Is this WWI hero actually a stalwart of the GAA from Finglas?
A FAMOUS image of a British Tommy carrying his fallen comrade through the trenches in the First World War could in fact be a Dubliner and GAA stalwart.
Considerable evidence has led historians to believe the man may well be Charlie Brennan, a founding member of Erin’s Isle GAA club in Finglas, who was born in 1894 and died in 1982.
The shot was captured for a documentary film, The Battle Of The Somme, which drew millions to cinemas in 1916 and was the first feature-length war film of its kind.
The image was printed in newspapers across the UK at the time and has since become a symbol of the bravery and camaraderie of those who fought in the First
‘We consider him to be a very strong contender’
World War.
The identity of the brave soldier has been in debate for some time but historians at the Imperial War Museum in London now believe there is considerable evidence that points to Brennan.
Speaking with the Irish Mail on Sunday, Matthew Lee, head of the museum’s film archive, said: ‘Hundreds of families have been in touch with us over the last number of decades claiming their relative is the soldier. It’s an unusual phenomenon, but I think it’s because this soldier in particular has become emblematic for many families.’
The war museum’s evidence relating to Brennan is compelling enough to put him in the top two or three contenders.
The most significant piece of evidence puts a Charles Brennan where the film was shot at Beaumont-Hamel, in northern France, on July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Mr Lee explains: ‘The family say Brennan received a Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1918, which would mean he most likely joined the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1915. The reason I think that this is the soldier we’re talking about is that records put a Charles Brennan with a regiment number of 48048 in the Royal Garrison Artillery who were there on that day.
‘In the records it mentions he’s from “Finglay, Dublin”. I think it’s clear that “Finglay” is a phonetic misrepresentation of Finglas.’
More supporting evidence which also points to Brennan is the fact that two other soldiers in the film sequence have been positively identified and both were Royal Garrison Artillery men.
Mr Lee explained that new evidence continues to surface and it’s difficult to identify the soldier as Brennan conclusively as it stands.
Mr Lee said: ‘We consider him a very strong contender and we hope that people with more knowledge or who could spend more time researching the area might be able to unearth something that confirms it.’
Charlie had three daughters and one son. His descendants have been active in trying to confirm that he is, in fact, the soldier. They employed a former head of the photographic department in the police service who compared a 1923 GAA photo to the shot from the film and concluded there were no facial anomalies to suggest that the soldier was not Brennan.
John Brennan, 75, the grandnephew of Charlie Brennan, is hoping more evidence will come to light to confirm what the family has believed for decades.
Unfortunately, the evidence that would confirm their relative’s presence in the Royal Garrison Artillery has been misplaced or lost.
Charlie Brennan’s medal was lent to a friend and never returned. Mr Brennan never claimed his war pension and his service records were destroyed during the Blitz during World War II.
John Brennan said: ‘This man was
‘Our family always said that’s Charlie’
my mother’s hero and mine too. There’s more out there, but it’s just a matter of finding it. Perhaps by shining a light on it, more evidence will come out that will confirm what we’ve always known.’
‘I want to find out if Brennan did go back to Finglas around 1917, because I have feeling he was court martialled because he overstayed.’
But in the GAA club he founded, there is no doubt. Charlie Brennan founded Erin’s Isle GAA club in 1917, and club members have always believed he was the famous soldier.
His grandson, Seamus Brennan, 60, his great grandson Derek McCabe, 36, and his great-great grandson and namesake, Charlie McCabe, seven, all still live in Finglas and are active in the club he founded in 1917.
Stories of Charlie’s heroism in the war and his role in the film have always been told, according to Derek. He said: ‘Ever since I was born, there’s always been this tug of war with the English claiming the picture to be an Englishman and our family would have always said, “No, that’s Charlie.”
‘All of Charlie’s grandchildren would have had that picture in their houses growing up.
‘Five of Charlie’s great grandchildren are playing in Erin’s Isle now. I coach the under sevens and the under-18s and I play with the senior hurling team. There has always been someone from Charlie’s side of the family playing or coaching in Erin’s Isle since it was founded in 1917.’