Person

Albert Forrest was born in Gateshead on 15 March 1887. His father was shipwright John Forrest who was born in Berwick, Northumberland in 1848. His mother was Catherine Forrest (b 1853), who was from Horncliffe, Northumberland, just outside of Berwick. Albert is known to have had two sisters and two brothers. At both the 1891 and 1901 censuses the Forrest family lived at 10 Edward Street, Gateshead.

Albert married Esther Forrest nee Wake (b 1889) in Gateshead in 1909. She was a local ironworker’s daughter. Their son, Willie Forrest, was born in 1909 and, at the time of the 1911 census, the family lived at 17 Swan Street, Gateshead. Albert was employed in ship-breaking work at that time. Their second son, John G Forrest, was born in 1916.

Albert was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). During the war he served as a leading stoker with the service number 2782. In 1917 he was serving on HMS Vanguard, a St Vincent-class dreadnought battleship, launched in February 1909. Just before midnight on 9 July 1917 at Scapa Flow, Orkney, Vanguard suffered an explosion, probably caused by an unnoticed fire heating cordite in one of the two magazines serving the midships gun turrets. The ship sank almost instantly and there were only two survivors.

In terms of loss of life, the destruction of HMS Vanguard remains the most catastrophic accidental explosion in the history of the UK and one of the worst accidental losses of the Royal Navy. Albert was one of 804 men killed in the explosion and like many men his body was not recovered for burial. The wreck site is now a designated war grave under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. Albert is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Albert Forrest was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in World War One.

Civil Parish: Gateshead

Birth date: 15-March-1887

Death date: 09-Jul-1917

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 10 Edward Street, Gateshead (1891 & 1901 census)
17 Swan Street, Gateshead (1911 census)

Employment: Ship-breaking worker

Family: Parents: John Forrest (1848), Catherine Forrest (1853)
Siblings: Isabella Forrest (1879), Frederick Forrest (1885), Elizabeth Jane Forrest (1889), William Forrest (1895)
Spouse: Esther Forrest nee Wake (1889)
Children: Willie Forrest (1909), John G Forrest (1916)

Military service:

2782
Royal Naval Reserve
Leading stoker
HMS Vanguard

Medal(s): Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Chatham Naval Memorial

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham