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Authority record

John Henry Richardson

  • Fonds 19
  • Person
  • 1927-2008

John Henry Richardson, DCM, CD, was born in Victoria, BC on April 30, 1927 and died in Calgary, Alberta on December 26, 2008. His service number was SK12487. Chief Warrant Officer Richardson served in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Canada, Korea, continental Europe and Cyprus from May 16, 1945 to January 20, 1973, retiring as a Regimental Sergeant Major. John served in the RCMP for eight years as a Special Constable. He subsequently worked with the Alberta Forestry Service. John was a member of the PPCLI Association, Korea Veterans Association, RCMP Veterans Association, and the Royal Canadian Legion. He served as a paratrooper and jump instructor, was wounded in Korea in October 1952 and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He also served as Regimental Sergeant Major of the Canadian contingent in Cyprus in 1971 and was active in the PPCLI Association until his passing. He returned to Korea in 1983 and again in 1997, and supported efforts to have the government honour Korean veterans through memorials. John was survived by his sister Dr. Mary H. Richardson of Thunder Bay, ON.

United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observervation Mission. Canadian Contingent

  • PPCLI
  • Corporate body
  • 1991-2003

The United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) was established by the UN Security Council at the end of the Gulf War on April 9, 1991. It was composed of unarmed infantry officers from 42 UN nations. Its purpose was to patrol the demilitarized zone along the Iraq-Kuwait border, deter border violations, and report any hostile action. In 1993 its role was extended to include a peacekeeping force of one infantry battalion from Bangladesh. Its mandate was completed on October 6, 2003. The Canadian contingent of the mission consisted of 4 officers, including Maj Joe Pollock and Capt Bill Lewis, who were Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) members.

Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force. 260th Battalion

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1918-1919

The 260th Battalion was one of two Infantry Battalions within the 16th Canadian Infantry Brigade, Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force (C.S.E.F.), formed by Order of Council 12 August 1918. They were part of an Allied Force of more than 120,000 men commanded by General Kikuzo Otani of Japan. The Allied Force was originally united to protect Allied war materials stockpiled in Russia and to reopen the Eastern Front. This priority later changed to that of rescuing the Czechoslovakian Legion, which was stranded in Siberia by the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. The Russian Revolution of 1917 necessitated the withdrawal of the Tsar's Army from the Eastern Front. This increased pressure on the already exhausted Allies in the West and put military stores at Archangel in the North and Vladivostok in the South at risk. The Czech Brigade, formed by patriotic deserters from the Austro-Hungarian Army, was no longer able to fight from Russian soil. Following the signing of the Brest- Livotsk Treaty between the Bolsheviks and the Central Powers in March 1918, the Czech Legion, now 60,000 strong and composed of pardoned POWs, displaced Serbs, Italians, Rumanians and Poles, found themselves essentially behind enemy lines. With the Provisional Government's blessing, the Legion's initial aim was to cross Siberia by rail to Vladivostok where they would sail to North America and then to France to resume the fight for an independent homeland. Following an incident involving the Czechs and repatriated Hungarian prisoners, the Bolsheviks decreed that any armed Legionnaire found along the railway would be shot on the spot. The Legion was reluctantly drawn into the Russian Civil War and forced to side with the "White" Russians. By late summer 1918 they controlled the Trans-Siberian Railway from Omsk to Vladivostok. This prompted the Allies to consider a possible Bolshevik defeat. The Canadian Government, hoping to establish favorable post-war trading opportunities with the Far East, agreed to be part of a "Mixed Brigade" to support the "White" Russians. This was the first independent military expedition that Canada was to undertake. The Armistice of 11 November 1918 clouded the issues. The Canadian people were reluctant to become involved in further offensive operations, especially in the East. This meant that the C.S.E.F. would serve only as a "stabilizing element". The 260th Battalion was composed of 42 Officers and 984 Other Ranks, 520 of which were drafted under the Military Service Act of 1917. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Jamieson of Edmonton, the Battalion trained at Willows Camp in Victoria from October through December 1918. The Spanish flu epidemic of 1918/19 landed 180 men in hospital and delayed departure. The Battalion finally embarked on the SS Protesliaus at Gordon Head on 26 December 1918, arriving in Vladivostok 15 January 1919. The Battalion was stationed at Gournestai Barracks (10 miles east of Vladivostok), with guards posted at East and Second River Barracks. During the 14 weeks in theatre no shots were fired in anger and, except for small parties of railway guards, the Battalion never moved east. A month after the arrival of the C.S.E.F., plans were underway to bring them home. Many of the men of the 260th were among the first to leave, departing Vladivostok on the SS Monteagle 22 April 1919. When they arrived in Vancouver on the 22nd of June, the wharf that 6 months ago was packed with a cheering populace was now deserted. In 1997 the PPCLI agreed to perpetuate the 260th Battalion and become the official "safekeeper" of the Battalion's heritage. Perpetuation is a uniquely Canadian system that insures, when possible, the deeds and sacrifices of disbanded combat units that have gained an honour or distinction in the field are remembered. The PPCLI will now carry the Battle Honour "Siberia 1918-1919".

