John Forrest (rugby union)
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| Born | John Forrest 28 April 1917 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 14 September 1942 (aged 25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Strathallan School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Cambridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Gordon Scott Forrest (28 April 1917 – 14 September 1942) was a Scotland international rugby union player. He was also a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot who was killed in World War II.[1][2]
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]
Rugby Union career
Amateur career
He played rugby union for Cambridge University.[4] Forrest received his first blue for Cambridge in 1936 and was appointed captain of the side in 1938.[3]
Provincial career
He played for the Scotland Possibles side in their trial match against the Scotland Probables on 15 January 1938.[5]
International career
Forrest was capped three times for Scotland in the Triple Crown winning team of 1938.[1][2] He made his debut in Edinburgh on 5 February in an 8–6 win over Wales.[6] Forrest scored two tries in a 23–14 win against Ireland three weeks later at Murrayfield.[6] This victory set up a Triple Crown decider with England at Twickenham.[2] On 19 March 1938 Scotland beat England 21–16, scoring a record five tries to one, to achieve their eighth Triple Crown.[6] The match was the first rugby international broadcast live on television.[7] Due to injury and the outbreak of World War II, Forrest never played for Scotland again.[3]
Military career
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.[8] On 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.[9] During formation practice on 14 September 1942, a Spitfire VB (AB873) based at HMS Blackcap collided with another Spitfire (BL487) at a height of around 7,000 feet.[10] AB 873 crashed at Pownall Green Farm, Tabley, near Northwich and Lt JGS Forrest was killed.[10] On 21 September 880 Squadron moved to RNAS Machrihanish near Campbeltown in Scotland.[9]
