Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lyell Keith Swann, MM - ANZAC Spirit

Background

Lyell Keith Swann, was born on May 18th 1895 in Keyneton, just outside of the Barossa Valley, South Australia. He had two older brothers, Gordon and Roy. He attended Keyneton Primary School until he moved to Adelaide when he was 10. His education continued at Unley Primary school. After primary school, he went to Kyre College (Scotch College), Adelaide, then attended Prince Alfred College in Adelaide in 1908. Bright and a perfect student, he was an excellent player at tennis and cricket.

An active Christian, he worshipped and taught Sunday School at Parkside Methodist Church. He worked as a bank clerk at the Savings Bank of South Australia, on Currie Street, Adelaide until he enlisted in the army at the age of 20.

Swann was under no illusions when he made the most critical decision in his life; to enlist in the war. The horrors of Gallipoli were well underway and his brother, Roy, was fighting there. According to his diaries, Swann believed that God was calling him to do it for his country. However, his reluctant mother, Alvena, discouraged him from enlisting while he was 18. Finally, in 1916, the family fearing they would crush Keith’s purpose in life, agreed.

Life and service on the Western Front.

Swann enlisted on March 14th 1916, and was placed in the 3rd Reinforcements, 43rd Battalion AIF. He embarked on August 28th 1916, from Adelaide on HMAT “Anchises” (A68), as an acting Sergeant in command of his own platoon. Once in Britain, the 43rd Battalion, 3rd Reinforcements was transferred (due to lack of numbers ) to the 40th Battalion (largely a Tasmanian-sourced unit) at Lark Hill as part of the Third Division. This took Swann to the Western Front in early December 1916.

In June 1917, Swann fought in Belgium, in the successful deliberate attack at Messines and later took part in Third Ypres and the bitter attack at Passchendaele. At Messines, he commanded a platoon and seized an enemy trench before attacking and successfully holding four key bridges over the Douvebeek River while under heavy shell-fire. This was a major achievement, as it allowed other battalions to cross the river. Swann was then recommended and awarded the Military Medal. This was given to non-commissioned officers, staff sergeants or below, for gallantry in battle.

Unlike Messines, the Passchendaele attack was devised quickly, ineffectively, and made worse by the torrential rain. Swann diarizes “I was laying in mud 4 or 5 inches deep.” German pillboxes also made it very hard to advance. For the rest of the year, Swann was busy leading fatigue parties and being a platoon sergeant.

Whilst under adverse conditions, Swann, as many men did, complained about the cold weather and muddy trenches in his diaries. For Swann, this was a day-to-day occurrence at the front and like most of his colleagues, he stuck it out.

On August 13th 1917, he had applied for the Australian Flying Corps, believing he could be of greater service and eager for more action, and was accepted on January 22nd, 1918. He graduated as a pilot on October 19th 1918 and was placed in the 4th Australian Flying Corps Squadron and went over to their headquarters in France near Lille.

Finally, on November 11th 1918, Swann was to go on his first mission as a pilot escorting bombers. However, the raid was cancelled, as the war was to end officially at 11am. on that day. On November 13th, he and two colleagues went to practise a formation 'flip' or sortie. However, upon returning they missed the aerodrome due to the weather and landed at the 21st RAF Squadron aerodrome.

The next day, just after 11am. while taking off bound for home base, Swann was seen to spin his plane at about 300ft. before crashing into the ground. Taken unconscious to the 63rd Causality Clearing Station, he had a broken and crushed leg, broken skull and internal bleeding. At 6pm. his left leg was amputated but nothing changed and he passed away, unconscious, at 9:40 pm. Just three days after the end of World War I.

During the war, Swann’s attitudes reflected great conviction. Commanding a platoon and changing an attack plan at the last minute, is one example of resourcefulness and effectiveness that he showed at Messines. Very modest, as a British soldier writes, “he never told us about getting the Military Medal; … when I asked Keith how he won it, he looked very shy and said, ‘Oh! They are not uncommon – it was at Messines. I had to take charge and we came through alright.’” Swann believed he should not have received the medal, writing, he “really did not deserve it but there you are.” The same British soldier also wrote, “he seems to find life a very happy state, abounding with humour, and this in spite of the horrors of war, which fortunately don’t leave ‘the smell of fire upon him."

Swann showed humour in his life and diaries. He also displayed pride, writing, “I received my Commission and I was a very proud man I can tell you.” Another Englishman who served with Swann for a few days mentioned that even though Keith was “only with us for a few days, he made friends with everyone he met.” Friends agreed “to know Keith was to love him.” He also joined the flying corps because he believed he could do more for the war effort in that branch of service.

On October 15th 1918, Swann crashed his first Camel, completely writing it off, Swann later writes, “I was not hurt or shaken up in the least and still have as much faith in the machine as ever.” He was not scared of the machine, but rather loved it. He kept faith in the machine even when he and many others also crashed.

He was an experienced flyer, but even veteran flyers found that the Sopwith Camel was the hardest to fly. 90% of the weight was in the front seven feet making control difficult. Taking off, however, was the hardest to learn and this procedure killed the most people flying the plane. Unfortunately, it included Keith Swann too. The fuel tank affected the front weight of the aircraft especially on take off and is a risk until the planes levels. The rotary engine induced a lot of torque at high revs such as during takeoff and climb out. This is the underlying reason why Swann’s plane accidently crashed.