Charles Theodore Gillespie (24 June 1883 – 22 January 1964) was a New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player and soldier.

Early life and family

Born in

Masterton Masterton ( mi, Whakaoriori), a large town in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand, operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a r ...

on 24 June 1883, Gillespie was the youngest son of English-born William Gillespie and his Scottish-born wife, Mary. On 28 February 1921, Gillespie married Edith May Meyers at St Peter's Church in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

Rugby union

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

, Gillespie represented at a provincial level. He played for his province in 1905, but did not make any further appearance for Wellington until 1911. He played just one match for the New Zealand national side, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, a Test against the touring Australian side in 1913 at

Carisbrook Carisbrook (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Carisbrook Stadium) was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it was also used for other sports such as cricket, football, r ...

in Dunedin.

Military service

Gillespie enlisted in the

Royal New Zealand Artillery The Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery is the artillery regiment of the New Zealand Army. It is effectively a military administrative corps, and can comprise multiple component regiments. This nomenclature stems from its heritage as an off ...

in April 1903. By November 1910 he had attained the rank of bombardier farrier and in November 1914 he was promoted to corporal farrier. Following the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he became a part of the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

, going overseas in October 1914. He saw active service at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...

and, from April 1916, in France. In January 1916 he received a commission as a second lieutenant, and he was promoted to lieutenant in July 1917. In July 1917, Gillespie was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

. His citation read: Gillespie was slightly wounded on 24 October 1917 at Passchendaele, but remained with his unit. From November 1917 to March 1918 he held the rank of temporary captain. From April to October 1918 his service was curtailed by illness, first bronchitis and then appendicitis. He returned to New Zealand in early 1919. Following the end of the war, Gillespie remained in the permanent military forces, and was confirmed with the rank of captain in January 1921. He served as adjutant of the 1st Field Brigade, Royal New Zealand Artillery for 12 years, and then as commanding officer of the Royal New Zealand Artillery, Northern Command. He retired with the rank of major after 35 years service in 1938. He was one of the oldest regular soldiers in New Zealand at the time, and one of the last two remaining foundation members of the Royal New Zealand Artillery.

Death

Gillespie died in

on 22 January 1964, and he was cremated at the

Karori Crematorium The Karori Crematorium and its adjacent chapel are located in Karori Cemetery in the Wellington suburb of Karori. The crematorium was the first such facility in New Zealand, and it opened in 1909. The Karori Crematorium and chapel are registered b ...

. His war service was listed as a contributing factor in his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillespie, Charles 1883 births 1964 deaths Rugby union players from Masterton New Zealand people of English descent New Zealand people of Scottish descent New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players Wellington rugby union players Rugby union locks New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand Army officers New Zealand recipients of the Military Cross