Dave Gillespie (Australian footballer)

David Francis Gillespie (14 December 1887 — 27 March 1917) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and with Brunswick in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). After being severely injured in World War I, he was repatriated to Australia and, later, died of his wounds.

Dave Gillespie
Personal information
Full name David Francis Gillespie
Date of birth (1887-12-14)14 December 1887
Place of birth Parkville, Victoria
Date of death 27 March 1917(1917-03-27) (aged 29)
Place of death Caulfield, Victoria
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 87 kg (192 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1907–08 Carlton 5 (2)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1908.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

One of the eight children (five boys and three girls) of James Gillespie (1856-1913),[1] and Mary Gillespie (1859-1924), née Gallagher,[2][3] David Francis Gillespie was born at the Melbourne Zoo, in Royal Park, in Parkville, Victoria on 14 December 1887.[4][5]

His younger twin brother, Doug Gillespie, also played for Carlton (90 games from 1906 to 1912, including the 1906 and 1907 premierships).

All five Gillespie brothers served in the First AIF: David Francis Gillespie (1887-1917),[6] Douglas James Gillespie (1887-1947),[7] Gordon Charles Gillespie (1890-1937),[8] Robert Bruce Gillespie (1895-1969),[9] and William Wallace Gillespie (1898-1967).[10]

Football

Carlton (VFL)

He made his debut at the age of 19 for Carlton in the match against Fitzroy on 18 May 1907.[11] In the next match, against South Melbourne on 25 May 1907 he broke a collar-bone, and did not play again that year.

He played three more senior matches for Carlton — in June and July 1908.

Brunswick (VFA)

On 28 April 1909 he was cleared from Carlton to Brunswick.[12] He went on to play at least 90 games for Brunswick over seven seasons (1909-1915). He was elected vice-captain of the Brunswick team in 1915.[13]

His second last match for Brunswick was against Port Melbourne on 22 May 1915, when he was badly injured; and, at the time, it was supposed that he would not play again in that season.[14]

He did return, however, and played his last match (at full-back) in the VFA Grand Final against North Melbourne on 7 August 1915 — when he was brought from his Army training camp to play for Brunswick in place of ex-Coburg footballer Robert Leslie "Les" Broom (1892-1915), who had been playing at full-back in Gillespie's stead once Gillespie had enlisted in July 1915.[15][16][17]

Military service

Serving as a constable in the Victorian Police force (he joined the force in 1909),[18] he enlisted in the First AIF on 8 July 1915, and served overseas in the 59th Australian Infantry Battalion.

Death

He was wounded, in action, when hit in the spine by shrapnel at Armentières in France on 19 July 1916.[19]

"Reports of the time indicate that the outstanding sportsman was "unable to move" from the time he was wounded and it now [viz., 2002] seems likely that he was left a quadraplegic or, at best a paraplegic." — Main & Allen (2002), p.74.

He was repatriated to Australia on the HMAT Wiltshire.[20][21] arriving at Melbourne on 31 December 1916. He died of peritonitis,[22] resulting from his wounds, at the Caulfield Convalescent Hospital on 27 March 1917,[23][24] and was buried with military honours at Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery on 29 March 1917.[25][26]

         THE LATE DAVE GILLESPIE
Another old footballer who has sacrificed his life for his country is Dave Gillespie, the ex-Brunswick and Carlton player.
Enlisting early he fought at Gallipoli and France, but unfortunately received a shrapnel wound in the spine about 9 months ago, from which he never recovered.
He was invalided home; but for 6 months he lay on his back unable to move; and the end came a short while ago.
His four brothers, all of whom played with the Carlton F.C. or the Carlton juniors, are at the front doing their "bit", so it will be readily conceded that the Gillespie family is doing its share towards winning the war. — The Winner, 25 April 1917.[27]
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See also
  • List of Victorian Football League players who died in active service

