Canada’s Rob Boag harked back to a photo in BwB in July 2010.
“The condition of that century-old Lochee Renton FC photo is outstanding and remarkable,” said Rob, a Dundonian who left these shores many decades ago for a new life in Canada.
“The owner of the picture has obviously stored it with great care and respect.
“Its clarity and detail provide a date on the football a successful 1913-14 season. The date also tells us there would be no 1914-15 season for this Lochee Renton Football Club.
“It is now 2014 and 100 years since that photograph was taken. It will also be 100 years in August when war was declared against Germany.
“Young men were encouraged to enlist as their country needed them, and thousands of young Dundee lads, just like the lads in this Renton team, enlisted in the British Forces.”
Poigniantly, Rob pointed out there are four players in the photo who may have went to war and, sadly, never returned.
He continued: “From searching the Friends of Dundee City Archives, it is probable that killed in action were M Boag (Black Watch), J Gallacher (Black Watch), Glover (Black Watch) and J McKay (KLR).
“Also, among the backroom staff and administrators in the Renton photo are also young lads who would have enlisted, or been conscripted.
“Therefore, this Lochee Renton FC photograph has a symbolic quality to it.
“It represents Dundee’s youth from another century, and it represents a Dundee generation who gave their lives in that mind-numbing senseless slaughter called WW1.
“It is a photo in immaculate condition and deserves commemoration, deserves to be seen, studied, and given the light of day to tell its story to young generations in another century. I hope it can find a place of honour where it is available for viewing to Dundee folks.”
Names are: (back row, from left) C Martin, G McFarlane, D Rollo, J McCarne, A Macdonald. Second back W Donnelly, D Cooper, Unknown, Glover, W Gallacher, M Boag, Ingles, Henderson. Second front E Reilly, Unknown, G Ferguson, H Renton, Napper Thomson, J McKay, D Balfour. Front C Martin Jr, D Morris.
Rob concluded: “The Martin Boag in the photo was my grandfather’s brother, my dad’s uncle. He was killed on May 9, 1915, at 23 years of age. His brother John was killed shortly after on May 26.
“Not many Dundee families escaped a telegram delivery from the War Office during that war.”
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