This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Gillespie, Charles Theodore MC played for New Zealand Internationals: 1 : 1913 A+ Charles Gillespie was born on 24 June 1883 at Masterton Played as a No 8 for: Oriental, Wellington, North Island Internationals: 1 : 1913 A+ Charles Gillespie was born on 24 June 1883 at Masterton Played as a No 8 for: Oriental, Wellington, North Island Profession: Army/farmer War service: 2/263 Farrier-sergeant in the NZ Artillery; he was commissioned in the field. MC Gazetted on 26 July 1917: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in extinguishing burning boxes of ammunition under heavy hostile shell fire. Assisted by two of his men, he worked amidst the exploding shells with total disregard of danger, thereby saving a large amount of ammunition and averting a heavy explosion.” He was gassed and wounded at Passchendaele. He retired as Officer Commanding NZ Northern Command 1938. Remarks: His International v Australia was his only match for the All Blacks He died on 22 January 1964 at Masterton
Charles Gillespie was one of the many one match All Blacks. A lean and rawboned lock or siderow forward in the 2-3-2 scrum who weighed nearly 90kgs, Gillespie had his sole appearance for the national side when he played in the second test against the touring Australians in 1913. This match at Dunedin's Carisbrook ground was played after the majority of New Zealand's leading players, most of whom had been in the first test, had left for the tour of North America. The Dunedin match was won by the second selection 25-13 but Gillespie was among those dropped for the final test. Soon after World War I broke out and Gillespie served in this with distinction, perhaps even greater and more significant than that he had gained in his worthy rugby career. Gillespie survived the Gallipoli campaign, was commissioned in the field and was awarded the Military Cross. He served also in Europe and was severely wounded at Passchendaele. Later a farmer, Gillespie was a stalwart of Wellington's Oriental club, being made a life member in 1931. He had a strange representative career. For after playing for Wellington in 1905 he didn't reappear until the 1911 season and over the next three years took his tally of matches for the union to 24. In 1905 he also had appeared for a combined Wellington-Wairarapa-Horowhenua side which beat the touring Australians 23-7. He made the All Blacks in 1913 at the advanced age of 30 after having played that year for the North Island. Profile by Lindsay Knight for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.
