# PPCLI Regimental Day



## dangerboy (17 Mar 2015)

Today, 17 March as everyone knows (or should know) the PPCLI celebrate Regimental Day.  There is some confusion among people not in the Regiment on what Regimental Day is and why we celebrate it, they sometime think that it is our Regiment’s birthday which of course is 10 August.  No, Regimental Day is to honour the birthday of our unit’s first Colonel-in-Chief and the units namesake: Princess Patricia of Connaught.

Lady Patricia as she was known in the Regiment was born Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth on 17 March 1888 in Buckingham Palace, London, England.  Her father was Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught the third son of Queen Victoria and her mother was Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia.

In 1911 her father was appointed the Governor General of Canada and she joined him in Canada where she became very popular with Canadians ( her picture is on the one dollar bill of the Dominion of Canada issued on 17 March 1917).

When the PPCLI was being formed LCol Farquhar (the first CO) was the Military Secretary to Prince Arthur the Governor General and he requested to the Princess the honour of her name for the Regiment.  She accepted the proposal and designed and made by hand the “Ric-A-Dam-Doo”.  During WWI she followed the units accomplishments during there fighting in the trench and grieved for their losses.  At the end of the war she presented the unit with the wreath of Laurel commemorating their losses.

On 27 February 1919, she married Commander, The Hon. Alexander Ramsay in Westminster Abbey.  The Regiment provided a guard of 3 Officers and 100 men and every officer attended and 40 NCOs lined the aisles. As she was marrying a “commoner” rather than royal blood she voluntarily relinquished the title of Princess of Great Britain and Ireland and became known as Lady Patricia Ramsay.  They had one son Alexander Ramsay of Mar born 21 December 1919.

Lady Patricia remained involved with the Regiment throughout her entire life and was appointed the Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment on 22 February 1918. In addition to being associated with the PPCLI, Lady Patricia was also an accomplished artist who specialized in Watercolours. She was made an honour member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water.

Lady Patricia passed away on 12 January 1974 at the age of 87.  As she wanted a simple funeral the Regiment was represented by MGen C.B. Ware, a bearer party and two buglers. During her lifetime she was accorded the following honours: Lady of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, member of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, Dame of justice of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and in recognition of her service to the Canadian Army the Canadian Forces Decoration.

This is a quick synopsis of the life of this great lady whose influence still affects us to this day.  So if people don’t know why we celebrate 17 March or think it is just a day in honour of some guys that chased away snakes please share this with them.

Mark Adkins


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## OldSolduer (17 Mar 2015)

VP Patricias! Have a good one!


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## kratz (17 Mar 2015)

I did not know. Very informative.
Thank you for posting this synopsis.


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## dangerboy (17 Mar 2016)

Happy Regimental Day to all Patricias past and present.


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## The Bread Guy (17 Mar 2016)

Happy Regimental day, Patricias serving & past!


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## Michael OLeary (17 Mar 2016)

.


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## Edward Campbell (17 Mar 2016)

Have a great Regimental Day, Patricias everywhere.


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## Journeyman (17 Mar 2016)

A day for Patricias and their friends to raise a glass.... and for everyone else to pretend they're Irish.  :cheers:


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## Old Sweat (17 Mar 2016)

All the best to the Patricias out there.  :cheers:


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## Oldgateboatdriver (17 Mar 2016)

:cheers: to all the Patricia's out there. And, may your founding Princess find her way back unto our money   [.


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## Fishbone Jones (17 Mar 2016)

Happy  Regimental day guys!

Post the results of the Broom-a-Loo game!


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## ModlrMike (18 Mar 2016)

Happy Regimental Day!


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## dangerboy (17 Mar 2018)

Happy Regimental Day to all Patricias   :cheers:


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## OldSolduer (17 Mar 2018)

Oldgateboatdriver said:
			
		

> :cheers: to all the Patricia's out there. And, may your founding Princess find her way back unto our money   [.



Happy Regimental Day troops!!


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## dangerboy (17 Mar 2019)

Happy Regimental Day to all members of the PPCLI and their extended family.


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## OldSolduer (17 Mar 2019)

Happy Regimental Day Troops!!


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## dangerboy (17 Mar 2021)

Happy Regimental Day to all members of the PPCLI.


