Jack Keddie Explained

Jack Keddie
Fullname:Jack Keddie
Birth Date:12 February 1922
Birth Place:Maffra, Victoria
Death Place:Wewak, Territory of New Guinea
Originalteam:Keilor
Guernsey:27
Statsend:1941
Years1:1941
Games Goals1:1 (0)

Jack Keddie (12 February 1922 – 15 August 1945) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon. Considered to be a great talent, his league career was cut short due to war.

He was accidentally drowned on Victory in the Pacific Day while serving with the Second AIF.

Family

The son of schoolteacher Robert Keddie, and Christina Keddie, née Edmond, Jack Keddie was born in Maffra on 12 February 1922.

He was engaged to Olive Myrtle Wright, of Palmwoods, Queensland, in September 1944.[1] He died before they could be married.

Football

"A natural athlete with a loping gait and ability to win the ball almost at will",[2] Keddie was recruited from Keilor, and a regular Second XVIII player, he played one senior match for Essendon, when he was selected to replace the injured Harold Lambert in the match against Fitzroy on 30 August 1941.[3] He injured his shoulder, and was replaced in the last quarter.[4]

Playing for the Essendon Second XVIII he scored four goals in its 1941 Grand Final victory over the Fitzroy Second XVIII.[5]

Death

Keddie, who could not swim, was accidentally drowned at Wewak, Territory of New Guinea on 15 August 1945 while serving with the Second AIF,[6] [7] [8] when the rowing boat he was sharing with his brother Lyle Keddie (VX91352), and his two mates, Clarrie Vernon (VX113376) and Patrick George Dungan (VX131595) overturned. All four were serving in the same A.E.M.E. unit.[9]

See also

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48970935 Engagements: Keddie—Wright, The Courier-Mail, (Tuesday, 12 September 1944), p.6.
  2. Main & Allen (2002), p.275.
  3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205176933 Football Teams, The Age, (Friday, 29 August 1941), p.3.
  4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8201859 Essendon's System, The Argus, (Monday, 1 September 1941), p.8.
  5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article181713536 Walsh, F., "'Dons Win Seconds Grand Final", The Sporting Globe, (Saturday, 27 September 1941), p.3.
  6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article973682 Deaths: On Active Service, The Argus, (Monday, 3 September 1945), p.2.
  7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article969398 Australian Army Casualties, The Argus, (Wednesday, 5 September 1945), p.13.
  8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22685778 In Memoriam: On Active Service: Keddie, The Argus, (Saturday, 14 August 1948), p.9.
  9. Main & Allen (2002), p.273.