The Patricias; the proud history of a fighting regiment
David J. Bercuson

The Patricias: The Proud History of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 1914-2000.

In the early days of World War I, Hamilton Gault of Montreal funded the raising of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, named after Princess Patricia of Connaught, who hand-made the camp colour and lent her name to the new regiment. Over the course of the war, the Patricias, as they came to be known, fought valiantly and suffered great loss. From the blood-soaked trenches of Ypres Salient to the hard-fought battle of Vimy Ridge, the Patricias earned the respect of the world’s armies, and started a tradition that would last into the next century. In World War II, the Patricias were instrumental in Canada’s storied wins in the battles of Sicily and the Hitler and Gothic lines, and they participated in the liberation of Holland. Later, the regiment battled proudly in the Korean War. More recently, the Patricias, as peacekeepers, were cited by the United Nations for facing off against the Croation army in Yugoslavia and coming under enemy fire. David Bercuson, with the assistance of the men who fought in some of Canada’s most famous battles, has captured the spirit of this great military institution in this magnificent volume. From the battlefields of World War I to recent peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, The Patricias is a wonderful tribute to our nation’s most celebrated soldiers.