Talk:Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

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Why does it say 'name of unit' at the top?

It doesn't any more, apparently Mike 05:32, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

Added George Mullin and Hugh McKenzie as VC recipients, and added location where VC was earned for each winner. This comes after fact checking the statement under History | Victoria Cross (which I consolidated into a previous heading for Victoria Cross recipients):

During the battles around Passchendaele on the 30th of October, 1917 two members of the Regiment won the Victoria Cross for gallantry. Another Victoria Cross was won at Parvillers in August, 1918.

The Victoria Cross Reference site lists 9 men who won the VC at Passchendaele, but only one, George Mullin, was of PPCLI; McKenzie isn't listed. However, CanadianSoldiers.com does list him as PPCLI, but he was KIA, and Victoria Cross Reference says that the VC was not generally awarded to men who were killed during the action for which they might have won the medal, at least not until 1920, although some awards were made retroactively. So, is he an "official" VC winner, or not? He must have been, since in McKenzie's bio article (which pre-existed the change I've made here) his medal is written about as being on public display. But another anomaly is that in McKenzie's WP article he is not described as being with PPCLI (but was of Canadian Machine Gun Corps), aand that his bio was "migrated" from Victoria Cross Reference, which no longer lists him. Perhaps someone else can clear up the confusion. Mike 05:32, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cold War

I have moved the following from the article, as comments belong on the talk page. I don't know who originally added it to the article, but it looks like it has been there for some time.

A section needs to be added here with regards to PPCLI operations through the Cold War, and in peacekeeping roles, especially in Yugoslavia. A note on the Battle of the Medak Pocket would be very useful, especially since the link Operation Medak pocket has been NPOV bullied by a Croatian contributor. (This can be found at Canadian version of OMBbattle)

Indefatigable 18:45, 11 March 2006 (UTC)

Not any more - I've deleted that as a needless fork. I've also rewritten the main Operation Medak pocket to whip it into shape, including a more concise version of the PPCLI episode (which although important was really a sideshow in the course of the operation as a whole). -- ChrisO 19:15, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Regimental song in popular culture?

I wonder if it would be appropriate to expand upon the use of the regiment's song in other contexts? To explain how I came here, my young son returned recently from camping in Wales and brought back a version of this song. I was puzzled by the words and it seemed to me that there must be a story behind them. I found this page which discusses the song and its roots in the regiment and then found this Wikipedia entry. While I understand that people close to the regiment might feel aggrieved that their song has been appropriated by youngsters on camping trips, it is surely interesting that a Canadian infantry marching song should find its way to a campfire in Wales.

The lyrics my son came back with are rather different from those on the page here. I hesitate to submit them, but having come this far I will take the risk:

Oh the Princess Pat

Lived in a tree

She sailed across

The Seven Seas

She sailed across

The Channel too

And she took with her

A Rick-a-bam-boo

A Rick-a-bam-boo

Now what is that?

It's something made

By the Princess Pat

It's red and gold

And purple too

That's why it's called

A Rick-a-bam-boo

Now Captain Jack

Had a mighty fine crew

He sailed across

The Channel too

But his ship sank

And yours will too

If you don't take

A Rick-a-bam-boo

Now the Princess Pat

She dived right in

And pulled him back

And his crew too

She saved his life

And his crew too

Because she took with her

A Rick-a-bam-boo

There are various versions of this song on the web, but this is the one dictated to me by my ten-year-old.

Coconino 18:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

It may very well have been appropriated first by a Canadian who heard it or was familiar with it. A former girlfriend of mine I believe had it in her Girl Guides of Canada songbook, and given the international nature of the Scouting/Guiding movement, it is not surprising that certain songs (especially with simple tunes and nonsensical words) would make the rounds. That happens to a ,lot of songs: The abolitionist song "John Brown's Body Lies A-Moulderin' In The Grave" became "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" on the one hand and "John Brown's Body Had A Cold Upon His Chest" on the other. Many United States Army "jody calls" find their way into Canadian and other cadet corps, sometimes but not always bowdlerized. So no, I am not surprised to hear a bowlerized version of "Ric-A-Dam-Doo" sung in Wales.

As for including it here, it may be sufficient to state that parodies or whatnot do exist, as sung by guides/scouts/whatever, and one or two links to the pertinent sites. --SigPig 05:44, 20 August 2006 (UTC)