# PPCLI Question



## reccecrewman (8 Oct 2005)

I read a book on the PPCLI entitled "THE PATRICIAS - THE PROUD HISTORY OF A FIGHTING REGIMENT", and it stated that on 23 August, 1914, the Old Battalion received their first Camp Colour and dubbed it the "Ric-A-Dam-Doo"............... Now, I read this book cover-to-cover three times and it never gave ANY explanation as to why it got this name, it did however go on to explain that in the present day, new Officers to the Regiment go on an orientation week-end they call ric-a-dam-doo.  Are there any Patricias out there who knows where the origins of this strange name come from, or what it means? Thanks.


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## Old Ranger (8 Oct 2005)

My partner at work will try and look it up for you......since he was one of those dismounty types. ;D

Ben


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## paracowboy (8 Oct 2005)

hmmm, the Regimental Manual simply states 





> The Regiment's first formal parade was held on 23 August, 1914 at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa. It was here that Princess Patricia presented her Regiment with a Camp Colour which she designed and worked by hand. The Ric-A-Dam-Doo, as it later became known, was affixed to a staff cut from a Maple tree growing on PArliament Hill.


and that's it. Odd...


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## Bartok5 (8 Oct 2005)

Good question!  With 19 years as a Patricia officer, I must admit that I have no clue where/why the term "Ric-a-Dam-Doo" came into being.  We simply take it for granted.  The various regimental histories shed no light, nor does the official regimental manual.  It is actually embarassing to have the question asked and not be able to answer....   :-[

This has piqued my interest, and I shall endeavor to find out.  Starting with Regimental HQ next week.

Cheers,

Mark C


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## armyvern (8 Oct 2005)

I managed to find this song:

The Ric-A-Dam-Doo is a song written about the PPCLI. All  was written about the Regiment in WW1.

The Princess Pat's Battalion
They sailed across the Herring Pond,
They sailed across the Channel too,
And landed there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Princess Pat's Battalion Scouts
They never knew their whereabouts.
If there's a pub within a mile or two,
You'll find them there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Lewis Guns are always true
To every call of the Ric-A-Dam-Doo.
They're always there with a burst or two
Whenever they see the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Bombers of the Princess Pat's
Are scared of naught, excepting rats,
They're full of pep and dynamite too,
They'd never lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

The Transport of the Princess Pat's
Are all dressed up in Stetson hats.
They shine their brass and limbers too
I believe they'd shine the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Number Three, our company
We must fall in ten times a day.
If we fell out 'twould never do
For then we'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Charlie S., our Major dear,
Who always buys us rum and beer,
If there's a trench in a mile or two
You'll find him there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Ackity-Ack, our Colonel grand,
The leader of this noble band,
He'd go to Hell and charge right through
Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

Old Hammy Gault, our first PP,
He led this band across the sea,
He'd lose an arm, or leg or two
Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.

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.


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## armyvern (8 Oct 2005)

Ahhhaaa,

It is a pull from the Gaelic Language which means:

"Cloth of Thy Mother"

"Princess Patricia, after consenting to the use of her name by the Regiment, made a "camp" color of her own design and which incorporated her personal cipher. This color was presented to the Regiment on 23 August, 1914 at a parade in Landsdowne Park, Ottawa. On 28 January, 1919 it was consecrated as the PPCLI Regimental Color. The Color is commonly referred to as the RIC-A-DAM-DOO (gaelic for "cloth of thy mother") and is now located in The Hall of Honor in the Regimental Museum within the Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At a farewell parade at Bramshot, England, on the 21 February, 1919 Princess Patricia decorated her Color with a wreath of laurel in silver gilt (known as the "Wreath of Immortelles"). 

See site below:

http://www.goantiques.com/detail,rare-original-antique,679903.html#


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## PPCLI Guy (9 Oct 2005)

Cool - now I know.  I, like Mark C, never knew the answer whenever the question was asked...

Dave


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## Old Ranger (9 Oct 2005)

Old Ranger said:
			
		

> My partner at work will try and look it up for you......since he was one of those dismounty types. ;D
> 
> Ben



Boy, that answer just creeped my partner out.

If you saw what his Mother wears, you'd know why. ;D


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## Bartok5 (11 Oct 2005)

ArmyVern,

Thanks for the info!  That must have been quite a search to take you to that site.  

It just goes to show that even grumpy old Patricia majors (like me) can still learn something new & interesting every day....  

Cheers,

Mark C


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## Gunner (11 Oct 2005)

> It just goes to show that even grumpy old Patricia majors (like me)



Come on Mark, you are being too hard on yourself... grumpy and old, heck...,you're not that old...


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## armyvern (12 Oct 2005)

Mark C said:
			
		

> ArmyVern,
> 
> Thanks for the info!   That must have been quite a search to take you to that site.
> 
> ...



No problem. I forget what obscure statement I typed into the search bar to find it with though, but I do remember that it was something obscure....10 000 pages of the Ric-A-Dam-Doo song kept showing up first.

Oh yes...."you will never be too old for a slumber party!!"
It is my favourite saying (as seen in my profile). That is if you consider be kooped up in a hooch a slumber party.


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## bick (13 Oct 2005)

Read Page 33 in The Patricias - Proud History of a Fighting Regiment


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## gordjenkins (14 Oct 2005)

It is a pull from the Gaelic Language which means:

"Cloth of Thy Mother"

"Princess Patricia, after consenting to the use of her name by the Regiment, made a "camp" color of her own design and which incorporated her personal cipher

gordjenkins


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## George Wallace (14 Oct 2005)

gordjenkins said:
			
		

> It is a pull from the Gaelic Language which means:
> 
> "Cloth of Thy Mother"
> 
> ...



Wow!   Reply # 12 looks very much like Reply #5.   Would we consider this plagiarism?     ;D

I love people not reading posts....


			
				armyvern said:
			
		

> Ahhhaaa,
> 
> It is a pull from the Gaelic Language which means:
> 
> ...


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## reccecrewman (30 Oct 2005)

Much thanks to Armyvern for that explanation - At long last, a mystery is solved!  ;D  Thanks to everyone who took time to try and find the answer, I've searched for it many times and always came up empty handed.  

Cheers


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