Welcome Home Gunner Fred

spidge · 24-08-2006, 01:31 PM

A piece on my father Fred Swallow, (1913-1982) who was a Bren Gunner in the Australian 6th Division - 19th Brigade - 2/8th Battallion.

Attachment 4633

Attachment 4634

From his enlistment in Melbourne in April1940 he went to camp at Balcombe near Frankston for his "boot" training then across to Egypt on the troop ship "Christian Huygens". (Never been able to find a photo)

Arriving in the Middle East, the 2/8th trained in Palestine and Egypt in preparation for its first campaign, against the Italians in eastern Libya.

It played only a small role at Bardia (3-5 January 1941) but suffered the heaviest casualties of any Australian unit during the battle for Tobruk (21-22 January 1941), after having to attack a strong point constructed around a line of dug-in tanks.

Dad was hit by an explosion from a mortar/shell and received three bullet wounds from machine gun fire when the fighting had supposedly finished for the day.

He received horrific injuries from the mortar, Compound Fracture (hole in the skull) in which they embedded a metal plate, his nose was virtually blown off yet fixed with plastic surgery, fingers were shattered and repaired with wire and skin grafts and also received a huge amount of shrapnel wounds, most of the metal he took with him to the grave in 1982.

As a consequence of his visual injuries, he was left in the field at first by the medics as he was thought to be dead and the later "burial detail" found him to be alive.

He spent 4 months in hospital at El Cantara in Egypt:

Attachment 4635

Attachment 4636

before being shipped back to Australia on board the "HMAHS Manunda" in June 1941.

Attachment 4637

On his return he spent time in the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and was classed as a 75% TPI however overcame many of those injuries to return to the work force, father 4 sons and retired from the Reserve Bank of Australia note printing branch in 1973 after 31 years. (He could not return to his cabinet making trade due to his injuries)

On his return from Egypt, my Uncle (Dad's younger brother) put on a welcome home dinner for family and friends and even made up a menu.

Attachment 4638

Attachment 4639

Attachment 4640

Dad laid to rest.

Plaque1.jpg

spidge · 24-08-2006, 01:42 PM

A few images that didn't come up for some reason in the original post.

Attachment 244 Attachment 245 Attachment 246

Attachment 239

52nd Airborne · 24-08-2006, 02:17 PM

Thanks for sharing Spidge!

Owen · 25-08-2006, 12:56 PM

Great stuff, Geoff.
Thanks.

Gotthard Heinrici · 25-08-2006, 03:23 PM

Spidge, Excellent posts. Thank you for sharing that info with us. You should be very proud of him.

Gnomey · 25-08-2006, 04:39 PM

Great stuff spidge, thanks for sharing.

Kyt · 30-01-2007, 03:55 PM

Hi Spidge,

any chance that you could upload the pictures again? The attachments don't work anymore and it would be a shame not to be able to see them again.

Cheers,
K

spidge · 31-01-2007, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyt

Hi Spidge,

any chance that you could upload the pictures again? The attachments don't work anymore and it would be a shame not to be able to see them again.

Cheers,
K

Wiil do!

I should be able to get them up by tonight.

Andy in West Oz · 31-01-2007, 07:00 AM

Looks like you're from excellent stock, Spidge! You must be very proud.

Cheers

Andy

spidge · 31-01-2007, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyt

Hi Spidge,

any chance that you could upload the pictures again? The attachments don't work anymore and it would be a shame not to be able to see them again.

Cheers,
K

All are still not opening for some reason except the one of the HMAHS Manunda

Will try and work it out, otherwise it will be up to Lee.

24-08-2006, 01:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,028	Welcome Home Gunner Fred A piece on my father Fred Swallow, (1913-1982) who was a Bren Gunner in the Australian 6th Division - 19th Brigade - 2/8th Battallion. Attachment 4633 Attachment 4634 From his enlistment in Melbourne in April1940 he went to camp at Balcombe near Frankston for his "boot" training then across to Egypt on the troop ship "Christian Huygens". (Never been able to find a photo) Arriving in the Middle East, the 2/8th trained in Palestine and Egypt in preparation for its first campaign, against the Italians in eastern Libya. It played only a small role at Bardia (3-5 January 1941) but suffered the heaviest casualties of any Australian unit during the battle for Tobruk (21-22 January 1941), after having to attack a strong point constructed around a line of dug-in tanks. Dad was hit by an explosion from a mortar/shell and received three bullet wounds from machine gun fire when the fighting had supposedly finished for the day. He received horrific injuries from the mortar, Compound Fracture (hole in the skull) in which they embedded a metal plate, his nose was virtually blown off yet fixed with plastic surgery, fingers were shattered and repaired with wire and skin grafts and also received a huge amount of shrapnel wounds, most of the metal he took with him to the grave in 1982. As a consequence of his visual injuries, he was left in the field at first by the medics as he was thought to be dead and the later "burial detail" found him to be alive. He spent 4 months in hospital at El Cantara in Egypt: Attachment 4635 Attachment 4636 before being shipped back to Australia on board the "HMAHS Manunda" in June 1941. Attachment 4637 On his return he spent time in the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and was classed as a 75% TPI however overcame many of those injuries to return to the work force, father 4 sons and retired from the Reserve Bank of Australia note printing branch in 1973 after 31 years. (He could not return to his cabinet making trade due to his injuries) On his return from Egypt, my Uncle (Dad's younger brother) put on a welcome home dinner for family and friends and even made up a menu. Attachment 4638 Attachment 4639 Attachment 4640 Dad laid to rest. Plaque1.jpg __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm Last edited by spidge; 31-01-2007 at 01:40 PM.

24-08-2006, 01:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,028	Re: Welcome Home Gunner Fred A few images that didn't come up for some reason in the original post. Attachment 244 Attachment 245 Attachment 246 Attachment 239 __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

24-08-2006, 02:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
52nd Airborne Very Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Looking for a Landing Zone Posts: 1,295	Re: Welcome Home Gunner Fred Thanks for sharing Spidge! __________________ *52nd Airborne.* Remembering the fallen from the 5th Hampshire Regiment and The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

25-08-2006, 12:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Owen Top Moose Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Under the stairs Posts: 9,320	Re: Welcome Home Gunner Fred Great stuff, Geoff. Thanks.

25-08-2006, 03:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Gotthard Heinrici Pog mo thon Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 3,856	Re: Welcome Home Gunner Fred Spidge, Excellent posts. Thank you for sharing that info with us. You should be very proud of him.

25-08-2006, 04:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
Gnomey Per Ardua Ad Astra Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 2,957	Re: Welcome Home Gunner Fred Great stuff spidge, thanks for sharing. __________________ "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few" Sir Winston Chuchill, Summer 1940 "To him the people of Britain and the free world owe largely the way of life they enjoy today" Ensciption on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-1940) Statue in London Aircraft of World War 2 Forum - A Warbird Forum

30-01-2007, 03:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
Kyt Very Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,968	Hi Spidge, any chance that you could upload the pictures again? The attachments don't work anymore and it would be a shame not to be able to see them again. Cheers, K __________________ _______________________________________ Squadron Leader Pujji - Audio Interviews (half way down the page)

31-01-2007, 07:00 AM	#9 (permalink)
Andy in West Oz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: House of Bedfords, Perth, Western Australia Posts: 760	Looks like you're from excellent stock, Spidge! You must be very proud. Cheers Andy __________________ Cheers Andy Apres moi le deluge But there are deeds that should not pass away....And names that must not wither - Byron HMAS Sydney II - lost with all hands and waiting to be found

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