Lieutenant-Colonel Phil Strickland
Highland Light Infantry of Canada

Later, on the 12th October, at Driewegen … Lieutenant Colonel Philip Wheaton Strickland again led his battalion with great courage and determination against a strongly held German position which threatened to delay the advance of 9 Canadian Infantry Brigade.

(D.S.O. citation, 27 Nov 1944)

Born on 9 April 1913 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Philip Wheaton Strickland was a manufacturing executive in Chatham, Ontario, having graduated the University of Saskatchewan with a law degree and attended Columbia University. He mobilized with the Highland Light Infantry in 1940 serving as intelligence officer but soon qualified for staff officer duties. He served with First Canadian Army until the early phase of the Normandy campaign when he was appointed brigade major with 9th Infantry Brigade.

His predecessor Major Nicol Kingsmill had been promoted to command the HLI after the wounding of Lieutenant-Colonel F.M. Griffiths at Caen in July 1944. Three months later, in October, Strickland succeeded Kingsmill again this time as commanding officer of the HLI. “This is good news to all who know Major Strickland,” the battalion war diary recorded. “His work as BM at 9 CIB is well known by all and we are happy to have Major Strickland back as C.O. of the unit.”

He was thrown into action almost immediately and within days would earn the Distinguished Service Order leading “his battalion with such coolness, courage and determination”:

On the 11th October at Biervliet … the Highland Light Infantry of Canada was practically surrounded by the enemy who had countered attacked on both flanks and over-ran one of the forward platoons … Lieutenant Colonel Philip Wheaton Strickland moved around his unit continually, showing complete disregard for enemy fire, re-organizing company positions and directing counter attacks. His coolness and determination were an inspiration to all his officers and men and were responsible for the position being held against the numerous enemy counter attacks.

In April 1945, he relinquished command to Major R.D. Hodgins to become GSO 1 for 3rd Canadian Division. After the end of the war in Europe, Strickland volunteered for the Pacific theatre and was assigned to command the PPCLI, before the Japanese surrender in August 1945. He retired from the army at the rank of brigadier in 1951.

In civilian life, served as city councillor in Ottawa in the late 1950s and resumed his executive career as a vice president with Maple Leaf Mills. He died in Orillia, Ontario on 16 April 1988.