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PPCLI; Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia handcrafted and presented to the Regiment a Camp Colour to be displayed wherever the Regiment was located. It was affectionately known as the "Ric-A-Dam-Doo" ("Cloth of Thy Mother" in Gaelic).

PPCLI stood alongside 3RAR at Kapyong  in Korea and both were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation, later renamed to the Presidential Unit Citation. The US Company A, 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion were also decorated.
The Colours, historically and symbolically, represent the heart and spirit of the Regiment. On the Regimental Colour are carried the battle honours of the Regiment, which recall past deeds and services. The Colours, emblazoned with distinctions for gallant service create a feeling of pride and loyalty in the soldier and most certainly in the hearts of all Patricias.

The Original Colour, The Ric-a-Dam-Doo,  was hand-made by Princess Patricia and presented to the Regiment on the 23th of August, 1914. As it was a camp colour, it was carried in action by the Regiment throughout the First World War. On 28 January 1919, it was formally consecrated and became the Regimental Colour.

A replica of the Original Colour and silk Union Jack as a King's Colour were presented in 1922 and were laid up in 1934 in All Saint's Church, Winnipeg, when officially approved Regimental and King's Colours were presented.

These new Colours, of which the Regimental Colour bore ten battle honours from the First World War, were carried by the Regiment and subsequently First Battalion until 1959, when they were laid up in St. Paul's Church, Esquimalt.

Colours were first presented to the Second Battalion in 1953 and new Colours were presented to First Battalion in 1959.

 These new Regimental Colours bore the twenty-two major battle honours of both World Wars and Korea.
Kapyong The 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, has a unique distinction. This battalion received the Distinguished Unit Citation from the President of the United States to recognize its stand near Kapyong, Korea, in April 1951. Equating to a battle honour, the Citation is represented by a streamer four feet in length and two and three-quarter inches in width, bearing the name of the action, attached to the pike of the regimental Colour (see above). The use of this streamer in accordance with American practice was authorized by King George VI. In addition to the streamer, the Presidential Citation is also worn on the uniform. It is a small royal blue bar with gold trim (see above). Although battle honours are awarded on a regimental basis, and the whole of the PPCLI carries Kapyong on its colours, the distinction of bearing this streamer belongs to 2 PPCLI alone (in Canada), and is carried on the Battalion's Regimental Colour. The badge is also unique, in the Canadian military, to 2PPCLI.

Distinguished Unit Citation

The Distinguished Unit Citation was redesignated the Presidential Unit Citation (Army)  3 November 1966.

3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (23 and 24 April 1951) 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (24 and 25 April 1951) Company A, 72d Heavy Tank Battalion (United States) (24 and 25 April 1951)

The above units are cited for extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of combat duties in action against the armed enemy near Kapyong, Korea, on the dates indicated. The enemy had broken through the main line of resistance and penetrated to the area north of Kapyong. The units listed above were deployed to stem the assault. The 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment moved to the right flank of the sector and took up defensive positions north of the Pukhon River. The 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, defended in the vicinity of Hill 677 on the left flank. Company A, 72d Heavy Tank Battalion, supported all units to the full extent of its capacity and, in addition, kept the main roads open and assisted in evacuating the wounded. Troops from a retreating division passed through the sector which enabled enemy troops to infiltrate with the withdrawing forces. The enemy attacked savagely under the clangour of bugles and trumpets. The forward elements were completely surrounded going through the first day and into the second. Again and again the enemy threw waves of troops at the outer defences, but each time the courageous, indomitable, and determined soldiers repulsed the fanatical attacks. Ammunition ran low and there was no time for food. Critical supplies were dropped by air to the encircled troops, and they stood their ground in resolute defiance of the enemy. With serene and indefatigable persistence, the gallant soldiers held their defensive positions and took heavy toll of the enemy. In some instances when the enemy penetrated the defences, the commanders directed friendly artillery fire on their own positions in repelling the thrusts. Toward the close of 25 April, the enemy break-through had been stopped. The seriousness of the break-through on the central front had been changed from defeat to victory by the gallant stand of these heroic and courageous soldiers. The 3d Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; 2d Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; and Company A, 72d Heavy Tank Battalion, displayed such gallantry, determination, and esprit-de-corps in accomplishing their missions under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set them apart and above other units participating in the campaign, and by their achievements they brought distinguished credit on themselves, their homelands, and all freedom loving nations.

