Edwin (Ted) Essery Swales
VC DFC (3 July 1915 – 23 February 1945) was a South African pilot and
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
hero. He was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross and posthumously the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
.
Early life and career
Edwin Essery Swales was one of four children born in Inanda,
Natal
NATAL or Natal may refer to:
Places
* Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil
* Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa
** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843)
** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
to Harry Evelyn Swales, who was a farmer in the Heatonville district, and Olive Miriam Essery. Following the death of her husband in the
influenza epidemic of 1918-19, Mrs Swales and her children moved to the
Berea, Durban
The Berea is a ridge above the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on the northern side which overlooks the city centre and the Indian Ocean. Berea is also used as a collective designation for the suburbs in the area. It has been describe ...
. Here, Edwin Swales attended
Durban Preparatory High School and
Durban High School
Durban High School is an all-boys public school in Durban, South Africa.
DHS opened its doors in 1866 in two rooms and with seven pupils in Smith Street. From there it moved to a disused granary in Cato Square in 1880, just after the Zulu ...
(DHS). As a young lad, Edwin had also been a
Boy Scout, at the 4th Durban Scout Troop. After leaving school, and prior to the Second World War, Edwin Swales worked for
Barclays Bank (Dominion Colonial and Overseas - DCO) in Durban. Swales had joined the
Natal Mounted Rifles
NATAL or Natal may refer to:
Places
* Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil
* Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa
** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843)
** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...
before the War, rising to the rank of
Sergeant Major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...
, (officially, a
Warrant Officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
, 2nd Class). With the N.M.R., in the early part of the War, he saw action in
Kenya
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Abyssinia
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...
and in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. He then transferred to the
South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
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on 17 January 1942.
Swales was also very keen on sport generally, and enjoyed rugby. He played for both civilian (pre-war) and various military teams. After playing for the DHS 2nd XV, he later played rugby for a number of South African and Dominion teams, whilst he was in the United Kingdom, during the War years. He played for
Griquas
The Griquas (; af, Griekwa, often confused with ''!Orana'', which is written as ''Korana'' or ''Koranna'') are a subgroup of heterogeneous former Khoe-speaking nations in Southern Africa with a unique origin in the early history of the Cap ...
when he had been posted to Kimberley for training. He was also a reserve for the Natal rugby team, without ever actually playing for the province. He received his wings at Kimberley on 26 June 1943. On 22 August 1943, he was seconded to the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) while retaining his South African Air Force uniform and rank.
Second World War
Following successful period of training on heavy bombers, Swales was posted, in June 1944, to the elite RAF
Pathfinder Force
The Pathfinders were target-marking squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were norma ...
(with
582 Squadron), part of
No. 8 Pathfinder Group, at
Little Staughton, in
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire (; abbreviated Hunts) is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire and a historic county of England. The district council is based in Huntingdon. Other towns include St Ives, Godmanchester, St Neots and Ramsey. The popu ...
. It was normal for the Pathfinders to accept only experienced pilots who had completed a full tour on bombers. Although Swales had never spent any time as a bomber pilot in a standard heavy bomber squadron, Swales went straight into the squadron.
Swales' first operational flight for
582 Squadron was on 12 July 1944. Newly promoted to captain on 4 November 1944, he took part in a daring daylight bombing raid on 23 December, on the Gremberg railway yards,
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, Germany. The
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...
for the
raid on Cologne was his close friend,
Robert Palmer, who normally flew
Mosquitos
Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning "gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "litt ...
with
109 Squadron, also based at Little Staughton. Swales was the number two Pathfinder, leading the main flight and following Palmer as he marked the target. Palmer, who had completed 110 bombing raids, was killed as his
Lancaster, despite being damaged by flak and with two engines on fire, crashed after completing its bombing run. Palmer was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross – becoming the 2nd Pathfinder pilot to be so honoured. Six of the 30 aircraft on this operation were lost.
For his actions on the Cologne raid, Edwin Swales was subsequently awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation reads:
Victoria Cross
In 1945, while with the RAF Pathfinders (No. 582 Squadron), Swales was the Master Bomber and captain of
Avro Lancaster III PB538. On 23 February 1945, the very day as his D.F.C. award was gazetted, Swales led the bombing raid on Pforzheim, Germany (not far from Karlsruhe and the Rhine River), where 17,600 civilians were killed.
The 'sortie', his 43rd operational flight, consisted of 367 Lancasters supported by 13 Mosquitos. The marking and bombing, from a relatively low 8,000 feet (2440m), were accurate and severe damage was inflicted on Pforzheim: 1,825 tons (1854 tonnes) of bombs were dropped in 22 minutes. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 83% of the town's built-up area was destroyed, probably the greatest proportion of a city destroyed in any one raid during the war. Ten Lancasters were lost and two more crashed in France.
Swales' aircraft was attacked by an Me110 whose fire shattered one engine and holed the fuel tanks. They were attacked again by the same fighter which knocked out a second engine. Swales decided to try and make it to friendly territory. The weather closed in and he ordered the crew to bail out. He attempted to put his Lancaster down but it stalled and crashed near
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
, west of
Prouvy
Prouvy () is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France.
