SWAIN, Harry Leslie
| Service Numbers: | 278, Q185164 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 May 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 1MD / Qld Area Lines of Communication |
| Born: | Leytonstone, England, 28 November 1884 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | St Bonaventure Grammar School, Upton Park Essex UK |
| Occupation: | Waterside worker |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 18 February 1968, aged 83 years |
| Cemetery: |
Albany Creek Memorial Park-Cemetery & Crematorium, QLD Cremated |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Sep 1914: | Embarked Private, 278, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Omrah, Brisbane | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1914: | Involvement Private, 278, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Omrah embarkation_ship_number: A5 public_note: '' |
World War 2 Service
| 16 May 1940: | Involvement Captain, Q185164 | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 1940: | Enlisted Q185164 | |
| 16 May 1940: | Enlisted | |
| 6 Apr 1944: | Discharged Q185164 | |
| 6 Apr 1944: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Captain, Q185164, 1MD / Qld Area Lines of Communication |
Served in WWII
AIF -CMF Q185164
From 16/5/1940 to 6/4/1944.
At Victoria Barracks in Brisbane and IX in the Northern Command in Mackay.
Army would not accept his title of Major as he had received it after 11/11/1918 even though he had been an Acting Major.
Received the MC in WWI at Mouquet Farm on 3 Sep 1916.
Submitted 4 December 2024 by Margaret Cooper
Biography contributed by Margaret Cooper
Harry Leslie Swain born Leytonstone Essex England 28/11/1881 known as "Snowy", fourth child of five children to William Henry Swain and Marey Anne Eleanor Lucy Wilkes. He married twice and had five children.
Educated St Bonaventure Grammar School, Upton Park, Essex and another college to pass an Exam Class 11. He travelled to Norway and Sweden for six weeks in 1898. He worked as a cashier at Slaughter & May solicitors for a few years and later Willing & Co. Was in partnership with his brother and cousin in a business of hay and straw (to feed the horses). His father worked for the London Omnibus Co.
In 1900 he joined the 2nd Royal Fusiliers Private 9093 and went to South Africa during the Boer War.
In 1908 he migrated to Australia landing in Sydney and travelling to Brisbane where he undertook wool classing at the Technical College (only opened the year before). Practical experience at Eurella Homestead where he felt the "Australian Spirit" - he fell in love with Australia "the Sunshine Country" he called it.
16/8/1914 joined WWI Private 278 9th Battalion B Company leaving Brisbane on HMAT Omrah on 22/9/1914. Then 19/10/1914 left Melbourne for Albany WA. 1/11/1914 convoy left Albany along with 35 troopships and three warships. Eventually arriving at Mena Camp Egypt on 6/12/1914.
ANZACS born. 2/3/1915 Left Egypt on Ionian for Lemnos. Landed at Galliopli 25 April.
Private George Frederick Addison 200 B Company wounded that day describes what happened including the following:
"a bullet had gone through my leg into the chap lying next to me - neither of us could walk, our men had retired and the Turks were advancing. I crawled back to the brink of the hill, and imagine my delight when I saw a chap from our section named Swain, taking a spell under cover before he made a rush across an open glad which we had to cross to get bacto the next hill. Well, I cannot tell you what a Briton that chap was; how he stuck to me and dragged me across that glade under a shower of lead. Progress was very slow but he eventually go me back to the stretcher-bearers and the beach by 3pm . . ."
Biography contributed by Margaret Cooper
9/5/15 promoted to Lance Corporal
4/7/15 promoted to Corporal
24/7/15 promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
Aug 15 sick - hospital ship - UK
Jan 16 returned to Egypt
27/2/16 9th Battalion broken into two. Harry 49th Battalion Divison 4, 13 & 30th Brigade
Left for Western Front
17/3/16 promoted to Lieutenant
4/4/16 promoted to Captain
12/6/16 appointed Adjutant
4/9/16 recvd Military Cross at Mouquet Farm, Pozieres
Wounded right arm - sent to hospital UK
28/10/16 returned to France reappointed Adjutant
3/4/17 gun shot wound left knee
25/7/18 promoted Temporary Major
July-Oct Senior Officers Training Academy Sandhurst
18/10/18 H L Swain marries Edith Annie Webb at Clacton on Sea Essex
Oct 1919 left UK aboard "Katoomba" after 5yrs 101 days abroad; 5 yrs 2 days in Military service
16/8/14 - 25/11/1919.
WWII
5/9/1939
Telegram to Inspector Wade "Have instructed Swain report you immediately. Treloar
16/5/1940 called up to join Citizens Military Forces, Victoria Barracks, Brisbane until 6/4/1944.
Northern Command 1X, Mackay - May 40- 1942
Australian Intelligence Corps.
Passport Officer Feb-April.
completed service 6 April 1944.
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