Dave Gallaher, the Irish-born captain of the 1905 Originals, the first team to tour as the All Blacks, died in the Battle of Broodseinde, one of the battles of Passchendaele in Belgium on October 4, 1917. In Memory of Serjeant DAVID GALLAHER 32513, 2nd Bn., Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F. who died age 41 on 04 October 1917 Husband of E. I. M. Gallaher, of 1, John Street, Ponsonby, Auckland. Former Captain of the New Zealand Rugby Football Team (The All Blacks). Remembered with honour NINE ELMS BRITISH CEMETERY http://www.nixonpictures.co.nz/All_Blacks_WWI_Dave_Gallaher.html
From my notes on international Rugby players who served: Gallaher, David New Zealand Internationals: 6 : 1903 Australia + ; 1904 Great Britain + ; 1905 Scotland + England + Wales - ; 1906 France + David Gallaher was born on 30 October 1873, in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland; his family moved to Katikati, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand on the SS Lady Jocelyn when he was five. He married Eileen Francis in 1906 and had a daughter, Nora. Played as a Flanker for: Katikati School, Parnell, Ponsonby, Auckland, North Island Profession: Foreman at the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company Remarks: He took up Rugby in Auckland, being six feet tall and weighing 13 stone. He was first selected for Auckland in 1896, and played for the city 26 times. His Rugby motto was ‘Give nothing away, take no chances.’ Joint captain of NZ tour to Australia 1905, captain of NZ tour to British Isles, France and North America in 1905-06. Although now regarded as one of the greatest ever NZ captains, his hold on the position was not certain in 1905. On the ship travelling to the UK some players felt he was too old at 29 [he was really 32!] and voted against him in a ballot, won by Gallaher 29-11. The team went on to win 32 of their 33 matches, losing only to Wales 0-3, a match Gallaher described as ‘a rattling good game, played out to the bitter end, with the result that the better team won’. Gallaher himself was the target of considerable criticism from the British press, who regarded the NZ habit of playing a loose wing-forward as obstruction. He played 36 matches for the All Blacks, including 6 Internationals. NZRFU selector 1907-1914. Brother in law of A R H “Bolla” Francis (10 caps for NZ). Served in the South African War, initially in the 6th Contingent, New Zealand Mounted Rifles, then as Squadron Sergeant Major in the 10th Contingent. He participated in an engagement against a large force of Boers at Spitskoop early in 1902. He was the co-author, with Billy Stead, of The Complete Rugby Footballer (1906). War service: 32513, Company Sergeant Major, 2nd Battalion, Auckland Regiment, 2nd Brigade, NZ Division, NZEF. After two of his brothers were killed in the 1914-1918 War Dave Gallaher falsified his age in order to enlist in July 1916. He departed New Zealand on the SS Aparima and travelled to Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain in England for further training before joining the NZ Division on the Western Front. Gallaher was promoted to Sergeant and joined the 2nd Aucklands on 30 July 1917 at Steengte, Belgium. The NZ Division was involved in a diversionary attack at Basseville, south of Ypres on 31 July, but the 2nd Aucklands were in reserve. At 1015 on 4 October 1917 the 2nd Aucklands and 2nd Wellingtons were in the second wave of an attack on German positions which, despite heavy fire, captured and held a German headquarters and a group of pillboxes known as Waterloo. Sgt Gallaher was hit in the face as the Aucklands left their trenches, and was taken to an Australian First Aid post. He was killed in action on 4 October 1917, near Ypres, and is buried in Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinghe, West-Vlaanderen [III. D. 8.]. The Auckland Rugby Union presented the Gallaher Shield to clubs in 1922. In November 2000, the David Gallaher trophy was instituted for matches between France and New Zealand. Gareth
Did you see the other boys Gareth ?? though you probably have them all already ! http://www.nixonpictures.co.nz/All_Blacks_WWI.html
Annie Thanks for the prompt. Yes, I do have information on those All Blacks. If you think there would be sufficient interest, I could post details on them, and the players from Australia, England, France, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, plus the odd man who was capped for Great Britain but not his country, who died in the War. Regards Gareth
That's a lot of work Gareth ! But if you'd like to do a few now and again .............. !! I'm sure people would appreciate them !!
David Gallaher was one of Katikati's noted sportsmen. His mother was one of the first two teachers at Katikati No. 2 School when it opened. It was in Katikati that Gallaher began his rugby career. His family later moved to Auckland where he soon made the Auckland team. He was made captain of the famous 1905 All Blacks for their tour of Great Britain. The Gallaher Shield, a major rugby trophy in the Auckland rugby world, was named after him. http://www.katikati.co.nz/kk_text/anzac_gallaher_d.html
Heres some newspaper clippings ... thought you may find them interesting !! http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cg...&srpos=17&e=-------10--11----0all blacks -all http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cg...&srpos=16&e=-------10--11----0all blacks -all http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cg...0904.1.15&e=-------10--11----0all blacks -all
Annie Yes, it appears in a few Rugby reference books. As well as being a prominent All Black, Billy Stead was the NZ touch judge in the famous match against Wales in Cardiff when the tourists suffered their only loss of the tour, going down 0-3 (or drawing 3-3 if you take account of the NZ version of events, and credit Bob Deans with scoring a try that Scottish referee John Dallas disallowed - I'm digressing here). Gareth
