Popski's Private Army
Preserved but no longer current.
A British volunteer force in World War II operating under the orders of Lieut.-Col. Pemakoff in a series of daring and highly successful raids in North Africa and Southern Europe The Colonel was familiarly known as "Popski" and his irregular forces wore the initials P. P. A. on their shoulders, much to the chagrin of conservative military circles.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Popski's Private Army” mean?
A British volunteer force in World War II operating under the orders of Lieut.-Col. Pemakoff in a series of daring and highly successful raids in North Africa and Southern Europe The Colonel was familiarly known as "Popski" and his irregular forces wore the initials P. P. A. on their shoulders, much to the chagrin of conservative military circles.
Is “Popski's Private Army” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.