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News > Archives > Worksop rugby greats: Peter (Hoagy) Carmichael

Worksop rugby greats: Peter (Hoagy) Carmichael

Peter (Hoagy) Carmichael was a very interesting character! A fine sportsman at Worksop, he later found fame in the Royal Navy as a pilot of distinction.
1 Jul 2020
Written by Simon Langley
Archives
Carmichael with his trademark swerve playing for the College 1st XV in 1941
Carmichael with his trademark swerve playing for the College 1st XV in 1941

Peter Carmichael (Pelham 1937-1941) was a fine rugby player and a key member of the famously undefeated Worksop College rugby XV in 1941-1942. Carmichael played for multiple representative rugby sides in his last year at Worksop including the Northern Public Schools XV and the Rest of England XV (in the latter match he scored three tries) – all of the sides he played in, won!

After Worksop, Carmichael joined the Royal Navy as a combat pilot and it was during the Korean War that he became famous for shooting down a jet-engined MiG 15 whilst piloting a piston-engined Hawker Sea Fury:

“Eight MiGs came at us out of the sun. I did not see them at first, and my No. 4, 'Smoo' Ellis, gave a break when he noticed tracer streaming past his fuselage.”

“We all turned towards the MiGs and commenced a 'scissors'. It soon became apparent that four MiGs were after each section of two Furies, but by continuing our break turns, we presented impossible targets. They made no attempt to bracket us. One MiG came at me head on. I saw his heavy tracer shells. I fired a burst, then he flashed past me. I believe Carl got some hits on him too. This aircraft then broke away, and went head on to my Nos 3 and 4, Lieutenant Pete Davies and 'Smoo' Ellis. They were seen to get good hits on one who broke away with smoke coming from him.” Take Off magazine, Part 84, pp. 2338–2339.

Peter Carmichael died in 1997 and the below photo of him appeared alongside his obituary from the Guardian.

Peter Carmichael on Wikipedia

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