231st Battalion CEF Tug of War Team at Hastings Park, Vancouver, December 1917. The attached newspaper clipping states that the 72nd Battalion Team was the Champions of the British Army. It is assumed that most of the members had previously served in the 231st Battalion. Photo 2379 From the Regimental History: "July 20, 1917 - 72nd Tug of War team went to Paris to compete in sports and won the championship of the Allied Armies". "Tug-of-War Champions of the British Army" Members of the 72nd Battalion, formerly the 231st, now "Somewhere in France" have won the tug-of-war championship of the British Army. The squad while here was trained by Company Q.M.S. A. Gammie, now attached to local headquarters of the 72nd Highland Regiment. Gammie's CEF service file attached. Those in the above group, reading from left to right are: Back row: L. Col. W. Stuart, Pte A. E. Pullinger, Pte. J. McWilliams, Sergt. C. E. Batzold, Pte. S. Pullinger, Sergt. A. D. Happer, L/Cpl. I. A. Russell, Pte. J. B. Flint, L/Cpl. W. Smith, Pte. R. S. Douglass; Front row: Major E. J. H. Cardinal, Lieut.-Col. F. E. Leach, Coy Q.M.S. A. Gammie. From the 231st embarkation roll: Batzold, Charles. Ernest, Plat. Sjt., #1015340 Cardinal, Edward John H., Major Douglass, Robert Samuel, Pte, #1015241 Flint, John Baldwin., Pte, 1015914 Gammie, Alexander, CQMS, #1015007 Happer, Alexander Daniel, A/Sjt, #1015243 Leach, Francis Easton, Lt.-Col. McWilliams, John, Pte, #1015276 Pullinger, Albert Earnest, Pte, #1015134 Pullinger, Stephen, Pte, #1015133 Russell, Isaac Allen, A/L/Cpl, #1015280 Smith, William, L/Cpl, #1015144 Stuart, William, Cpl, #1015145 From CEF Study Group I spotted this in the Vancouver Daily Province, September 6, 1917 edition. The caption (with corrections for initials from the 231st roll) reads: Tug-of-War Champions of the British Army Members of the 72nd Battalion, formerly the 231st, now "Somewhere in France" have won the tug-of-war championship of the British Army. The squad while here was trained by Coy. Q.M.S. A. Gammie, now attached to local headquarters of the 72nd Highland Regiment. Those in the above group, reading from left to right are: Back row-- L. Col. W. Stuart, Private A. E. Pullinger, Pte. J. McWilliams, Sergt. C. E. Batzold, Pte. S. Pullinger, Sergt. A. D. Happer, L. Cpl. I. A. Russell, Pte. J. B. Flint, L. Cpl. W. Smith, Pte. R. S. Douglass; front row Major E. J. H. Cardinal, Lieut.-Col. F. E. Leach, Coy Q.M.S. A. Gammie From the 231st embarkation roll: Batzold, Charles. Ernest, Plat. Sjt., #1015340 Cardinal, Edward John H., Major Douglass, Robert Samuel, Pte, #1015241 Flint, John Baldwin., Pte, 1015914 Gammie, Alexander, CQMS, #1015007 Happer, Alexander Daniel, A/Sjt, #1015243 Leach, Francis Easton, Lt.-Col. McWilliams, John, Pte, #1015276 Pullinger, Albert Earnest, Pte, #1015134 Pullinger, Stephen, Pte, #1015133 Russell, Isaac Allen, A/L/Cpl, #1015280 Smith, William, L/Cpl, #1015144 Stuart, William, Cpl, #1015145