SWANSON, Henry William
| Service Number: | 5210 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Rozelle, New South Wales, Australia, 2 November 1894 |
| Home Town: | Rozelle, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor in Sydney |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 15 May 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5210, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Makarini embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5210, 4th Infantry Battalion, SS Makarini, Sydney | |
| 1 Nov 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5210, 4th Infantry Battalion, Shrapnel to his left arm. Recovered from wound but not fit for front line. Rejoined his unit on 7th April 1917. | |
| 15 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 5210, 54th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5210 awm_unit: 54th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-05-15 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Henry William SWANSON (Service Number 5210) was born on 2nd November 1894 at Rozelle. He first worked for the NSW Tramways as a cleaner in the Electrical Branch from 12th May 1913. In November he transferred to the Traffic Branch as a junior. On 14th November 1914 became a tram conductor. Swanson was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 5th January 1916. He enlisted at Liverpool soon after. He gave as his next of kin a friend, May Burgess Owen, but this was later changed to his father Henry Swanson. He claimed 18 months military service with the 29th Infantry Brigade.
He was allotted to the 16th Reinforcements to the 4th Battalion. He embarked SS ‘Makarini’ at Sydney on 1st April 1916 and reached Suez a month later on 1st May. He was promoted to Acting Corporal at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt on 8th May and then travelled to England, On 15th June he was admitted to the hospital at Perham Downs and reverted to the rank of Private. He remained in hospital for a month a. He proceeded overseas to France on 30th September 1916. He joined the 54th Battalion on 12th October. He was wounded in action on 1st November 1916 with shrapnel to his left arm. He recovered from this wound, though not fit for the front line. On 27th November he was admitted to hospital again with scabies, and in December with laryngitis.
On 23rd December 1916 he was charged with the crime that ‘when on active service interfering with prisoners when under close arrest’. For this offence he was penalised with three days Field Punishment No. 2. Despite this blot on his copybook he was promoted to Acting Corporal a few days later. However, he reverted to Private before he re-joined his unit in the field on 7th April 1917.
Swanson was killed in action on 15 Mayth 1917 at Bullecourt. Pte E J Rochester (2671) reported on two men whose deaths were being researched:
‘I knew them both pretty well. In the Bullecourt Sector on 14 May, 4 a.m. we were in support trenches. I saw a shell drop near Harley and Swanson and bury them. I helped to dig them out; they were both dead. Harley was killed by a piece of shell; Swanson was unwounded but died of suffocation. They were dug up immediately; there was about 5 feet of earth over them. We could not have been more than three minutes getting to them. Their paybooks and other papers were taken by Sergt. Maj. Healy of the 54th Batt., B.Co., who was killed next morning.’
Other reports suggest that once the men were found dead, they were simply recovered. and this became their "grave". Other accounts speak of a distinct grave nearby. In any case, Swanson has no known grave and is remembered at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial France.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.