This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who died during 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 Brett, Jasper Thomas played for Ireland Internationals: 1: 1914 W- Jasper Brett was born on 8 August 1895, in Kingstown [now Dunlaogire], County Dublin, the son of William Jasper Brett. Played as a Wing for: Monkstown Park Public School, Armagh Royal School, Monkstown Profession: Articled clerk, apprenticed to his father, a solicitor. Remarks: Played in Sir Stanley Cochrane’s cricket team. War service: Joined “D” Company, 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 30th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division, along with other Dublin Rugby players in 1914. At the request of Mr F H Browning, the President of the Irish Rugby Football Union [who was killed during the 1916 Easter Rebellion whille returning from a route march with the 1st (Dublin) Battalion, Associated Volunteer Training Corps – he was a Sub-Commandant in this home defence organisation], the Commanding Officer of the 7th RDF agreed to keep open a special company for “Pals” from the IRFU volunteers. Known as “The Toffs among the Toughs”, it was a remarkable mix of volunteers – barristers, doctors, solicitors, stockbrokers, bankers, civil servants and the like, nearly all well known in Dublin’s public and social life. Training in Ireland went on until, on the last day of April 1915, 7th RDF sailed for Holyhead and from there travelled to Basingstoke, the concentration area for the 10th Division. At Basingstoke the Division was visited by King George V on 28 and 29 May and inspected by Lord Kitchener at Hackwood Park on 1 June. The final period of training at Divisional level lasted to the end of June and a week later they were off to the Dardanelles, with advance parties boarding ship at Liverpool on 9 July and the Division concentrating on the Island of Lemnos by the end of July. The 10th Division landed at Suvla Bay on the morning of 7 August. The first major battle for the 7th RDF was the attack on Chocolate Hill on the night of 7-8 August, when they were loaned to the 31st Brigade. Later there was protracted fighting on Kizlar Dagh Ridge. The 7th RDF was taken off the peninsula and brought to Mudros on 29/30 September and landed at Salonika by 24 October. The 10th Division spent two years in Macedonia, taking part in operations at Kosturino, north of Lake Doiran on 7 and 8 December 1915, at Karajaköis between 30 September and 2 October 1915, and the capture of Yeniköi by the 30th Brigade on 3 and 4 October. In this period the Division suffered heavy casualties. In December 1914 Jasper Brett transferred to the Machine Gun Section of “B” Company. He was Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers from 14 September 1915 – before being discharged after suffering shell shock. He attended Latchmere Hospital, Richmond, Surrey. Tragically, he took his own life in Dublin on 4 February 1917.
Much to young to have seen that much and die that way ... ! Died February 4 1917 nr Dalkey (aged 21 years 180 days)
I note an item in the BBC News Magazine dated 6/2/2016 which - on the eve of the Ireland v Wales Six Nations game 102 years later, describes a game which in 1914 Jasper Brett received his first (and only) cap for Ireland. From the contemporary accounts it seems to have been some game - and not for the rugby - and nowadays would be a "Youtube" hit. Unfortunately, I am unable to post the link, but the title of the piece for anyone interested, is: "The Battle of Balmoral revisited more than 100 years later". The "Balmoral" referred to here is the "Balmoral Showgrounds": owned to this present day by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society and at that time a venue for sporting venues - as well as more militaristic purposes connected with the Irish Troubles - and agricultural shows. A search engine trawl will also show a cutting from the "Irish Times" of the Inquest held into Jasper Brett's death. It records in cold detail how he met his death and describes some of his wartime trauma concluding that he should not have been discharged from hospital because he was "insane".
