1919 ABSENT VOTERS LIST - PRESTON
SWARBRICKS - FURTHER DETAILS:
SWARBRICK, William Medal Index Card: Swarbrick William Aloysius, Lancashire Fusiliers, Captain Victory medal British medal Died 6th September 1920 Theatre of war: France Date of entry therein: 29th January 1916 Medal Index Card Lancashire Fusiliers W A Swarbrick Temp. 2nd Lt LGS [London Gazette] Vol 29890 page 226 MID [Mentioned In Dispatches] SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 JANUARY, 1916 The Lancashire Fusiliers The under mentioned to be temporary Second Lieutenants (on probation): Dated 6th January, 1916 William Aloysius Swarbrick. The Times, Thursday, Jan 04, 1917; pg. 3; Issue 41367; col A Mentioned in Dispatches. Sir Douglas Haig's List, Second Section. Lancashire Fusiliers Swarbrick temporary 2nd Lt W. A. SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 22 MARCH, 1917 The under mentioned to be temp. Lts: — Temp. 2nd Lt. W. A. Swarbrick 13 Dec. 1916. SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 NOVEMBER, 1917 The under mentioned temporary Lts. to be acting Captains (additional): W. A. Swarbrick. 23 Aug. 1917. SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 JANUARY, 1918 The under mentioned temporary Lts. (acting. Captains) to be temporary Captains: — W. A. Swarbrick. 4 July 1917. SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 4 SEPTEMBER, 1919 Temp. Captain W. A. Swarbrick, Serv. Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers, to be an Education Officer, vice temp. Lt. W. H. Youdale, Serv. Bn., Border Regiment, who relinquishes the acting rank of Captain 1st May 1919. SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 27 APRIL 1920 Temp. Capt. W. A. Swarbrick, Serv. Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers ceases to be employed as an Education. Officer 12th Feb. 1920 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 29 JULY, 1920 Lancashire Fusiliers Temp. Capt. W. A. Swarbrick relinquishes his commission on account of ill health 30 July 1920, and retains the rank of Captain The Preston Roll of Honour gives the following: Address: 27, St Ignatius Square, Preston Occupation: Schoolmaster Unit: Lancashire Fusiliers Rank: Captain Died: 6th September 1920 Remarks: Contracted endo-carditis whilst on active service The Roll also has William with the award of the M.C. and the Croix de Guerre [Belgium] – I have been unable to find any official confirmation of either. However, William was prominent in the events of 22nd October 1917, part of the battle of Passchendaele, and it may well be that he was recommended for a medal for his part in the following events: Extract from "Salford Pals" by Michael Stedman: '22 October 1917 – Boesinghe The attack was launched at 5.35am by the other three Battalions of the Brigade. At this time the Battalion was in Brigade Reserve, disposed as follows:- Battalion Headquarters were at PASCAL FARM. “W” and “Y” Companies were in shell holes on the line PASCAL FARM – VEE BEND, and “X” and “Z” Companies were in the rear of that line. At 8.38am orders were received from the G.O.C. 104th Infantry Brigade to send two companies to the line ADEN HOUSE – LES CINQ CHEMINS, with a view to reinforcing the 23rd Manchesters and gaining touch with the troops on the right and left. The telegram containing the order also gave information that the 23rd Manchesters were believed to be back in our original line. “W” and “Z” Companies were ordered to move up under the command of Captain WA Swarbrick, who was instructed to report to OC 23rd Manchesters at EGYPT HOUSE. Captain Swarbrick reached EGYPT HOUSE at 10.15am and received the following information from OC 23rd Manchesters: (1). The 23rd Manchesters, having suffered severe casualties had withdrawn from original line. (2). Nothing was known of the 101st Brigade on the right. (3). The 18th Lancashire Fusiliers had advanced but the position on their right flank was unknown. (4). The 17th Lancashire Fusiliers had reached their final objective. The two companies then took up a position organised in depth on the line U.6.d.9.8 to V.1.c.5.4. This movement was carried out under heavy hostile fire. Officer’s patrols were sent out to gain touch with the enemy and the flank Battalions. The enemy were holding the HUTS (V.1.a) and were seen in small parties in V.1.a, V.1.b and V.2.a. They fired on our parties. No touch could be obtained with the 18th Lancashire Fusiliers on the left, but at 12.15pm touch was gained with the right of the 17th Lancashire Fusiliers at about U.6.b.9.6. At 1.00pm an Officer’s patrol could only find five wounded men of the left Battalion of the 101st Brigade. At 9.00 am “X” Company had been ordered to occupy the position vacated by “W” Company on the PASCAL FARM – VEE BEND line. At 10.30am the Brigade ordered the remainder of the Battalion to occupy the line ADEN HOUSE – LES CINQ CHEMINS with a view to forming a defensive flank on the right. The Commanding Officer immediately proceeded to EGYPT HOUSE and “X” and “Y” Companies were ordered to move to a position immediately behind EGYPT HOUSE, where the Commanding Officer issued definite orders when the situation was clearly ascertained. At about 2.00pm the GOCs order, giving the line to be consolidated and held, was received. “Y” Company then took up the following position:- One Platoon and two Sections echeloned behind “Z” Company with their right just in front of ADEN HOUSE, two Sections with two Lewis Guns south of the TURENNE CROSSING – LES CINQ CHEMINS Road, to protect the right flank. “X” Company were held in reserve about ANGLE POINT. A very heavy barrage delayed “X” Company, who finally took up their position about 5.45pm. Patrols from “Y” Company failed to get in touch that night with the 11th Suffolks, who according to information received had occupied the line from COLIBRI FARM to ADEN HOUSE. Touch was gained about 12 noon next day at about V.1.c.95.40. William was wounded slightly during the course of this day; he was treated at the front and remained with his men.' William Aloysius Swarbrick was born on 4th August 1890 in Preston the son of Thomas and Sarah [Swarbrick] Swarbrick. In 1911 he was living in Hammersmith, London, where he was a student at St Mary’s Catholic Teacher Training College. Britain declared war on Germany on his 24th birthday. He served with the 20th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers [4th Salford Pals] until it was disbanded in February 1918 when he was transferred to the 17th Battalion. See also the entries for his brothers, Richard Ignatius and Robert Aloysius |
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