Showing 511 results

Authority record

Canada. Dept. of National Defence. Board of Inquiry Croatia

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1999-2000

The Croatia Board of Inquiry was called in 1999 to investigate whether Canadian soldiers who served as peacekeepers in Croatia over a span of three years were exposed to environmental toxins. The terms of reference did not, however, limit the Board to this singular issue. Given the flexibility to report on other relevant matters, the Board examined a broad range of subjects that influenced the health and welfare of Canadian soldiers. As a result, many of the Board's findings and recommendations addressed matters relating to the support and care provided to Canadian Forces (CF) members.
The soldiers who took part in OPERATION HARMONY, as the Canadian portion of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Croatia was called, were the main interest. During 1993 to 1995, soldiers from three Regular Force infantry battalions, augmented heavily by Reservists and a number of other Canadian military members, served in an area called "Sector South" over a period of about 18 months. During the fall of 1999, Board members listened to testimony from more than 90 witnesses, commissioned studies on topics as diverse as combat stress and command and control, and collected and analyzed thousands of documents, including battalion war diaries.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Regimental Headquarters

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1968-

In peacetime, Regimental Headquarters, known by its abbreviation RHQ, is the administrative branch of the Regiment. Since 1953 this unit has been staffed by the Regimental Major, the Regimental Adjutant, the Regimental Warrant Officer and any number of non-commissioned officer clerks who manage the Regiment's finances, special events and parades, visiting dignitaries, retirements, the Regimental Kit Shop, officer indoctrination, regimental publications including the Patrician, and the Regimental Museum and Archives. Regimental Headquarters functions as the secretariat for the Regiment's governing bodies, the Regimental Executive Committee (REC) and the Regimental Guard. It administers Exercise Ric-A-Dam-Doo, a biennial conference of PPCLI officers. The Regimental Kit Shop is a not for profit business which offers for sale accoutrements, memorabilia, books on Regimental history, special gear and Regimental clothing that is not provided to the soldiers by the Department of National Defence. Monies generated by the Kit Shop are transferred to the Hamilton Gault Memorial Fund where they are then distributed for charitable activities including the Regimental Museum and Archives and the Hamilton Gault Memorial Park. Following the First World War the Regiment was stationed at Stanley Barracks in Toronto and then moved to Long Branch Camp outside of the city. In 1920 the Regiment moved to Tecumseh Barracks in London, Ontario and then to Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After the Second World War the Regiment spent seven months at Camp McDonald near Portage La Prairie before finally moving to Currie Barracks, Calgary, Alberta in 1946. In June 1953 the Regimental Depot was established at Currie Barracks and the Regimental Museum and the Kit Shop were established shortly thereafter as adjuncts to the Depot. The Depot acted as Regimental Headquarters, assuming responsibility for receiving, equipping and training men for both the First and Second Battalions. The Depot was also responsible for the administration and accounting of Regimental funds and property and other basic Regimental business. The Recruit Program comprised of 17 weeks of basic training and classes were on-going with new recruits graduating each year. In 11 January 1956 the Depot moved to Edmonton, first to the Prince of Wales Armouries and then moved again to a new base at Griesbach in Edmonton, which was renamed Hamilton Gault Barracks in honour of the Regimental Founder. As part of the unification of the Armed Forces, on 31 October 1968 the training function of the Depot was established as the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Battle School. The administrative function became Regimental Headquarters, established as a separate increment attached to the First Battalion located at a new Home Station at Currie Barracks in Calgary, Alberta. Regimental Headquarters remained at Currie Barracks until 1990 when it moved with the Kit Shop across the street to the Museum of the Regiments. In 1997 Regimental Headquarters along with the First and Third Battalions moved to a new Home Station at Edmonton Garrison, formerly known as Namao Air Force Base.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Regimental Guard. Statue Project

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1988-1992

In 1988, Leslie Gault, nephew of BGen Hamilton Gault, the founder of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), approached the Regiment with the idea of erecting a heroic-size bronze statue of his uncle in the Parliamentary precinct of Ottawa. The Regimental Guard, at its meeting of 19 March, 1989, agreed that the project was a worthy one, and committed to its realization. A sculptor, Don Begg, was commissioned, and fundraising initiatives were undertaken. The project was coordinated by Col. J.D. Joly, and later by Col. G.A.P. Lachapelle. The statue was unveiled on May 9, 1992 at Confederation Square near the National War Memorial. Additional castings of it were erected at the Museum of the Regiments (later known as The Military Museums) in Calgary and at the Frezenberg Memorial near Ypres, Belgium. The project was considered completed on October 19, 1992 when its records were transferred to the Regimental Museum and Archives.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Regimental Executive Committee

