Ernest Swinton (d1915)
Ernest Swinton ( -1915)
1916 Obituary [1]
LIEUTENANT ERNEST SWINTON served his engineering apprenticeship at Widnes, whence he obtained a scholarship which enabled him to take the course in Engineering at Liverpool University. At the end of three years he was awarded a Diploma in Electrical Engineering. He also acted as President of the University Engineering Society and took a prominent part in other University activities, notably as an athlete.
After leaving he became Assistant Engineer at the Lister Drive Power Station of the Corporation.
When war broke out he made application for a commission at the earliest possible moment. After serving some time with the Lancashire Fortress Royal Engineers at Buncrana, he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery.
A brother officer, writing from the front, of Lieut. Swinton, says:— "He had taken the place of an officer in charge of trench mortar, who had been wounded in the early part of the fight commencing16th May, last. At a certain point, where the Infantry had been held up by the German machine guns placed in a strongly fortified farm, he brought up his men and the trench mortars to within a short distance of the farm, and succeeded in putting forty-six bombs into the place, reducing it to ruins, and enabling the Infantry to advance."
It was on the following day that he received his death wounds. They necessitated the amputation of his right hand and leg, and, while he progressed sufficiently to enable him to be removed from France, he ultimately succumbed in hospital in London on 29th May, 1915.
Mr. Swinton was elected a Student of the Liverpool Engineering Society on the 22nd March, 1911.