Cyril Lowe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cyril Lowe

Birth name	Cyril Lowe
Date of birth	(1891-10-07)7 October 1891
Place of birth	Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England
Date of death	6 February 1983(1983-02-06) (aged 91)
School	Dulwich College
University	Cambridge University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1911–1913 1913– Cambridge University Blackheath () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1913–1923 England 25 (58)
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Years of service	1914–1919 1921–1944
Rank	Group Captain
Unit	Army Service Corps No. 11 Squadron RFC No. 24 Squadron RFC/RAF
Commands held	No. 602 City of Glasgow (Bombing) Squadron AAF No. 1 Squadron RAF No. 6 Armoured Car Company No. 43 (Fighter) Squadron Oxford University Air Squadron
Battles/wars	World War I Western Front World War II
Awards	Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross

Cyril Nelson "Kit" Lowe (born October 7, 1891 – died February 6, 1983) was an amazing English rugby union player. He held England's record for scoring the most tries in international games for over 60 years! He was also a brave First World War pilot, known as a "flying ace," with nine victories. Some people even say he was the inspiration for the famous book character "Biggles".

Early Life and School

Cyril Lowe was born in Holbeach, a town in Lincolnshire, England. He went to Dulwich College, a boarding school. He was very good at many sports there, including boxing, athletics, swimming, cricket, and rugby.

In 1911, he was the captain of the athletics team. He also played for the school's main cricket team. He played alongside future famous cricketers like Arthur Gilligan, who would later captain the England team.

But rugby was where he really shined! He played for the school's top rugby team from 1908. In 1909, his team was unbeaten. This team had five players who would later play for their countries. They were called the 'Famous Five'. Cyril Lowe was one of them. He even captained the school's rugby team in 1910–11.

Even though he was a great athlete, Lowe wasn't very big. He was about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed around 133 pounds. Because he was small, his school nickname was "Tich" Lowe.

After school, he went to Cambridge University. He continued to play rugby there and was a top player.

Rugby Career Highlights

Cyril Lowe started playing for the England rugby team in 1913 while still at Cambridge. His international career lasted through the First World War. He scored an amazing 18 tries in 25 international matches. He was on the losing side only three times!

He helped England win the Grand Slam four times before he retired in 1923. A Grand Slam means winning every game in the Five Nations Championship. In 1914, he scored eight tries in the Championship. This is still a record, only matched by one other player.

After university, Lowe played for Blackheath. He also represented the Royal Air Force on the Rugby Union Committee.

The First World War stopped his rugby career for a few years. He didn't play for England again until 1920. He retired from international rugby in 1923. His record of 18 tries for England lasted for 66 years! Another Royal Air Force pilot, Rory Underwood, finally broke his record in 1989.

International Tries

Lowe being tackled by Dedet during a match against France in 1913.

Here is a list of the tries Cyril Lowe scored for England:

Statistics

Try	Opposing team	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result
1	Ireland	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	14 February 1914	Won
2	Ireland	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	14 February 1914	Won
3	Scotland	Inverleith, Scotland	Inverleith	Five Nations Championship	21 March 1914	Won
4	Scotland	Inverleith, Scotland	Inverleith	Five Nations Championship	21 March 1914	Won
5	Scotland	Inverleith, Scotland	Inverleith	Five Nations Championship	21 March 1914	Won
6	France	Colombes near Paris, France	Colombes Stadium	Five Nations Championship	13 April 1914	Won
7	France	Colombes near Paris, France	Colombes Stadium	Five Nations Championship	13 April 1914	Won
8	France	Colombes near Paris, France	Colombes Stadium	Five Nations Championship	13 April 1914	Won
9	Ireland	Dublin, Ireland	Lansdowne Road	Five Nations Championship	14 February 1920	Won
10	Scotland	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	20 March 1920	Won
11	Wales	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	15 January 1921	Won
12	Ireland	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	12 February 1921	Won
13	France	Colombes near Paris, France	Colombes Stadium	Five Nations Championship	28 March 1921	Won
14	Wales	Cardiff, Wales	Cardiff Arms Park	Five Nations Championship	21 January 1922	Lost
15	Ireland	Dublin, Ireland	Lansdowne Road	Five Nations Championship	11 February 1922	Won
16	Scotland	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	18 March 1922	Won
17	Scotland	Twickenham, England	Twickenham	Five Nations Championship	18 March 1922	Won
18	Ireland	Leicester, England	Welford Road Stadium	Five Nations Championship	10 February 1923	Won

Military Service

First World War Hero

When the First World War began in 1914, Cyril Lowe joined the army. He became an officer in the Royal Army Service Corps. Later, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, which was the air force at the time.

He became a pilot and was part of No. 11 Squadron. He flew a plane called an F.E.2b. On March 15, 1917, he got his first victory, destroying an enemy aircraft. He continued to fly bravely.

In 1918, he joined No. 24 Squadron and flew a faster plane called an S.E.5a. Between April and July 1918, he achieved seven more victories. This brought his total to nine enemy planes destroyed or forced down. This made him a "flying ace."

For his bravery, Lowe received two important awards:

• The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in August 1918. This award is for courage while flying.
• The Military Cross (MC) in September 1918. This award is for bravery during battle.

His award citations described his amazing courage. For example, he once attacked 26 enemy planes with only one working gun! Another time, his plane was on fire, but he still helped a fellow pilot.

After the War

After the First World War ended, Lowe left the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1919. However, he returned to the RAF in 1921. He continued to serve and was promoted over the years.

He became a squadron leader in 1925. He commanded different squadrons, including No. 602 City of Glasgow Squadron and No. 1 Squadron in Iraq.

By 1928, he was commanding No. 43 Squadron in England. This squadron became famous for their amazing aerobatic displays (fancy flying tricks!).

Lowe was promoted to wing commander in 1933. He became the chief instructor for the Oxford University Air Squadron. He retired from the RAF as a group captain in 1944.

Cyril Lowe passed away in 1983 at the age of 91. He is remembered as a great rugby player and a brave pilot.

See also

• List of top English points scorers and try scorers