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## OldSolduer (17 Mar 2021)

dangerboy said:


> Happy Regimental Day to all members of the PPCLI.


The same from me. Have a good one troops! BE SAFE!!! VP!


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## PPCLI Guy (17 Mar 2021)

The Regiment


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## medicineman (17 Mar 2021)

Happy Regimental Day Troops!!


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## Weinie (17 Mar 2021)

medicineman said:


> Happy Regimental Day Troops!!


I like most of the Patricia's that I know. Have a great Regimental Day, gals and guys.


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## daftandbarmy (17 Mar 2021)

Weinie said:


> I like most of the Patricia's that I know. Have a great Regimental Day, gals and guys.



Ditto!


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## OldSolduer (18 Mar 2021)

Weinie said:


> I like most of the Patricia's that I know. Have a great Regimental Day, gals and guys.


There are a few that bear watching


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## dangerboy (17 Mar 2022)

Happy Regimental Day to all members of the PPCLI.




> Today, 17 March as everyone knows (or should know) the PPCLI celebrates Regimental Day. There is some confusion among people not in the Regiment on what Regimental Day is and why we celebrate it, they sometimes think that it is our Regiment’s birthday which of course is 10 August. No, Regimental Day is to honour the birthday of our unit’s first Colonel-in-Chief and the unit's namesake: Princess Patricia of Connaught.
> 
> Lady Patricia was born Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth on 17 March 1886 in Buckingham Palace, London, England. Her father was Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught the third son of Queen Victoria and her mother was Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia.
> 
> ...


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## OldSolduer (17 Mar 2022)

Happy Regimental Day troops!! *  Broom i loo and beer!!!!*


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## medicineman (17 Mar 2022)

Happy Regimental Day - don't break your mates in broom-i-loo....SNCO's/Officers, well...


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## Old Sweat (17 Mar 2022)

All the best to Patricias everywhere. For my contribution, as I sip my first beer around 1700, I'll silently sing a ditty I learned a million years ago, stationed in Fort Prince of Wales next to the First Patricias in Fort Mac. The first line goes something like this: "In Nineteen-Hundred-and Fifty, the Pats, they left Seattle".


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## dangerboy (17 Mar 2022)

Old Sweat said:


> All the best to Patricias everywhere. For my contribution, as I sip my first beer around 1700, I'll silently sing a ditty I learned a million years ago, stationed in Fort Prince of Wales next to the First Patricias in Fort Mac. The first line goes something like this: "In Nineteen-Hundred-and Fifty, the Pats, they left Seattle".



It is called Big Jim Stone's Patricias. For obvious reasons it is not sung very often.



> In nineteen hundred and fifty
> The Pat's they left Seattle,
> They sailed across the Pacific
> To meet the chinks in battle
> ...



This song was written in the 1950s while fighting a bitter enemy.

Sweetbriar was a joint Canadian -United States defence exercise held in Feb 1950 held in Alaska.


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## daftandbarmy (17 Mar 2022)

dangerboy said:


> It is called Big Jim Stone's Patricias. For obvious reasons it is not sung very often.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



For awhile I was a member of a Regiment that had this as their regimental tune.... yeah, not sung out loud very much at all these days either - except by Michael Buble, suprisingly  

The Maple Leaf Forever​_*by Alexander Muir*_

Mr. Muir wrote this patriotic song in 1867, the year of Canada's Confederation.  It served as the unofficial Canadian anthem for many years before O Canada became the official anthem.

A version with alternate lyrics was written by Vladimir Radian in 1997 and was sung most recently at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics by Michael Buble. Song: The Maple Leaf Forever


In days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe, the dauntless hero, came
And planted firm Britannia's flag
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast and pride
And, joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine
The Maple Leaf forever!

Chorus:
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our Queen and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

At Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane,
Our brave fathers, side by side,
For freedom, homes and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died;
And those dear rights which they maintained,
We swear to yield them never!
Our watchword evermore shall be
"The Maple Leaf forever!"

Chorus

Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound;
May peace forever be our lot,
And plenteous store abound:
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green o'er freedom's home
The Maple Leaf forever!

Chorus

On merry England's far famed land
May kind heaven sweetly smile,
God bless old Scotland evermore
and Ireland's Em'rald Isle!
And swell the song both loud and long
Till rocks and forest quiver!
God save our Queen and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

Chorus


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