Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's)[a 1] is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patricia of Connaught, daughter of the then-Governor General of Canada.[1] The regiment is composed of three battalions, 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 attached to 3rd Canadian Division; as such, it serves as the "local" regular infantry regiment for much of Western Canada. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (LER), a Reserve Force battalion, is affiliated with the PPCLI but is not formally part of it. As part of this affiliation, the LER carries the designation '4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry'.
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
10 August 1914
Canada
Infantry
Mechanized infantry (two battalions)
Light infantry (one battalion)
Three battalions
The Pats, Patricia's, The Patricia's, VP, The Picklies or Princess Pat's, Dirty Patricias, The Vicious Patricias
2nd Battalion entitled to wear US PUC streamer on regimental colour
Quick: "Has Anyone Seen the Colonel/Tipperary/Mademoiselle from Armentières" (medley)
Slow: "Lili Marlene"
1st Battalion: "The Maple Leaf"
2nd Battalion: "March Winnipeg"
3rd Battalion: "Imperial Echoes"
- US Presidential Unit Citation (2nd Battalion)
- Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation: 2nd Bn PPCLI Battle Group: Medak Pocket, Croatia, Operation Harmony, 1993
- Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation: 3rd Bn PPCLI Battle Group: Afghanistan, Operation Apollo, 2002
- Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation: 1st Bn PPCLI Battle Group: Afghanistan, Operation Archer, 2006
See #Battle Honours
Brigadier-General R.R. Romses, OMM, CD
PPCLI
The PPCLI is a "British-style" Regiment which serves as the spiritual home and repository of customs and traditions for a number of battalions that do not necessarily serve together operationally. Its three battalions are independent operational entities, within 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG). The regimental title is honorific: two of the battalions are mechanized infantry and the unit has never been organized as a traditional light infantry regiment.[a 1]
The PPCLI was raised on the initiative of Captain Andrew Hamilton Gault in 1914 as part of the British Empire's 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 served with both the British and Canadian Expeditionary Forces, and was retained as a regular infantry regiment after the war. The regiment mobilized again in the Second World War, provided three battalions in succession for the Korean War, and most recently fought in the War in Afghanistan. The regiment has also provided units for numerous NATO operations and United Nations peacekeeping missions.[b 1] The regiment has received 39 battle honours, three Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendations and the United States Presidential Unit Citation.[b 1]
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Camp flag of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
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Princess Patricia of Connaught
Adrienne Clarkson, Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
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.[24]
The PPCLI does not have an official motto; however, their unofficial motto, "First In The Field",[25] is based on the fact that they were the first Canadian unit to deploy in the Great War. The regiment also uses another 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.[a 12] May 8 is the anniversary of the 1915 Battle of Frezenberg and is observed by a parade and a church ceremony.[a 12] April 25 is the anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, normally observed by the 2nd Battalion with a parade.[a 12] On August 10, the regiment celebrates the foundation of the PPCLI in 1914.[a 13][b 9] September 21 is the anniversary of the Battle of San Fortunato in 1944.[a 13]
The regimental march of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry consists of the songs "Has Anyone Seen The Colonel?", "It's a Long Way To Tipperary", and "Mademoiselle from Armentières".
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Western Hockey League affiliation[edit]
The PPCLI is not directly affiliated with the Western Hockey League, 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.[30]
In popular culture[edit]
In the movie "Across the Pacific"(1942), a cashiered U.S. Army officer, played by Humphrey Bogart crosses the border in 1941 and attempts to enlist in the Princess Pats. He is refused, as the regiment expects all its officers to have high moral standards. The character later comments that his rejection "was a *little* on the insulting side".
A soldier of the regiment is interviewed in Max Brooks's zombie novel World War Z.
The character Major Patrick Gordon/Patrick Crawley in Season 2 of Downton Abbey was a member of PPCLI.
The Canadian infantry soldiers in the Afghanistan War-based movie Hyena Road are members of the PPCLI.[31]
In 1968 movie "The Devil's Brigade", Sgt. Patrick O'Neill (played by Jeremy Slate) is wearing P.P.C.L.I. insignia on his shoulder.
In the "Ultimate Soldier Challenge" TV show on History Channel (Season 1, Episode 5), three teams of two soldiers (US Marines, Canadians, and Contractors) are competing in various military tasks. The Canadians (Alex and Andrija) are from the PPCLI.
The regiment has received the Freedom of several locations throughout its history; these include:
Possible specialist Arctic sovereignty role[edit]
It has been suggested in a Canadian professional military journal that the regiment's third battalion (3 PPCLI) could be adapted to become a specialized light infantry battalion that is able to deploy parachute infantry and marine infantry company groups to support the protection of Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic.[39]