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1952-

During the Korean War, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry was divided into three Battalions, each with its own Commanding Officer (CO) who operated autonomously within the Canadian military hierarchy. It became necessary to develop an organizational structure to administer the non-public property of the regiment, and to administer functions of the entire regiment, such as the Regimental Depot (later, Regimental Headquarters), the Regimental Museum, ceremonial events, the yearbook The Patrician, appointment of Colonels-in-Chief and Colonels of the Regiment, and maintaining the history and traditions of the Regiment. In accordance with terms of reference set forth by Western Command, the Regimental Executive Committee (known as the REC) first met on 30 September, 1952. It then drafted its own constitution. It was composed of the three COs of the battalions and a non-voting Secretary-Treasurer. It was later expanded to include the Regimental Major, the Regimental Sergeant-Majors of the three battalions, and a representative of the PPCLI Association. It was later expanded again to include representatives of extra-regimentally employed (ERE) members of the Regiment.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Heritage Committee

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1992-2009

The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Heritage Committee was formed and met for the first time on 14 March 1992. The founding president was Colonel (Ret'd) W. B. S. Sutherland. Major (Ret'd) Rod Middleton later served in the leadership role. The Committee was composed of serving and retired members of the Regiment, and reported to the Regimental Executive Committee. The original role of the Committee was to contribute to the monitoring, recording, preserving and enhancement of the heritage of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, primarily through the planning and undertaking of new initiatives and works in keeping with the stated goals and objectives of the Regiment. In conjunction with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Museum Committee, and within the corporate identity of the Regiment, a primary objective of the Committee was to facilitate the assembly of a high quality historically balanced collection of materials representing the Regiment's achievements in preparation for the 100th Anniversary of the Regiment in 2014. The scope of activities included: preparing and maintaining a long-term written Heritage Preservation Plan; cataloguing and monitoring the condition of and ensuring the preservation of Regimental monuments and memorials not assigned to other units; planning, recommending and facilitating the execution of new works of art; investigating and recommending other means of collecting; and preserving and making available to the Regiment and to the public the heritage of the Regiment and developing and maintaining an adequate written set of operating procedures to govern the efficient and ethical functioning of the Committee as a representative body of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. The most significant achievement of the Committee was the research, creation, and publication of a book on the Regiment's history. In 1998 questionnaires were sent out to retired and serving members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry asking for anecdotes and archival material detailing their service with the Regiment. Those surveyed were also asked if they would be willing to be interviewed as part of a new Regimental history book project. Volunteers were trained in interviewing skills and interviews took place across Canada. The book "The Patricias: the Proud History of a Fighting Regiment" by Dr. David Bercuson was published in 2001. Following the publication, the Committee became somewhat dormant. By 2009 it had become a subcommittee of the Regiment's 100th Anniversary Committee.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Association. Okanagan/Thompson Branch

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1984-

During World War I Patricia veterans in Ottawa began to gather informally. The Patricia Club of Ottawa was formed 27 December 1917. On 7 February 1918 its constitution was adopted, and other Patricia Clubs were formed in some of the larger Canadian cities. These clubs provided personal assistance to veterans and their families as well as other public services. Following the Second World War, on 18 May 1946, Hamilton Gault organized the first meeting of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Association which now included soldiers still serving with the Regiment. After the Korean War, on 13 September 1953, the PPCLI Association was incorporated. Branches of the Association exit across Canada and in Great Britain, each with their own executive overseen by the National Executive. The Okanagan/Thompson Branch, centred in Vernon, BC, was founded and organized in 1984 by LCol Vince Lilley. It serves members located in the Okanagan Valley and the Thompson River watershed in British Columbia.

Edwards, Murray C.

