World War II

The Patricia's were mobilized for active service on the 1st of September, 1939. Recruited in Winnipeg and Vancouver Island, the Battalion was brought up to strength in October and concentrated in Winnipeg under the command of L.Col W.G. Colquhoun, MC. The Regiment sailed from Halifax on the 21st of December, 1939 in the steamship ORAMA as part of the 1 st Canadian Infantry Division.

On arrival in Scotland, the Regiment moved to Aldershot Command and spent New Year's Eve in Cove, England. Immediately upon arrival in England, L.Col Colquhoun reported to the Colonel-in Chief at Bagshot Park. On the 10th of February, 1940, the Colonel-in-Chief inspected her Regiment for the first time in twenty-one years.

The Regiment spent three years in the United Kingdom, most of which was spent in coastal defence and training in various parts of the country.

On 10 July, 1943 the PPCLI, forming part of the 1 st Canadian Infantry Division and the 8th Army, landed in Sicily. After the short Sicilian campaign, the Regiment landed and fought in Italy from September, 1943 to March, 1945.

In March 1945, the Regiment was transferred to North West Europe where they participated in the liberation of Holland. On the 7th of May, 1945 the Regiment was the first Allied force to enter Amsterdam.

Victory in Europe found the Battalion in Holland. The Regiment fought throughout World War II as part of the 2nd Brigade with its old friends, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (formerly 49th Battalion) and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada from Vancouver.

On the 1st of June, 1945 a new battalion of the Regiment was authorized to form part the Canadian Pacific Force in the campaign against Japan. Its official designation was 1 st Canadian Infantry Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, 2nd Canadian Infantry Regiment. The Battalion assembled at Camp Shilo and then moved to Camp MacDonald (both in Manitoba) for training. After the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs and Japan's subsequent surrender on the15th of August, 1945 the Pacific Force was disbanded. Until a decision was reached to form a Permanent Force, the holding establishment was named the "Interim Force". Due to this change, the new battalion was redesignated on the 2nd of September, 1945 as 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Canadian Infantry Corps.

In the meantime, the Regiment's serving battalion in Europe, very much understrength, returned to Winnipeg in October, 1945 and was demobilized.

During over two years in battles throughout Europe, members of the Regiment won 8 Distinguished service orders, 12 military crosses, 2 MBE's (Member of the British Empire), and 6 Distinguished Conduct Medals. Thirty-five individuals were also mentioned in Despatches.

In December of 1943, the PPCLI was advancing towards the Italian city of Ortona. Before this objective could be met, the Moro River had to first be secured. The Canadian plan was to cross the river under cover of darkness and have the RCR and Seaforth Highlanders seize the town of San Leonardo while the Patricias took the town of Villa Rogatti.

At 0000 hrs on the 6th of December, the PPCLI quietly crossed the Moro and crept towards Villa Rogatti. The town was occupied by the 200th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, who immediately opened fire once the advancing Patricias were spotted. Surprise was nevertheless achieved and many Germans were engaged while emerging from their beds. After four hours of steady house to house fighting, the Patricias reached the centre of town. At first light the PPCLI was in firm control of Villa Rogatti.

Defensive positions were prepared for the inevitable German counter-attacks. With the support of British Armour, the PPCLI repulsed five German attacks. By 1530 on December 6, the enemy counter-attacks had subsided. In the battle for Villa Rogatti five German tanks were destroyed, more than 100 enemy troops were killed and 40 were taken prisoner. This came at a cost of eight Patricias killed, 52 wounded and seven taken prisoner. It was a heavy day of fighting for the PPCLI, and the city of Ortona still lay ahead.

Leonforte

On 20 July 1944, the PPCLI launched an attack on the mountainous Sicilian town of Leonforte. A town of 20,000 inhabitants, it was one of the first large cities the Patricia's were to encounter during its drive across Sicily. It was hoped that the Germans would withdraw as soon as the Canadians entered the town. That was not to be the case. This battle would prove to be the first true test for the PPCLI in World War II.

The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada led the initial assault, however they were quickly bogged down due to enemy resistance and inaccurate friendly fire. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment was thrown into the battle next on the 21st, but they too were held up by fierce German resistance, the first time the Wehrmacht fought against the Canadians in Sicily. The Germans quickly cut off the Loyal Eddies after a rapid nighttime counterattack. Surrounded by German troops, tanks and artillery pieces, the Loyal Eddies hung on. Early on the morning of the 23rd a relief effort was mounted by C Company of the PPCLI, supported by only four tanks, and assorted smaller calibre anti-tank weapons. At dawn, after a short artillery preparation, the Patricia's launched their attack. By the time the Germans had woken up, the PPCLI were upon them, driving all the way into the center of town. By then the Germans had mounted an effective counter-attack, which the PPCLI beat back. However, by then the Patricia's were too exhausted to continue on. A and B Companies were brought up to reinforce the line alongside C Company. Despite the fact that the Germans held the high ground along the far edge of Leonforte, small groups of Patricia's were able to shoot, grenade and bayonet the enemy out of their positions. Late in the day on the 23rd of July the Germans began to withdraw, leaving the town in the hands of the Patricia's.

