For over 80 years, the Forrest family has lived with a deep and painful mystery—one that has haunted them for generations. Andrew Forrest, the billionaire mining magnate, has embarked on a mission to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of his uncle, David Forrest, who went missing during World War II while defending Australia. His search, which has taken him to the remote jungles and waters of Papua New Guinea, is not only about finding the wreckage of a fallen soldier but also about bringing closure to a family that has never forgotten their loss.
The Family’s Unsolved Mystery
David Forrest, who was only 23 years old, was a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. On May 21, 1943, while flying a Beaufort bomber, he was shot down while attacking a Japanese-held airstrip at Gasmata, Papua New Guinea. Despite the efforts to locate him, David’s remains have never been found, and the Forrest family has spent decades haunted by the unknown.
Growing up, Andrew and his siblings—David and Janie—knew only the pain their father, Don Forrest, felt over the loss of his brother. Don received the official letter from the King of England informing him that David was missing in action and presumed dead. After that, Don never shed another tear for the rest of his life, weighed down by grief.
Andrew says that his father’s enduring grief shaped the entire family. “We grew up with the hope that one day Uncle Dave would walk out of the jungles of Papua New Guinea,” Andrew reflects. “The pain in our family was immense.”
A Personal Search for Closure
For Andrew, this family mystery has been a personal journey. Four years ago, he set out on a mission to find the remains of his uncle. Joined by marine ecologist Dr. Steve Burnell, Andrew has been searching the remote waters and jungles of Papua New Guinea, hoping to find something—anything—that could provide answers.
The search has taken many forms. At times, Andrew and his team have searched the jungle, while other times they’ve gone diving in the waters near Gasmata, where David’s plane was shot down. But their search has been fraught with challenges—one of the biggest being the saltwater crocodiles that inhabit the waters.
Dangerous Waters: Crocodiles and Extreme Conditions
During one dive, Burnell, Andrew, and their team were confronted by the dangerous reality of the region’s crocodiles. While diving in zero visibility, they felt unsettling movements in the water, and later, a 4-meter crocodile emerged just 20 meters from their boat. This moment made it clear: their search was not just physically demanding, but also perilous.
“We didn’t get back in the water after that,” Burnell recalls. “We weren’t that stupid.”
Despite the risks, Andrew remained determined to uncover the mystery of his uncle’s disappearance. Using a specially outfitted research vessel, the team set out to locate wreckage that might lead to David’s final resting place.
The Search Continues: Finding a Plane Wreck
After many months of searching, the team finally discovered a plane wreck in the waters off Gasmata. The wreckage appeared to be from a Beaufort bomber, the same model as the one David Forrest was flying when he was shot down. For Andrew, this discovery was a moment of both hope and trepidation.
As he descended into the murky waters with his sister Janie and a team of divers, Andrew was overwhelmed with emotion. “I was thinking, am I going to dive on Uncle David’s plane?” he says. “Am I going to find something that will bring closure?”
But after diving on the wreck, it became clear that this was not the plane he had been searching for. The plane’s serial number was A9-186, not David’s plane, A9-188.
“It was tough,” Andrew says. “I had to tell Dad: ‘It’s not Uncle David’s plane.’”
Though it wasn’t the closure he had hoped for, the discovery did bring closure to the families of four other Australian airmen who had died in the same area. The wreck was later identified as the plane of Warrant Officer Clement Wiggins, a 28-year-old from Queensland who had also been missing in action since the war.
Finding Other Heroes: The Story of Warrant Officer Wiggins
The wreckage of the plane from serial number A9-186 contained the remains of Clement Wiggins, a pilot whose family had long awaited answers about his fate. For his nephew, Keith Wiggins, finding the wreckage was an emotional experience. “We never thought we would get any kind of closure,” Keith said. “It was really a surprise. But we’re so thankful to know where he is now.”
In addition to Wiggins, the remains of another airman, Warrant Officer Russell Henry Grigg, were also identified. Grigg’s children, Mary Peden and Dr. Frank Grigg, expressed their gratitude for finally knowing their father’s final resting place.
For the Forrest family, these discoveries have meant something deeply personal. While David’s final resting place remains elusive, the search has brought solace to other families who also endured the pain of losing loved ones in the war.
The Continuing Search for Uncle David
While the search for David Forrest has not yet been successful, Andrew remains committed to solving this mystery. The hunt for his uncle’s remains is part of a much larger mission to uncover the fates of many soldiers who went missing during the war in the Pacific.
Andrew is hopeful that, one day, he will be able to bring his uncle home and provide his family with the closure they have long sought. “I’ll keep searching,” he says. “For as long as it takes.”
Conclusion: A Family’s Long Journey for Closure
The Forrest family’s search for answers has been a long, emotional journey. From the early days of David Forrest’s disappearance to the ongoing search for his remains, the family has been driven by a desire for closure, both for themselves and for others like them who have lost loved ones during wartime.
For Andrew Forrest, this quest is more than just about finding his uncle’s body. It’s about solving a mystery that has haunted his family for generations and providing answers to a chapter of history that has remained in the dark for far too long.
