a Battalion Headquarters and four functional companies: Transportation, Supply,...
. These were the first major troops Canada sent in the theatre of operations, only preceded by a small team of Joint Task Force 2
Joint Task Force 2
Joint Task Force 2 is an elite Special Operations Force of the Canadian Armed Forces primarily tasked with counter-terrorism operations...
operators in late 2001.
In March 2002, during Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
, members of the 3PPCLI were in the Afghan province of Paktiya, clearing the mountains looking for Taliban and members of Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. The Canadian element of the operation, led by the United States, was composed of sixteen soldiers including six snipers. This sniper team, led by Master-Corporal Graham Ragsdale
Graham Ragsdale
Master Corporal Graham Ragsdale of the Canadian Forces was the commander of the Third Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry sniper team attached to the 101st Airborne of the U.S. Army during Operation Anaconda in the Shah-i-kot Valley, Paktia Province, Afghanistan in March, 2002...
, registered more than 20 kills while Master-Corporal Arron Perry
Arron Perry
Arron Perry is a former Master Corporal in the Canadian Forces who supposedly in March 2002 briefly held the record for the longest recorded sniper kill in combat at a range of...
set the new world record for farthest combat kill with a rifle .50 cal McMillan Tac-50
McMillan Tac-50
The McMillan Tac-50 sniper rifle is produced in Phoenix, Arizona in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company. This long-range anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s...
sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
that killed a Taliban fighter at a distance of 2310 metres (1.4 mi). Later on in the mission, Corporal Rob Furlong
Rob Furlong
Rob Furlong , is a former corporal of the Canadian Forces, who held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at 2,430 metres...
set yet a new record by firing a shot from a .50 cal McMillan Tac-50
McMillan Tac-50
The McMillan Tac-50 sniper rifle is produced in Phoenix, Arizona in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company. This long-range anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s...
sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
that killed a Taliban fighter at a distance of 2430 metres (1.5 mi). Both shots surpassed the long-standing previous world record of 2250 metres (1.4 mi) set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock
Carlos Hathcock
Carlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The U.S. Army awarded the team members the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
for their actions in combat. The Canadian government of the day, however, acted to prevent the awards from being made.
On March 13, 2002, Operation Harpoon
Operation Harpoon (2002)
Not to be confused with Operation Harpoon Operation Harpoon was the code name of a joint American–Canadian military operation which took place in March 2002 in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. This operation took place in roughly the same region as Operation Anaconda...
was launched in parallel of Operation Anaconda, with the goal of eliminating a small pocket of Taliban fighters. The operation involved air elements as well as a ground battlegroup composed of Canadian and American soldiers, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Stogran, commander 3PPCLI battlegroup. The next day, a reconnaissance platoon from 3PPCLI led the American troops to a network of caves and bunkers used by Al-Qaeda resisters. The battlegroup proceeded to destroy the bunkers and Operation Harpoon ended on March 19.
Blue On Blue
Blue on Blue is Leigh Nash's debut solo album. Nash began working on the album a year after Sixpence None the Richer disbanded. Produced by Pierre Marchand who is famous for his collaborations with Sarah McLachlan, the album consists of pop songs....
). The Canadian soldiers were participating in planned nighttime training exercises near Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
when Major Harry Schmidt, an American pilot from the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, flew overhead. Believing he was being fired upon by enemy soldiers, Schmidt dropped one 500 pounds (226.8 kg) laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
on the soldiers from his F-16. Sergeant Marc Léger, Corporal Ainsworth Dyer, Private Richard Green and Private Nathan Smith were killed instantly and eight were injured. Schmidt was court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed by the U.S. and convicted of dereliction of duty as a result, in what became known as the Tarnak Farm incident
Tarnak Farm incident
The Tarnak Farm incident refers to the killing of four Canadian soldiers and the injury of eight others from the Third Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on the night of April 17, 2002, by an American F-16 fighter jet. The aircraft, piloted by U.S...
.