Thirteen Patricia's were killed and nine wounded in the fight for Leonforte, which would later become the second of four Battle Honours earned by the PPCLI in Sicily.

"The Summer of 1944"

The summer of 1944 was one of rest and recovery for the PPCLI in Italy. After the fierce battles of the Ortona and the Liri Valley in the spring of 1944, the Patricia's were in need of rest, as their numbers were thinned out, and the troops exhausted. At the beginning of June, the 1st Canadian Division was pulled off the front line, on their way to a two-month break. Much of the summer was spent encamped south of Cassino in sunny Tuscany, it's luxuriant vineyards untouched by the war. The cool nights and clear air had given soothing relief from the heat of the Italian midday sun. There was now time for the Patricia's to rest, eat good food, get steady mail from home, and absorb what few reinforcements came their way. Most of the new men coming from Canada were not going to Italy, but were being sent to the Canadian Army in Normandy. Eventually, there would be too few new men to replace those killed or taken from their units for long periods of recuperation. But that problem was not apparent as long as the Patricia's remained far from the front.

In late August 1944, the Patricia's returned to the Adriatic Coast, a move no one was happy about. When they returned to the heat and humidity of the coastal plain, the lack of sanitation, the mosquitoes, the bad water, and the sheer heat of the midday sun began to take a high toll in sick and exhausted men. And once they entered combat again, as they would shortly do, the lack of reinforcements meant that the wounded men would return to their combat units again and again, increasing further the risk of battle exhaustion. However, it was necessary to continue the offensive, driving the Germans north through Italy. "Operation Olive", a two-pronged attack designed to smash the right anchor of the Gothic Line, began on 25 August 1944. The objective was to cross the Metauro River and drive north into the Po River Valley, beyond the Gothic Line, clearing the Germans from the northern Apennines. This attack would be a successful surprise against the now worn-out German Army. While the Canadians had been able to rotate their troops through the front lines, the Germans had been in constant battle since September 1943, when the Allied forces first landed on the mainland of Italy.

OPERATION CANNON SHOT

April 10, 1945 the German army is in full retreat before the onslaught of the allies. The Canadians are sweeping through Holland, pushing towards Germany. The Canadians had liberated Holland but now they had another task. The PPCLI, comprised of many veterans of the Italian campaign, were to participate in the crossing of river Ijassel. Called Operation "CANNON SHOT" this would be the last river crossing by the allies before entering the Rhineland. At 0800 hrs, LCol Clark receives final orders for the operation. With the recces done and the plans firmed up there is nothing to do but wait for ideal conditions. The river, about 100 yards across will be traversed with Buffalos, an amphibious troop carrier, under artillery support, with a barrage of HE then smoke. The plan calls for a feint up river by the second army corps, tricking the enemy into thinking the Canadians are heading for Groningen in Northeast Germany. Finally, on April 11 at 1000, Operation CANNON SHOT is on. By 1430, Able, Baker, Charlie and Dog companies are loaded up in the Buffalos. H hour is 1630 and within minutes of this timing the first elements of the PPCLI are across the river. The enemy hardly reacts to the attack. Only a few scattered shells fall. The enemy has been thoroughly duped by the feint. By April 11 at 1720 hrs, the position is reported as "snug" by Capt C S Frost. With the crossing of the Ijassel, the allies could now put additional pressure on the Germans from the North. With the Russians pressing from the East and the Americans and British from the West, it is only a matter of a time before Nazi Germany collapses.

The Yssel River

When the PPCLI crossed the Yssel River on 11 April 1945, the Liberation of Western Holland from German occupation was imminent. The factors surrounding this were varied and complex. The Southern portion of the Netherlands had been liberated since September 1944.

Part of the reason it took so long to liberate it was that the winter of 1944-45 was the most fridged, hard winter the Netherlands had seen for years. It was commonly referred to as the "Hunger Winter". It was responsible for thousands deaths by freezing or starvation. This weather prevented further movement of the Allied forces keeping them south of Holland's major rivers. The Allies were waiting this winter out to begin liberation.

