William Swift

War Service

He initially enlisted with 10th Btn West Riding Regiment (69th Brigade, 23rd Division) and went abroad with them on 26 August 1915.
He was discharged to commission on 27 November 1917 and subsequently assigned to 1/7th West Yorkshire Regiment (Leeds Rifles).
On 11th October 1917 this battalion was heavily engaged in the Battle of Iwuy, east of Cambrai. The battalion lost at least 64 men, killed in action, that day including 2Lt William Swift along with fellow officer 2Lt FA Booth DCM. He is buried in Wellington Cemetery, Rieux-en-Cambrésis.

Family Life

Only one generation of the Swift family was born in Brotherton. This came about because John Thomas Swift, who had been born in Ackworth about 1864 married a Brotherton Girl. She was Elizabeth Greenwood the sister of John Matthew Greenwood (see account of his life).
They married on the 25th May 1885 in Brotherton. By 1891 they were living in Low Street and had three children all born in Brotherton. They were John T. (1896), David (1898) and Alice (1899). At the time John Thomas was employed in a local colliery although by the time George was born (1891) the parish records indicate that he was then employed as ‘Tinplate worker’.
The time at which the family can be traced is in the Census of 1911. The entire family were living at No. 7 Hope Street, Fryston. John Thomas was by then described as an Electrician though no mention is made of where he was employed. The four eldest sons were all working in the coal mining industry with David and William being “Motor Drivers”, George was a Pony Driver, and John T. was a ‘Clammer’.