On May 4, 2002, Operation Torii is launched, and Lieutenant-Colonel Stogran leads an international task force, of which 400 Canadian soldiers. The goal of the mission was to discover networks of caves used by the Talibans and Al-Qaeda, as well as to gather intelligence in the Tora Bora
Tora Bora
Tora Bora , known locally as Spīn Ghar , is a cave complex situated in the White Mountains of eastern Afghanistan, in the Pachir Wa Agam District of Nangarhar province, approximately west of the Khyber Pass and north of the border of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan...
region.
From June 30 to July 4, 2002, the majority of 3PPCLI relocated to Zabul Province
Zabul Province
Zabul is a historic province of Afghanistan. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963, with Qalat being named the provincial capital. It should not be confused with the city Zabol, on the Iranian side of the border with Afghanistan.- Political and security situation...
, North-West of Kandahar, to establish for the first time a coalition presence in the region.
The 3rd Battalion started preparing it's redeployment back to Canada on July 13, and its members came back home in two contingents, on July 28 and July 30, after a short stay in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. On March 2003, the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, deployed a 35 soldier platoon to serve alongside already deployed units from Operation Apollo. The platoon was replaced in July by a Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
Royal Canadian Horse Artillery
The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery is the name given to the regular field artillery units of the Canadian Army. RCHA units are the senior units of the Canadian land field force, with a history dating back to the birth of Canada as a nation...
platoon.
Operation Athena (2004–2010)
From August 2004 to February 2005, during Operation AthenaOperation ATHENA
Operation Athena is the Canadian Forces contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.-Overview:Operation Athena was a two phase Canadian Forces mission...
, the 1st Battalion deployed a reconnaissance squadron in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
.
A battlegroup built on 1PPCLI deployed in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
from February to July 2006.
When the 1PPCLI deployed to Afghanistan, the Taliban began a major offensive and the Canadians were caught in the middle. After a spring in which a record number of attacks against Canadian soldiers had been set, which included six deaths to the Canadian Forces, the Taliban in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and Helmand provinces were massing and Operation Mountain Thrust
Operation Mountain Thrust
Operation Mountain Thrust was a Canadian and Afghan-led operation in the war in Afghanistan, with more than 2,300 U.S., 3,300 British troops, 2,200 Canadian troops, about 3,500 Afghan soldiers and large air support...
was launched in the beginning of the summer. Canadians were one of the leading combatants and the first fighting in the Battle of Panjwaii
Battle of Panjwaii
The Battle of Panjwaii was a battle fought during two periods in the summer of 2006, primarily involving Canadian and Afghan soldiers being supported with some small elements of the Dutch, American, and British forces. There were two separate times in which the forces were involved in heavy...
took place. Complex mud-walled compounds made the rural Panjwaii district take on an almost urban style of fighting in some places. Daily firefights, artillery bombardments, and allied airstrikes turned the tides of the battle in favour of the Canadians.
After Operation Mountain Thrust came to an end, Taliban fighters flooded back into the Panjwaii district in numbers that had not been seen yet in a single area in the post Anaconda war. The Canadian Forces, which came under NATO command at the end of July, launched Operation Medusa
Operation Medusa
Operation Medusa was a Canadian-led offensive by major elements of the International Security Assistance Force, Afghan National Army and an A-Team from the 3rd Special Forces Group, as part of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. It aimed to establish government control over an area of Kandahar...
in an attempt to clear the areas of Taliban fighters once and for all.
The fighting of Operation Medusa led the way to the second, and more fierce, Battle of Panjwaii, largely fought by the rotation replacing the 1PPCLI, a battlegroup built around the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR).
For their actions in 2006, the 1PPCLI and Task Force 1-06 were given the Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation from the Governor-General of Canada.
The 2nd Battalion, PPCLI, took over from the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment
Royal 22e Régiment
The Royal 22nd Regiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army...