Less than a week after crossing the Yssel River the PPCLI were able to capture the village of Oosterhuizen on 16 April 1945. It was a crucial time for the Allies as the Patricias were the first to cross the rivers in Southern Holland and this was the first of many victories that ultimately led to the liberation of the tiny coastal nation.

"Sweetbriar Was Nothing Like This."

At the end of World War Two the Canadian Government made huge cuts in the defence budget. The PPCLI were again one of the three infantry battalions to become part of the Permanent Force. At this time the CO of the Patricias was LCol Cameron Ware, DSO. He was determined not to let the battalion become a garrison army but had them focus on Arctic and cold weather training. This focus became part of the Regimental training in the years to come. Whenever the opportunity came the Patricias returned to the North to train and gain a thorough knowledge of how men and gear would stand up to Arctic conditions.

This training in the North paid off for in 1948 the PPCLI was selected as the first Active Force Regiment to convert to the airborne role and become an integrated part of the Mobile Striking Force. All this training culminated in the American/Canadian exercise known as "Sweetbrier." Some 5000 troops involved in Alaska and the Yukon in January and February 1950 for exercise Sweetbrier to attempt to reproduce battle conditions on a major scale in the far north. Perhaps the greatest significance of Sweetbriar to the Regimental History is the animosity it caused between the 1st battalion and the 2nd battalion on their handover in Korea. This culminated in the song "Sweetbriar Was Nothing Like This."

SERGEANT TOMMY PRINCE MM

Thomas George Prince was one of 11 children born to Henry and Arabella Prince of the Brokenhead Band at Scanterbury, Manitoba. He was a descendant of Peguis, the Saulteaux Chief who led his band of 200 Ojibwa from the Sault Ste. Marie region to the Red River in the 1790s, and of Chief William Prince, who headed the Ojibwa-Manitoba team of Nile Voyageurs.

SGT Tommy Prince MMPrince enlisted in June 1940, at the age of 24, and began his wartime service as a sapper with the Royal Canadian Engineers. After two years with the RCE, he answered a call for paratrooper volunteers, and by lat 1942, was training with the 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion. Soon after Prince joined this select battalion, it merged with an elite American unit, forming a spearhead of 1,600 men who possessed an assortment of specialist skills. Officially called the 1st Special Service Force, it would become known to German soldiers as the Devil's Brigade. Originally, this force was intended to be a parachute unit that would land behind enemy lines and sabotage their installations. Instead, it became a versatile assault group with a reputation for specialized reconnaissance and raiding. Prince was well-suited to be a member.

On February 8, 1944, near Littoria, Italy, Reconnaissance Sergeant Prince was spying on the Germans. An abandoned farmhouse some 200 meters from the enemy served as his observation post, and 1,400 metres of telephone wire connected him to the force. He had a clear view of the enemy's artillery emplacements and promptly reported them.

During what would become a 24-hour solo watch, Prince's communication line was severed by shelling. Unfazed, the sergeant donned civilian clothing, grabbed a hoe and, in full view of German soldiers, acted like a farmer weeding his crops. He slowly inched his way along the line till he found where it was damaged, then, pretending to tie his shoelaces, quickly rejoined the wires. His reporting continued and so did the damage to enemy artillery posts. In all, four German positions were destroyed, and Prince had earned the MM. As his citation explains, "Sergeant Prince's courage and utter disregard for personal safety were an inspiration to his fellows and a marked credit to his unit."

Six months later, the Devil's Brigade entered southern France. On September 1, Sergeant Prince and a private, scouting deep behind German lines near L'Escarene, located the gun sites and encampment area of an enemy reserve battalion. Prince walked 70 kilometres across the rugged, mountainous terrain to report the information and led the brigade to the encampment. He then joined in the battle.

Afterward, Prince was recommended for the Silver Star, an American army decoration for gallantry in action. His citation was glowing: So accurate was the report rendered by the patrol that Sergeant Prince's regiment moved forward on 5 September 1944, occupied new heights and successfully wiped out the enemy bivouac (encampment) area. The keen sense of responsibility and devotion to duty displayed by Sergeant Prince is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the Allied Nations.

US Silver StarWhen the fighting in Southern France was over, Prince was summoned to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI decorated him with both the MM and, on behalf of the president of the United States, the Silver Star with ribbon. Tommy Prince was one of 59 Canadians who were awarded the Silver Star during the Second World War. Only three of this group also possessed the MM.

In December 1944, the Devil's Brigade was disbanded, and its members were scattered among other battalions. The war in Europe ended while Prince was back in England.

316 members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were killed in action during World War II.

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