The 205th (Tiger) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...

during the First World War. Established in late 1915, it was stationed in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...

and began recruiting toward the end of February 1916. In late 1916, the unit was redesignated a machine gun battalion, but a few months later, in April 1917, the 205th (Tiger) Battalion was broken up for drafts. One company (250 men) was transferred to the 164th (Halton and Dufferin) Battalion, CEF, which was recruiting in nearby

Halton County Halton County is a former county in the Canadian province of Ontario, with an area of . It is also one of the oldest counties in Canada. History Halton County is named after Major William Mathew Halton (1746-1823), a British Army officer, who ...

. The unit continued to exist as the 205th Machine Gun Depot and then the 205th Machine Gun School. The 205th (Tiger) Battalion, CEF, also referred to as the Sportsmen's Battalion, was named in honour of the

Hamilton Tigers The Hamilton Tigers were a professional ice hockey team based in Hamilton, Ontario. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1920 to 1925. The Tigers were formed by the sale of the Quebec Bulldogs NHL franchise to Hamilton intere ...

athletic club, one of the oldest athletic clubs in the city at that time. Many of the early recruits were local athletes, the most notable being the Olympic medalist Robert Kerr. The 205th Battalion is perpetuated by

The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) (RHLI) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, based at John Weir Foote VC Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario. The RHLI is part of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, which is part of 4 ...

. One member of the battalion was George Malcolm (Snooze) Ireland who was a member of the 1915 Grey Cup Team. When World War I ended Ireland was the captain of the Hamilton Tigers 1919 Team. During the war, no Grey Cup games were played including 1919.

External links

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Nominal Roll of the 205th (Tiger) Battalion, CEF
Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)