The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry is one of three Permanent Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army.
Library and Archives Canada Blog
This is the official blog of Library and Archives Canada (LAC).
The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry is one of three Permanent Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army.
Library and Archives Canada Blog 
Congratulations on the timely posting of the PPCLI pictures on Flickr. The arrangement of the images is somewhat more logical than in many of the earlier Flickr albums. It is unfortunate that whoever created the album was not able to correct or improve some of the original captions. In Image 17 the strange rank of “Lieutenant-Corporal” is probably a result of the mis-reading of the photographer’s notes. In Images 3 and 4 the description of the troops marching “in regimental colours” is puzzling to say the least. The French captions for these images give a better description of the scene.
As it seems that no one has had a chance to make any corrections in the captions for this album, may I make a few more suggestions and comments?
Princess Patricia created a flag for the regiment named after her and she presented it to the regiment in August 1914. This flag accompanied the regiment throughout the war and can be seen in images 1, 3, 4 and 6 of the album. In January it was formally consecrated as the regimental colour. The following month, just a few days before her wedding, Princess Patricia presented the regiment with a silver laurel wreath, on which was inscribed “TO THE PPCLI FROM THEIR COLONEL-IN-CHIEF PATRICIA IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR HEROIC SERVICE IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918.” This wreath was affixed to the head of the pike of the regimental colour. This is the ceremony shown in the first picture in the album.
In Image 7 rather than “Commanding officers….” the caption should read “Lt. Col. Agar Adamson (centre) commanding officer of the regiment, with two other officers…..” A unit only has one commanding officer at a time.
In the captions for Images 2 and 4 it would be best to omit “former” which implies that the soldiers whose grave markers are seen in the pictures had transferred to another unit before their deaths.
L.H. MacWilliam in Image 17 was a Lance Corporal.
I am glad to see that you have been able to edit a couple of the captions in this album. I hope that you can soon make a few more corrections..
Please substitute “with the regimental colour” for “in regimental colours.” The regimental colour is a flag.
There is no such rank as Lieutenant-Corporal. L.H. MacWilliam was a Lance-Corporal.
Two more captions slightly changed, but you have missed the point. They should read “with the regimental colour” not “with regimental colours.” The French captions are correct. The regimental colour was a flag. It can be seen in images 1, 3, 4 and 6 of the album. In the first picture in the album Princess Patricia has just fixed a silver laurel wreath on the pike of the regimental colour, which she had made for the regimental in August 1914.
Also, please give L.H. MacWilliam his correct rank.
Glad to see that L.H. MacWilliam has been given his correct rank. Now just the captions for images 3, 4 and 7 to be corrected – one regimental colour and one commanding officer.