SWANTON, John
| Service Number: | 222 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 August 1914, Randwick, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Werribee, Victoria, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Werribee, Wyndham, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shearer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Ottoman Empire, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 2 May 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Werribee Shire Great War Roll of Honor, Werribee St Thomas' Church of England Honor Board, Werribee State School Honour Board, Werribee War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Randwick, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 222, 2nd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 222, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Sydney | |
| 2 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 222, 2nd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli |
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"Private J. Swanton (killed in action) was the third son of Mr. S. Swanton, of Werribee. He enlisted in New South Wales, where he was working us a shearer when war was declared. He was 26 years of age. An elder brother of the fallen soldier is now on the way to the front. Two of his cousins are also in the firing line." - from the Melbourne Age 21 Jun 1915 (nla.gov.au)
"TWO COUSINS KILLED.
Mrs S. Swanton of Werribee, has received a letter of condolence upon the death of her son Private J. Swanton, from seven members of his company. An account of how he died has been sent to her by his cousin Private W. H. Dukelow, who was with him when he was hit. Private Dukelow who has himself since been killed, in his letter says -
"I know that Jack shot five or six of the enemy at different times. He was one of the best shots in the company. We were fighting together when he got hit. We kept together, so, if one of us got hit the other would take him back, and not leave him to the enemy. Three men were shot around me, and Jack was the fourth. As soon as he got hit he asked me to take him back. I don't know how I escaped. The bullets were flying in hundreds while I was carrying him back to the trenches. I could only get along slowly. He had fainted and was quite helpless. He was shot about 10 o'clock in the morning and died at 4 the same evening. He was unconscious most of the time. He was buried by our boys the next morning in a little cleared space at the foot of the hills near the beach. I think it is an old orchard. There is long barley grass growing there, and a few fruit trees of some kind. It is a peaceful spot, at the foot of the valley." - from the Melbourne Argus 24 Jul 1915 (nla.gov.au)
Brothers: 1159 Pte. George Beamish SWANTON (/explore/people/378645) and 2760 Pte. Henry SWANTON (/explore/people/105156)
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