Footnotes
  1. Deaths: Gillespie, The Age, (Thursday, 27 November 1913), p.1.
  2. Deaths: Gillespie, The Advocate, (Thursday, 21 February 1924), p.23.
  3. Mrs. Mary Gillespie, The Advocate, (Thursday, 21 February 1924), p.17.
  4. Births: Gillespie, The Age (thursday, 2 December 1887), p.1.
  5. Note that the VFL/AFL records (height 182 cm; weight 88 kg) are wrong. Even though one's weight might fluctuate over a ten year period, one's height will not. His accurately measured service record clearly shows that his weight on his 1915 enlistment (age 27) as 15 stone (approx. 95kg) (his weight on enlistment with the Victorian Police was 12st. 3lbs., approx. 78kg), his height as 5ft 10¼in (approx. 178cm) (his height on enlistment with the Victorian Police was measured at 5ft 10in), and his expanded chest measurement as 44in (approx. 112cm).
  6. First World War Nominal Roll: Company Sergeant Major David Francis Gillespie (3037), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  7. First World War Nominal Roll: Sergeant Douglas James Gillespie (406), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  8. First World War Service Record: Private Gordon Charles Gillespie (6647), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  9. First World War Service Record: Private Robert Bruce Gillespie (1165), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  10. First World War Service Record: Private Wallace William (sic) Gillespie (3043), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  11. His brother Doug was also in the Carlton side that day.
  12. Victoria Association, The Argus, (Thursday, 29 April 1909), p.4.
  13. Brunswick; Great Enthusiasm Shown, The Herald, (Friday, 23 April 1915), p.3.
  14. Play and Players, The Herald, (Friday, 28 May 1915), p.3.
  15. Play and Players, The Herald, (Friday, 16 July 1915), p.3.
  16. Another Brunswick footballer, ex-Richmond footballer Syd Price, was also brought from his army training to play on that day (see: Football: North Mebourne Beat Brunswick, The Brunswick and Coburg Leader, (Friday, 1 August 1915), p.4).
  17. Obituary: Prominent Coburg and Brunswick Sportsmen: Mr. Les Broom, The Brunswick and Coburg Leader, (Friday, 3 December 1915), p.2.
  18. Record of Conduct and Service (David Francis Gillespie), collection of the Victoria Police Museum.
  19. Australian Casualties: 196th List: Wounded: Victoria: "Gillespie, C.S.-Mjr. D.F. Parkville", The Argus, (Saturday, 19 August 1916), p.20.
  20. HMAT Wiltshire (A18), photograph (Accession number AO4186) in the collection of the Australian War Memorial.]
  21. Returned Soldiers: Names of Victorians, "59th. Batt.— C.S.M. D.F. Gillespie", The Argus, (Monday, 18 December 1916), p.5.
  22. Australia's Roll of Honor: 287th Casualty List: Died of Illness: Victoria: "Gillespie, Co.-Sgt.-Mjr. D.F. Parkville", The Age, (Tuesday, 17 April 1917), p.11.
  23. Soldier's Wounds Fatal, The Herald, (Wednesday, 28 March 1917), p.10.
  24. Deaths: Gillespie, The Argus, (Thursday, 29 March 1917), p.1.
  25. With Military Honours, The Herald, (Thursday 29 March 1917), p.1.
  26. Sgt.Major Gillespie dies from wounds: an old Brunswick footballer, The Brunswick and Coburg Leader, (Friday, 30 March 1917, p.3.
  27. The Late Dave Gillespie, The Winner, (Wednesday, 25 April 1917), p.8.

References
  • De Bolto, Anthony, "Remembering the Gillespie Twins", Blueseum, 21 January 2010.
  • Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
  • Main, J. & Allen, D., "Gillespie, Dave", pp.73-75 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-74095-010-0
  • Studio portrait (1915), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  • First World War Embarkation Roll: Private David Francis Gillespie (3037), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  • First World War Service Record: Company Sergeant Major David Francis Gillespie (3037), collection of the National Archives of Australia.
  • Roll of Honour Circular: Company Sergeant Major David Francis Gillespie (3037), collection of the Australian War Memorial.
  • Roll of Honour: Company Sergeant Major David Francis Gillespie (3037), Australian War Memorial.
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