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. 3rd Battalion

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1950-

The 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, also known as 3PPCLI, 3 PPCLI, 3VP, and 3 VP, was formed 30 November 1950 as part of the Special Force raised for active service in Korea. The Battalion trained in Wainwright, Camp Borden and Ipperwash, Ontario. It provided reinforcements for both the 1st and 2nd Battalions during their tours in Korea before relieving the 1st Battalion in Korea 11 November 1952. The Battalion fought on "The Hook" and Hill 355 "Little Gibraltar" until ceasefire was read 27 July 1953. The Battalion then moved to Naenjong in the Demilitarized Zone and manned check points there until relieved by the Black Watch in October 1953. The 3rd Battalion was reduced to nil strength on January 8, 1954. It was reformed in April 1970 supplemented by members of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, many of whom rebadged with the Princess Patricia's after their regiment was reduced to one reserve battalion. The 3rd Battalion was presented Colours on 20 November 1971 by the Governor General of Canada and new Colours on March 9, 1993 by the Colonel-In-Chief, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The new Colours were presented in Pacrac, Croatia, the first time that a Canadian Unit was presented with consecrated Colours in an operational theatre during hostilities. The 3rd Battalion was stationed at Work Point Barracks, Esquimalt, British Columbia until 1994 when it moved to Chilliwack, British Columbia, then Griesbach Barracks, Edmonton and then finally to Edmonton Garrison (Namao) in 1997. It served 6 month Peacekeeping tours in Cyprus in 1970-1971, 1975-1976, 1980 and 1988 and in Croatia in 1992-1993. As part of NATO, A and B Companies served in Bosnia between January 1997 and January 1998 and on the United Nations Security Force (SFOR) between February and September 2000. As part of the Afghanistan War, members of the 3rd Battalion served in battle groups in Kandahar and Helmand provinces and in the city of Kabul from 2002 until 2014.

Jubilee Wives' Club

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • ca. 1963-1987

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. 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. It was also known as the Ladies' Auxiliary. 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

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Ladies' Auxiliary

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • ca. 1919-ca. 1964

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

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1914-

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 after Princess Patricia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of the Duke of Connaught, then Governor-General of Canada. PPCLI has been a Canadian permanent force regiment since its founding. Since 1920 it has been based in various locations in western Canada. It participated in two World Wars, the Korean War, the War in Afghanistan, civic crises, Cold War era defence and numerous peacekeeping missions all over the world. During the Korean War the Regiment was increased to 3 Battalions and then cut back to 2 Battalions in 1954. In 1970 it was again increased to 3 Battalions. In the 1990s the three Battalions were based in Edmonton, Alberta and CFB Shilo, Manitoba.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Kit Shop

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • [ca. 1960]-2015

The Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Kit Shop (or Kitshop) has operated since at least the 1960s. It is a retail business operating under the management of PPCLI Regimental Headquarters. It sells clothing and equipment required by soldiers but not officially issued, such as athletic wear, knives, boots, and camping supplies. It also sells souvenir items such as jewelry, baseball caps, and water bottles.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Band

  • ppcli
  • Corporate body
  • 1914-1994

Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry had two bands during the First World War. The Edmonton Pipe Band joined as a unit in August 1914. Pipers played men over the top and then followed as stretcher-bearers. The core of the PPCLI Brass and Reed Band was formed when eligible members of The St. Mary’s Boys Brigade Band joined the 140th New Brunswick Battalion in January 1916. When the 140th was broken up in November 1917, the entire Band joined the PPCLI in the field. Bandmaster (Lance Sergeant) Charles H. Williams was wounded in the front lines near Tilloy, France 28 September 1918 and later died. His brother, Sergeant Harold H. (Pete) Williams took over as Bandmaster for the duration of the war. Both bands provided music during route marches, burials and rest periods. The PPCLI Band performed one of its last official duties on 27 February 1919 when they played at Princess Patricia’s wedding. When the Permanent Force was established in 1919, the PPCLI Military Band was reformed. Under the guidance of Captain Tommy James, it was stationed at Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg during the 1920s and 30s. It played as many as 50 free concerts a year and was broadcast across Canada. In ca.1935 the PPCLI Bugle Band was formed and then a Dance Band was formed ca.1937. When Captain James retired in 1939, Warrant Officer Al Streeter took over as Director of Music. After the outbreak of Second World War, 15 younger members of the PPCLI Military Band volunteered for active duty and it was disbanded late in 1939. Warrant Officer Streeter arrived in England in 1941 to lead the 1st Canadian Divisional Band, which was largely made up of former PPCLI Bandsmen. The PPCLI Band was reactivated after the war and was established at Wainwright, Alberta. Enlistment was slow and recruitment took place in England and Holland. In 1951, the Band numbered 20 members, but by late 1953 it reached its authorized strength of 55 musicians. It performed in marching formation for ceremonies, and also as a stage band. it recorded a number of commercial albums. Due to budget cuts in 1994, the Concert Band was officially disbanded and reduced to a Corps of Drums.

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