The Ric A Dam Doo

"Princess Patricia, after consenting to the use of her name by the Regiment, made a "camp" color of her own design and which incorporated her personal cipher. This color was presented to the Regiment on 23 August, 1914 at a parade in Landsdowne Park, Ottawa. On 28 January, 1919 it was consecrated as the PPCLI Regimental Color. The Color is commonly referred to as the RIC-A-DAM-DOO (gaelic for "cloth of thy mother") and is now located in The Hall of Honor in the Regimental Museum within the Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At a farewell parade at Bramshot, England, on the 21 February, 1919 Princess Patricia decorated her Color with a wreath of laurel in silver gilt (known as the "Wreath of Immortelles").

The Ric-A-Dam-Doo is a song written about the PPCLI. All  was written about the Regiment in WW1.The song is about their Regimental Colours (called "the Ric-A-Dam-Doo") which were actually handmade by Princess Patricia of Connaught herself, granddaughter to Queen Victoria, daughter of our (then) Governor General and Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment. It regales the exploits of the Regiment since it's inception.

  1. The Princess Pat's Battalion
  2. They sailed across the Herring Pond,
  3. They sailed across the Channel too,
  4. And landed there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo
  5. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  6.  
  7. The Princess Pat's Battalion Scouts
  8. They never knew their whereabouts.
  9. If there's a pub within a mile or two,
  10. You'll find them there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  11. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  12.  
  13. The Lewis Guns are always true
  14. To every call of the Ric-A-Dam-Doo.
  15. They're always there with a burst or two
  16. Whenever they see the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  17. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  18.  
  19. The Bombers of the Princess Pat's
  20. Are scared of naught, excepting rats,
  21. They're full of pep and dynamite too,
  22. They'd never lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  23. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  24.  
  25. The Transport of the Princess Pat's
  26. Are all dressed up in Stetson hats.
  27. They shine their brass and limbers too
  28. I believe they'd shine the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  29. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  30.  
  31. Old Number Three, our company
  32. We must fall in ten times a day.
  33. If we fell out 'twould never do
  34. For then we’d lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  35. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  36.  
  37. Old Charlie S., our Major dear,
  38. Who always buys us rum and beer,
  39. If there's a trench in a mile or two
  40. You'll find him there with the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  41. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  42.  
  43. Old Ackity-Ack, our Colonel grand,
  44. The leader of this noble band,
  45. He'd go to Hell and charge right through
  46. Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  47. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  48.  
  49. Old Hammy Gault, our first PP,
  50. He led this band across the sea,
  51. He'd lose an arm, or leg or two
  52. Before he'd lose the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  53. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  54.  
  55. The Ric-A-Dam-Doo, pray what is that?
  56. 'Twas made at home by Princess Pat,
  57. It's Red and Gold and Royal Blue,
  58. That's what we call the Ric-A-Dam-Doo,
  59. Dam-Doo, Dam-Doo.
  • The Herring Pond is the Atlantic Ocean
  • The Channel is the English Channel
  • Bombers are Grenade Throwers
  • Scouts are used for reconnaissance and information-gathering behind enemy lines
  • A Lewis Gun is a light machine gun
  • The Transport Troops wear Stetsons because the wagons were horse-drawn in WWI
  • Charlie S. is Major Charles Stewart who commanded No 3 Company on 1916
  • Ackity-Ack refers to Lieutenant-Colonel A.S.A.M. Adamson, the regiment’s commanding officer during the Battle for Vimy Ridge.
  • Hammy Gault is Hamilton Gault of Montreal who created the regiment, and equipped it at his own expense, for overseas service during WWI.
 

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