(R22eR) in February 2008. In August of the same year, it is replaced by the 3RCR, and in August 2009, 1PPCLI returns in Afghanistan to replace 2R22eR, where it stayed until February 2010.
Honours
Battle honours are the right given by the Canadian Crown to the Regiment to mark on its colours the name of the battles or operations in which they stood out. Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry has received 39 battle honours.Three soldiers of the regiment have been awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
.
| Victoria Cross recipients |
|---|
† – Awarded posthumously |
Traditions
Colonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
is former Governor-General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
. The previous colonel-in-chief was Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is a British peeress and former lady-in-waiting to her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and his wife, the heiress Edwina Ashley, a patrilineal...
, herself succeeding Princess Patricia. This is the first time that a person who is not a member of the Canadian Royal Family has been invited to take such a position with the regiment. The new colonel-in-chief took up her appointment at a ceremony on March 17, 2007, at the Regimental Headquarters in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
The regiment still uses its non-official motto, Once a Patricia, Always a Patricia, which reminds that the regimental family includes retired soldiers and officers and those who transferred elsewhere in the Canadian Forces.
March 17 is the most important date within the regiment, as it corresponds to Princess Patricia's birthday.
May 8 is the anniversary of the 1915 Battle of Frezenberg and is observed by a parade and a church ceremony. April 25 is the anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong
Battle of Kapyong
The Battle of Kapyong , also known as the Battle of Jiaping , was fought during the Korean War between United Nations forces—primarily Australian and Canadian—and the Chinese communist People's Volunteer Army...
, normally observed by the 2nd Battalion with a parade. On August 10, the regiment celebrates the foundation of the PPCLI in 1914.
September 21 is the anniversary of the Battle of San Fortunato in 1944.
The Patrician
The Patrician is a regimental journal first published in May 1933.In 1946, a monthly paper started publishing, but was suspended during the Korean War. In 1953, The Patrician started publishing again, as a semestrial paper, until 1960 when it became annual because of financial restraints. The Patrician adopted its present format in 2003.
Ric-A-Dam-Doo
Ric-A-Dam-Doo is a nickname for the original camp flag of the PPCLI. Various sources claim that "Ric-A-Dam-Doo" is, a presumably phonetic version of, the Gaelic for "cloth of thy mother"; but it is not clear that this claim has been confirmed by a Gaelic speaker. In the late 19th Century, members of The Royal Highland Regiment of the British Army, The Black Watch, were known to have referred to their regimental colours in Gaelic as the "rikk u dan du". In 1984, in a conversation with the PPCLI Colonel-of-The-Regiment, Colonel William Sutherland, Lieutenant James MacInnis surmized that the PPCLI's founder, Brigadier Hamilton Gault, a former 'Black Watch' officer from the Canadian Militia, may have used the Gaelic term when referring to the flag and Lt MacInnis believed that subsequent soldiers' bastardization of the Gaelic became accepted practise. The Ric-A-Dam-Doo was hand-sewn by Princess Patricia and presented to the Regiment.
| The Ric-A-Dam-Doo |
|---|
| 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 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. 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. |
Western Hockey League affiliation
The PPCLI is not directly affiliated with the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, but they are associated through name with the Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
who were formed in 1917 in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, as a major junior hockey team. The "Patricias" shortened their name to the Regina "Pats" in 1923, and to this day wear the PPCLI patch on their hockey jersey's shoulders. The Regina Pats are the longest lived major junior hockey team in the world.
Alliances
– The RiflesThe Rifles
The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
– The Royal Australian Regiment – The Hauraki Regiment
Hauraki Regiment
The Hauraki Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. The regiment is unique among the TF units in that it has never been amalgamated, and thus can trace its history directly back to its formation in 1898. The regiment was formed as the 2nd Battalion, Auckland Rifle Volunteers...
Order of precedence
External links
-
- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- The Loyal Edmonton Regiment
- 1914/11/04-1915/10/31
- 1915/11/01-1916/12/31
- 1917/01/01-1918/03/31
- 1918/04/01-1919/01/31