John Forrest (rugby union)

For other uses, see John Forrest (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with James Forrest (disambiguation).
John Forrest
Full name John Forrest
Date of birth 28 April 1917
Date of death 14 September 1942
School Strathallan School
University University of Cambridge
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Wing
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
Cambridge University RFC
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1938  Scotland 3 6

John Gordon Scott Forrest (28 April 1917 – 14 September 1942) was a Scottish international rugby union player and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot who was killed in World War II.[1][2]

Education

John Forrest was born in Rhodesia and educated at Strathallan School in Perthshire and St Catharine's College, Cambridge where he read medicine.[3] At school he excelled at most sports becoming captain of rugby and cricket.[3] Forrest received his first blue for Cambridge University RFC in 1936 and was appointed captain in 1938.[3]

International honours

Forrest was capped three times for Scotland in the Triple Crown winning team of 1938.[1][2] He made his debut in Edinburgh on the 5 February in an 8-6 win over Wales.[4] Forrest scored two tries in a 23-14 win against Ireland three weeks later at Murrayfield.[4] This victory set up a Triple Crown decider with England at Twickenham.[2] On the 19 March 1938 Scotland beat England 21-16, scoring a record five tries to one, to achieve their eighth Triple Crown.[4] The match was the first rugby international broadcast live on television.[5][6] Due to injury and the outbreak of World War II, Forrest never played for Scotland again.[3]

Naval service

John Forrest was serving as a lieutenant in the Air Branch of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve based at HMS Blackcap when he lost his life in 1942.[7] On the 28 August 1942, 880 Naval Air Squadron disembarked from HMS Indomitable (92) to dispose of their Sea Hurricanes and refit with the Supermarine Seafire at HMS Blackcap in Cheshire.[8] During formation practice on the 14 September 1942, a Spitfire VB (AB873) based at HMS Blackcap collided with another Spitfire (BL487) at a height of around 7,000 feet.[9] AB 873 crashed at Pownall Green Farm, Tabley, near Northwich and Lt JGS Forrest was killed.[9] On the 21 September, 880 Squadron moved to RNAS Machrihanish near Campbeltown in Scotland.[8]

Obituaries

The following obituaries were published shortly after his death:

‘Rugby men everywhere will have read with deep regret of the death in action of that grand Scots international three-quarter J.G.S. Forrest, R.N. Air Arm. No matter whether he was in the centre or on the wing, every time he pulled more than his weight. I saw his Freshman’s match at Cambridge. He was not in either team as they lined out but, upon a centre having to go off crocked, Forrest came on to take his place. It was seen in the twinkling of an eye that Cambridge had here a “find”. He never looked back, got his Blue as a Fresher, and from that, my first view of him to my last when I saw him get a try “in a hundred” last year at Taunton he never gave a bad or a poor game in my seeing. He and H. D. Freakes, the two mighty opposites in a well-remembered tackle in a Varsity match, when both were in the centre, have now made the great sacrifice, lamented by all who ever knew them or only saw them play.’

The Scotsman newspaper on Tuesday 29th September 1942.[3]

‘Forrest was a magnificent player, whether on the wing or in the centre. I preferred him in the centre, where his running and serving and side-stepping and kicking and passing gave me no end of pleasure; and I am sure that in this modest and charming young Scotsman we have lost a great rugby footballer in the making.’

D.R. Gent, writing in The Sunday Times in 1942.[3]

See also

Further reading

References

  1. 1 2 Bath, Richard (ed.) (2007). The Scotland Rugby Miscellany. Vision Sports Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-905326-24-6.
  2. 1 2 3 "John Forrest". ESPNscrum. 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rugby Internationalists" (PDF). Strathallan School. September 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "The 1938 Triple Crown". BBC. 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Scotland's triumphs at Twickers". Daily Mail. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  6. ↑ "Historical Rugby Milestones 1930s". www.rugbyfootballhistory.com. 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Scottish War Memorials Project". www.scottishmilitaryresearch.co.uk. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  8. 1 2 Sturtivant, Ray and Burrow, Mick (1995). Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945. Air-Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 0851302327.
  9. 1 2 "Spitfire aircraft production". www.airhistory.org.uk. 27 March 2005. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
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