Back with the pictures and a surprise!
As photographing one of the transistors from an angle, with the flash on, markings magically appeared (good tip for others with same issue). Likely a Mullard OC28 2S4. Note that at normal eye view, from any angle, the markings looks about 85% gone. That's the unscrewed one which I measured out of the circuit, and as this one is removed, there's no more short at the DC input. (Both transistors having E and C shorted)
The transistor in my first post is the one still screwed into place. This is the remaining to be guessed now, thank you for your help again!