  • ppcli
  • Person
  • 1920-

Murray Edwards was born 16 January 1920 in Cambridge, England. He grew up in New Jersey but was granted permission by the United States to join the Canadian Army in June 1942. He joined the Queen's Own Rifles at Toronto and trained at Niagara-On-The-Lake. He was quickly promoted to Corporal (August 1942) and attended the Junior Non Commissioned Officers' Course at Borden, Ontario in November. Posted to the First Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles in England in December, he was then transferred to D Group, Officer's Refresher School in Crookham, England in April 1943. Promoted to Sergeant in June 1943, Edwards under went Officer Selection in July at Aldershot and was then sent to Blackdown, England for pre-officer cadet training. He returned to Canada for further officer cadet training at Brockville, Ontario in December and was promoted to Lieutenant in February 1944, serving as an instructor for a few months. He attended the Vernon Battle School in April 1944 and joined the Staff there before volunteering for the Pacific Brigade as an Intelligence Officer in April 1945. Lieutenant Edwards was discharged and transferred to the Reserves in March 1946. He joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 1 September 1950 as a Lieutenant with the Second Battalion. He was the Platoon Commander with #4 Platoon, B Company in November 1950 and joined the Active Force in Korea in March 1951. Promoted to Acting Captain just prior to the Battle of KapYong in April 1951, he served with the Battalion in Korea from March 1951 until November and returned with the Rear Party in December. He reverted to Lieutenant in February 1952 and was appointed Adjutant of the Second Battalion in October. After undergoing jump (parachute) training, Edwards was promoted to Captain in January 1953, and went with the Second Battalion to Germany from 1953 to 1955, as Company Second in Command, serving on the Board of Courts-Martial there. Upon returning to Canada, Captain Edwards was posted to Western Command Intelligence in December 1955 and then to the School of Infantry at Borden, Ontario as Second in Command of the User Trials Section in June 1958. Following his appointment as Officer in Command of the Civil Defence Rescue School in April 1960, he was promoted to Major in September 1961. He served in Cyprus as a General Staff Officer with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in 1964 and was then attached to United Nations Headquarters, New York as Senior Economics and Welfare Officer for Cyprus in June 1964. Following an appointment on the British Columbia Instructional Staff for the Militia, Major Edwards was posted to the United Nations Supervisory Organization in Palestine in September 1967. He was released from the Regular Forces in January 1969. After qualifying for a British Columbia Teachers' Licence in June 1971, Edwards obtained employment as the Administration and or Log Officer with the Cadet Training Division at Esquimalt from June 1971 until retirement to Victoria, BC in February 1984. In 1954 he married Morfydd (Morrie) Edwards (d. 2005).

Torpe, Norman

  • ppcli
  • Person
  • 1919-2000

Norman David Torpe, 1919-2000, was one of the original 250 Canadian volunteers selected for the First Special Service Force, a joint American-Canadian unit known as the "Devil's Brigade". Only 72 of the 250 passed the initial exams and only 18 completed training. He deployed with the Force to the Aleutian Islands in early 1943 and to Italy in November 1943. He was wounded at the Anzio bridgehead in the spring of 1944 and lost one eye which ended his military career. Following the war Norman was a forest ranger and then farmed in Clive, Tofield, and Daysland, Alberta. He marred Violet Haroldson. He passed away in Camrose, Alberta on 2 March 2000.

Levy, Mike

  • ppcli
  • Person
  • 1925-2007

Mike Levy, 1925-2007, was born in Bombay, India.and raised in Shanghai, China. At the onset of the Second World War he was interned at Lunghwa, a Japanese internment camp. In 1944 he escaped, joined the Special Operations Executive, a British commando group, and was engaged in guerrilla warfare in Malaya. After the war he settled in Vancouver, BC, married, and opened a restaurant. During the Korean War he was a Lieutenant commanding the 10th Platoon, D Company, Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Korea, and participated in the Battle of KapYong, 24-25 April 1951. He remained with the PPCLI during peacetime assignments in Germany, Vietnam, Cyprus, and the United States, retiring with the rank of Major. He was married to Marjorie Levy, and they had four children, Michael Guy, Don Garry, Linda Gay, and Paul Garth.

PPCLI WOs & Snr NCOs Club (Retired)

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1976-2012

The PPCLI WOs & Snr NCOs Club (Retired) (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Club (Retired)) was an organization founded in 1976 for PPCLI veterans who had attained the rank of Sergeant or Warrant Officer. It met at least once per year, and was primarily a social club, although it was also involved in advocacy for veterans. It published a tri-annual (later semi-annual) newsletter, The Piklee Post. The title is based on an old nickname for the PPCLI, derived from its acronym. The founder, president, and newsletter editor of the club throughout its history was Ed Hansen of Victoria, BC. The club became inactive ca. 2012, following Hansen's death.

Results 91 to 100 of 511