Martin O'Malley
CBC News Online | November 2001
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The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry should be on the ground in Afghanistan by the end of the month, bringing another 1,000 Canadian troops to the war against terrorism, increasing Canada's commitment to 3,000 troops. This is the largest deployment of Canadian ground troops since the Korean War in the 1950s.
The role of the PPCLI or "Patricias" – call them the "Pats" and risk having your nose rearranged – will be to join British and French troops in northern Afghanistan as a "stabilization force." The Canadians probably will assist the vast humanitarian relief operation, but this is not considered a peacekeeping operation.
The 3rd battalion of the PPCLI is based in Edmonton. It is part of what is called the Immediate Reaction Force of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The battalion was put on 48 hours' notice to deploy, which means they could be on the ground in Afghanistan within 10 days. Canada has also sent six ships to support the U.S.-led coalition flotilla.
The Patricias have earned a distinguished reputation during the two World Wars and the Korean War. The regiment was created on August 10, 1914, and mobilization began the next day. Most of the soldiers who came to the Patricias had served with regular forces of the British Empire, and many of them had seen action in South Africa.
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Patricia served as Colonel-in-chief of the regiment. She designed the badge and colours for the regiment. For Christmas in 1915, she sent a card and a box of maple sugar to every Canadian soldier serving overseas. She used her own sewing machine to make thousands of socks for Canadian troops. During the First World War she fell in love with Captain Alexander Ramsay, her father's aide-de-camp, and the year after the war ended they were married. She had to renounce her royal title to marry the commoner and for the rest of her life she was Lady Patricia Ramsay.
In the First World War the Patricias served at Ypres, Frezenberg, Passchendaele, Mount Sorel, Amiens, the Somme and Vimy – to name a few of the battles they engaged in. In the Second World War, they took part in the landing at Sicily, served in Italy from 1943 to 1945, then fought their way up to northwestern Europe.
The 2nd battalion of the Patricias fought valiantly in the Korean War between 1950 and 1953, receiving the Distinguished Unit Citation from the President of the United States for the battalion's stand near Kapyong in April 1951. As a result, the battalion received a four-foot-long streamer, which is attached to the pike of the regimental colours.