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Nord department
References
Communes of Nord (French departmen ...
, 3 km SSE of
Denain
Denain (; pcd, Dnain) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Denain had a population of 19,877, on a land area of 11.52 km² (4.448 sq mi).
It is the largest of 47 communes which comprise the Communauté d'agglomération ...
in northern France killing him. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross – the 3rd and last Pathfinder pilot to be so honoured. All had been posthumous.
Citation
Swales' VC citation reads:
Legacy
Originally buried at Fosse's USA Cemetery, his remains now lie at the War Cemetery at
Leopoldsburg
Leopoldsburg (; french: Bourg-Léopold, ; li, Leopolsbörch) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006, Leopoldsburg had a total population of 14,403. The total area is 22.49 km² (8.68 sq mi) which ...
, near
Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, Plot No.8, Row C, Grave No.5.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, KCB, OBE, AFC, of
RAF Bomber Command, wrote a letter to Swales' mother, saying, inter-alia:
Although often referred to as being a "captain" at the time of his last flight, Swales was in fact an 'acting' major. The S.A.A.F. was using the army ranking system, hence the ranks of 'captain' and of 'major'. At the time of his death on 23 February 1945, Swales was aged 29 years. In 1958, the British Air Ministry wrote to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission informing them that the South African Air Force authorities had confirmed that at the time of his death, Swales had in fact held the rank of major. The front page of the program for the opening of the
S.A.A.F. Memorial in
Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...
on 31 May 1950, described Mrs. Olive Swales (who opened the Memorial) as being the "mother of the Late Major Edwin Swales, DFC, VC".
Awards and recognition
Swales was the only S.A.A.F. pilot during 1939–45 to be appointed a pathfinder master bomber and also to have been posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. The full list of the medals awarded to Swales follows:
*The
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
*The
Distinguished Flying Cross
*The
1939–1945 Star
The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Batt ...
*The
Africa Star
The Africa Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 during the Second World War.
Three clasp ...
*The
France and Germany Star
*The
Defence Medal, 1939–1945
*The
1939–1945 War Medal (Victory Medal)
*The
Africa Service Medal
The Africa Service Medal is a South African campaign medal for service during the Second World War, awarded to members of the Union Defence Forces, the South African Police and the South African Railways Police. The medal was originally intende ...
Swales' full-size war medals and some other possessions are held and displayed at the
South African National Museum of Military History
The South African National War Museum in Johannesburg was officially opened by Prime Minister Jan Smuts on 29 August 1947 to preserve the history of South Africa's involvement in the Second World War. In 1975, the museum was renamed the South Af ...
in Saxonwold, Johannesburg.
At his old school, Durban High School (founded in 1866), a school '
House' is named Swales House. In the city of Durban, there was a major arterial road named 'Edwin Swales VC Drive'. In terms of a controversial decision made by the
eThekwini Municipality, Swales' name was expunged, and the road's name changed to honour instead noted
anti-apartheid figure
Solomon Mahlangu
Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu (10 July 1956 – 6 April 1979) was a South African freedom fighter, struggle activist and operative of the African National Congress (ANC) militant wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He was convicted of murder and hanged in ...
.
The original set of miniature medals belonging to Swales, and a silver model Lancaster bomber, are now housed in an exhibition honouring Swales at his old school, Durban High School. Many years ago, the miniature medals and the model had been sold by a member of the Swales family. After changing hands a few times, the group came up for auction in London in July 2004, at which time the medals and model were sold to a UK collector. A medal collector and D.H.S. Old Boy tracked down the buyer and convinced him to sell his recent acquisitions to the school. After four months of negotiations, the medals and model were delivered to their new home at DHS, where they were first displayed on
Armistice Day
Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, Fran ...
, 11 November 2004.
The silver model Lancaster was one of only ten such models which were commissioned by the aircraft's manufacturers, Messrs
A.V. Roe & Co. and by
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
(suppliers of the Lancaster engines) and presented to the ten Victoria Cross winners (or their families) who flew Lancasters in the Second World War. On the base stand of the model is a silver plaque inscribed: "A Tribute from the Directors of A.V. Roe & Company and Rolls-Royce Limited. To the Memory of Captain Edwin Swales," V.C., D.F.C., S.A.A.F., who was Awarded the Victoria Cross for his great Gallantry and Self-Sacrifice during Operations Against the Enemy on 23 February 1945".
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*Uys, Ian ''For Valour - S.A. V.C. Heroes'', Johannesburg, 1973
*
External links
Leopoldsburg War Cemetery of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Royal Air Force
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
See also
*
Bombing of Cologne in World War II
The German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids[Bombing of Pforzheim in World War II
During the latter stages of World War II, Pforzheim, a town in southwestern Germany, was bombed several times. The largest raid, one of the most devastating area bombardments of the war, was carried out by the Royal Air Force (RAF) on the eveni ...](_blank)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swales, Edwin
1915 births
1945 deaths
People from Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal
People from Natal
White South African people
South African people of British descent
South African recipients of the Victoria Cross
South African World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross
South African Army personnel
South African Air Force officers
South African World War II pilots
South African military personnel killed in World War II
Aviators killed by being shot down
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Bomber pilots