John
Edgar Hill
Swain
Born before [location unknown]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of
Te Rima Eugenie (Young) Swain
— married
1919 in Plantagenet, Western Australia, Australia
Father of
John R H Swain, Vernon Rima Howarth (Swain) Spence and Gloria Mary Virginia (Swain) Stevens
Died
after age 41
in Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Profile last modified
| Created 4 Apr 2022
This page has been accessed 31 times.
Biography
John Swain is an Anzac who served in World War One.
John Edgar Hill Swain was born before 1894.
On 10th September 1914, within weeks of the declaration of the (First World) War, John enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, his young nation's overseas expeditionary force. He was allocated to the 12th Australian Infantry Battalion, 3rd Brigade. [1] After seven weeks of basic training, he embarked at Fremantle with his unit on 31st October aboard HMAT Medic A7, arriving in Egypt in time for Christmas. [2]
John Swain was wounded at Gallipoli during The Great War.
The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 and so was the first ashore at around 4:30am. The battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC position. [3] Wounded early in the campaign, he was repatriated to Australia 10th June 1915 and discharged, being certified 'unfit for further service'. Certainly no shirker, John had already attained the senior non-commissioned rank of Lance Sergeant. [4]
For some, that may have been the end of their military service, but not for John. He subsequently stowed away on a troopship for England and there enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, becoming a pilot. [5]
Following the war, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
He made his way back to Western Australia, where, in 1919 John married Terima Young in Plantagenet. [6] They had three children at Plantagenet:
- John R H (1920-21)
- Vernon R H (1922-)
- Gloria Mary Virginia (1924-)
He passed away in 1935 in Perth. [7]
Sources
- ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: 975 Lance Sergeant John Edgar Swain; accessed 4 Apr 2022
- ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: 975 Lance Sergeant John Edgar Swain; accessed 4 Apr 2022
- ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 12th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 4 Apr 2022
- ↑ record of being wounded is yet to be located; that he was wounded is not in question in light of his early return to Australia
- ↑ The West Australian (Perth, WA: 1879-1954) Mon 11 Sep 1950 Page 1 PILOT KILLED IN KOREA; WIDOW A PERTH GIRL; accessed 31 Mar 2021
- ↑ Western Australia Marriage Index #41/1919
- ↑ Western Australia Death Index #1833/1935
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Featured National Park champion connections: John is 26 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 29 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 28 degrees from George Catlin, 31 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 41 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 30 degrees from George Grinnell, 33 degrees from Anton Kröller, 29 degrees from Stephen Mather, 26 degrees from Kara McKean, 34 degrees from John Muir, 24 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 39 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
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Categories: Royal Flying Corps, World War I | 12th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, World War I | 1914-1915 Star | British War Medal | Victory Medal | Anzacs, World War I | Wounded in Action, Australia, World War I