The Women's Auxiliary of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regimental Club of Toronto was formed in 1919 by a group of widows of men killed in action. Similar women's organizations formed in other cities. In Winnipeg and Victoria where PPCLI garrisons were located, the Women's Auxiliary revived in the late 1930s as an organization for wives of active servicemen. It was also known as the Ladies' Auxiliary. During the Second World War and the Korean War it was active in several cities and was involved in sending comforts to the men overseas. In 1963-1964 the Jubilee Wives' Club was organized to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Regiment, and in the 1970s and 1980s the 1PPCLI Wives' Club was active in Calgary. By 1987 it was also known as the P.P.C.L.I. Auxiliary Society. In 1989 it was known as the Patricia Wives Association
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.
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.
The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) was raised in Ottawa in August 1914 as the result of an offer by Captain A. Hamilton Gault to provide $100,000.00 to finance and equip a regiment for overseas service. It was named in honour of Princess Patricia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of the Duke of Connaught, then the Governor-General of Canada. PPCLI has been a Canadian permanent force regiment since 1914. It has participated in two World Wars, the Korean War, the War in Afghanistan, civic crises, Cold War defence and numerous peacekeeping missions all over the world. During the Korean War the regiment was increased to three battalions and then cut back to two battalions in 1954. In 1970 it was again increased to three battalions. Since 1919 it has been based in locations in western Canada. In the 2010s the three battalions were located in Edmonton and CFB Shilo, Manitoba.
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.
In Canadian military tradition, senior non-commissioned officers (sergeants and warrant officers) normally dine separately from officers and from junior ranks (privates and corporals). The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Sergeant's Mess was established in 1914 shortly after the founding of the Regiment. By the 1970s it was known as the Home Station Warrant Officers' and Sergeants Mess. The Home Station of the PPCLI was considered to be Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Calgary from 1968 until 1997 when it was moved to CFB Edmonton. Under the authority of the Queen's (or King's) Regulations and Orders, it governs itself under a Constitution and Bylaws. In addition to dining, the Mess provides social and recreational services to its members and their families.
In Canadian military tradition, officers normally dine separately from non-commissioned officers and junior ranks. The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Officers' Mess came into being in 1914 shortly after the founding of the Regiment. An Officers' Mess could be established in any location where there were a significant number of officers. The PPCLI Home Station Officers' Mess was located at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Calgary from 1968 until 1997 when the PPCLI Home Station was moved to CFB Edmonton. Under the authority of the Queen's (or King's) Regulations and Orders, it governs itself under a Constitution and Bylaws. In addition to maintaining facilities for dining, it provides social and recreational services to its members and their families.
The Royal Australia Regiment (RAR) is the parent administrative regiment for Australian infantry battalions. The Australian Regiment was formed in 1948 from amalgamation of three infantry battalions occupying post-war Japan. In 1949 it was given permission to use the Royal title. During the Korean War, the 3rd Battalion of RAR joined the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in stopping the advance of the Chinese Army at KapYong. Both units were awarded the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation. As a result of this shared experience, RAR and PPCLI are allied regiments. RAR has also seen active or peacekeeping service in Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, Somalia, Cambodia, Rwanda, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As of 2017 it consisted of six battalions.
The 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (abbreviated as 1PPCLI, 1 PPCLI, 1VP or 1 VP) was designated as such 30 November 1950 when a 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was raised as part of the Canadian Army Special Force for active service in Korea. The Battalion technically already existed as part of the permanent force maintained by the Canadian Army following the Second World War. Trained as a parachute battalion and mobile striking force, members of the 1st Battalion provided basic training to men recruited for the 2nd and 3rd Battalions. It provided non-commissioned officers and officers for both the 2nd and 3rd Battalions during their tours in Korea before relieving the 2nd Battalion in Korea in October 1951. The Battalion was involved in Operation Pepperpot and spent much of its tour in Korea patrolling the Sami-Ch'on valley and defending the Jamestown Line, The "Hook", and Line "Kansas" until it was relieved by the 3rd Battalion 3 November 1952. The 1st Battalion was presented with its own Colours (replacing the Regimental Colours) 17 July 1959 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Victoria, British Columbia and new Colours on 8 May 1977 by the Colonel-In-Chief, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The Battalion was stationed at Currie Barracks, Calgary, Alberta until 1955 when it replaced the 2nd Battalion at Fort MacLeod, Germany. When it returned to Canada in 1957 it was stationed at Victoria, British Columbia for the first time since 1939. The Battalion returned to Germany in 1963 until 1966 when it was stationed for the first time at Griesbach Barracks, Edmonton. The First Battalion then moved back to Currie Barracks in Calgary in 1968 and finally returned to Edmonton Garrison (Namao) in 1997. It served 6 month United Nations peacekeeping tours in Cyprus in 1968, 1971, 1978, 1984 and 1991 and in Croatia in 1994 as part of Operation Harmony. B Company also served with the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Battle Group both in Bosnia in 1994 during Operation Cavalier and as part of the NATO Kosovo Force in July 1997 until January 1998. The 1st Battalion also served with NATO SFOR in Bosnia from September 2002 until April 2003. The 1st Battalion participated in NATO operations in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014.
During World War I Patricia veterans in Ottawa began to gather informally, and the Patricia Club of Ottawa was formed 27 December 1917. On 7 February 1918 its constitution was adopted. Other clubs were later formed in some of the larger Canadian cities, including Winnipeg, which was the Home Base of the the Regiment during the inter-war years. 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 PPCLI Association which now included soldiers still serving with the Regiment. After the Korean War, on 13 September 1953, the PPCLI Association was incorporated and the Winnipeg Branch was one of its affiliates. According to the 1985 constitution of the Association, the Winnipeg Branch was renamed the Manitoba Branch. According to the 1990 constitution, it was renamed the Manitoba/NW Ontario Branch. According to its newsletter banner, it was styled Manitoba and North Western Ontario Branch (1999-2002) and Manitoba and Northwest Ontario Branch (2005-2011).