Name
John Perkins Sworder
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/07/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
2nd/4th Bn., attached 1st/1st Bn. Herefordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VAUXBUIN FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY
II. B. 17.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Haileybury College Cloister Wall Memorial, Hertford Heath, Barkway Village Memorial, St Mary Magdalene Church Memorial, Barkway, St Mary Magdalene Church Individual Memorial, Barkway, Not on the Newsells memorials
Pre War
John was born on 2 Jul 1889 at Newsells Bury, Royston, Hertfordshire eldest son son of John William and Annie Jane (nee Perkins) Sworder of Barkway, Royston, Hertfordshire.
Educated at Thurlow School and Haileybury College 1902-06. He was unmarried.
Wartime Service
Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant the Queen’s on 18 Jan 1915, promoted to Acting Captain in Aug 1915 and Adjutant in Mar 1916. He was then attached to the Herefordshire Regiment and joined them in Palestine May/ Jun 1918. He entered France with them and was wounded near Parly-Tigny and died of his wounds on 24/07/18 aged 29. At the time of his death he was attached to 1/1 Herefordshire Regiment and his parents' only surviving child.
His Commanding Officer, Col. Lawrence, D.S.O., wrote: "He was commanding a company, and right well he was doing it. He had showed me what he was worth when he a company in a bad part of the line... in Palestine ... and I am glad to say he again did most excellently well until he was hit. Your son was one who put self absolutely last where the comfort of his men had to be considered... I had arranged to make him Captain, in spite of the fact that he was an attached officer, and would be going over the heads of many of our own subalterns... The day itself was a victorious one for us, and it was largely owing to your son and a Lieut. Frazer that this was so. Sad to say, Lieut. Frazer has since been killed, so I have lost my two best officers."
Additional Information
Brother of Lieutenant Hubert Pelham Sworder who was killed in action on 2 Apr 1917 and who is also commemorated on these UK memorials.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners
Malcolm Lennox, Karen Smith - Acting Director of External Relations www.haileybury.com/honour Paul Johnson, Adrian Pitts
