Calcutta Football Club team photo 1910-15

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear GWFs,

As already indicated on another thread, I am searching for a picture/image of erstwhile Lieut. John Patrick O'Shea, IARO.

O'Shea served with distinction (MiD 1920) with 1024 Burma MT Coy ASC, in Mesopotamia, Persia, Kurdistan and Iraq, 1918-21.

Originally a Merchant in Calcutta, J. P. O'Shea was a Rugby luminary of the Calcutta FC. For example, he played Calcutta FC v 70th RGA in July 1910 (70th RGA - Hayhurst; Locke and Cole; Campbell Lyens and Davies; Enston Hollerin Grillet and Moran); and Calcutta FC v 10th Middlesex Regt in May 1915 (10th Middlesex - Lyon; Battery and Platts; Wingham Norton and Bowker; Coomber; Pitt, Ellson; Wilson and Nicholson.

Between these events, he also played with the Calcutta team, against Dalhouse (August 1912), and the Medical team (also August 1912).

It seems quite possible that a named Calcutta FC Team Photo, circa 1910-15 has survived, for example. 

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Edited 12 November , 2016 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear GWFs,

To answer my own question: indeed a Calcutta FC team photo of 1910 has survived!

It seems possible that my J. P. O'Shea was the Captain (ball at his feet), although at the time O'Shea was twenty-two. Be that as it may, O'Shea is one of those stout-looking fellows, which is good to know!

Any GWF comment would be welcomed - and of course all of them were soon to be involved in the Great War... 

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

On a separate thread, all the above was tantamount to having been confirmed.

Or, to put it another way, thanks to a happy series of Great War Forum connections, a latter-day portrait - taken perhaps forty years after the 1910 Soccer team photo - has emerged, which I attach.

Anybody who collects medals, will appreciate what this means: especially associated with such an excellent group to the (in many ways obscure and unsung) IARO, and with a Mention in Despatches, which was one of only two awarded to the No. 2 Burma Ford Van Company (aka 1024 Burma MT Coy) ASC. 

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Interesting to re-read the press cutting of the match against the RGA and HLI.

The teams are actually listed in formation order, so we can further surmise that O'Shea was a Right half (No4 on shirt if numbers were worn), against the RGA, and Centre Half (No.5) against HLI.

Both press cuttings use a semi-colon to separate the different lines of attack and defence viz:

 

Dods;   [Goalkeeper]

Fraser and Crawford; [Right and left Full backs - Nos.2 & 3]

O'Shea, Pooles and Micchi;  [Right, Centre and Left backs - Nos 4,5 & 6]

Stewart, Drew, Grimswell, Sherman & Austea;   [Forwards - Nos 7 - 11]

 

He seems  to have the air of confidence about him of a player who could play anywhere!

 

 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Dai,

Many thanks for your succinct and knowledgeable football comments: much appreciated, and symptomatic of the research possibilities of the Great War Forum!

I will weave your welcome notes into my on-going Lieut. J. P. O'Shea manuscript immediately. Indeed, I agree with your 'air of confidence' assessment of that Irish-born, erstwhile Calcutta businessman - later to be Mentioned in Despatches during the aftermath of the Great War.

His Mention was for an action dealt with on another thread in the Forum, during which a brother-officer (Lieut Pyett, also IARO) was awarded the MC.

Moreover, when the Officer Commanding 1024 Burma MT Coy (Ford Vans), Major Cuningham - one 'n' - died in a Persian hospital, Lieut O'Shea was obliged to command the unit until a successor arrived. Large parts of the War Diary are in O'Shea's hand (unfortunately written with a very light pencil stroke).

Jessie Deuchar (pron- dew-kar), of the Deuchar breweries, was engaged to, or actually married, a Royal Flying Corps pilot (who later joined the Tank Corps) in 1918, but something intervened, and, in 1922, she married John Patrick O'Shea. They lived in some style (he was a 'Wine Agent'), but apparently had no children...

Kindest regards,

Kim, 

 

Edited 30 April , 2017 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Kim

 

The relative placing of the names, and the dates of death, makes me wonder if only Jessie is buried there and it is only a memorial to her husband who was buried elsewhere, or perhaps lost at sea. Of course, the stone may be a replacement of an earlier stone just for him, but I wonder if you have any information about the oddity?

 

Ron

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

55 minutes ago, Ron Clifton said:

makes me wonder if only Jessie is buried there and it is only a memorial to her husband who was buried elsewhere, or perhaps lost at sea.

We know he died in Morpeth Reg Dist, and Jessie in Newcastle.

I assume that Kim's picture is from this area.

I think it's as likely a symbol that of the two, she had the higher (perceived) status and got top billing, as it were.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Dai and Ron,

As I see it, the place is most likely Newcastle.

Both of you are right, inasmuch as Jessie is probably buried there, and that it represents a symbol of the two: the one, having died almost ten years previously.

Furthermore, it indicates a typical case of marital give and take:-

The petite Jessie was the daughter of a very wealthy and powerful man - and therefore had indeed the higher status and sheer monetary clout to finance the O'Shea's fine house and pay for the hired help and upkeep.

John, on the other hand, was clearly a capable and gallant ex-officer who possessed considerable physical attraction...

(With compliments to Peter.)

Kindest regards,

Kim.