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James Swain

James Swain

James Swaine

JAMES SWAINE

2112, Private, James Swaine, 1/7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

Baptised 24 November 1895 at St Peters Church, Macclesfield, son of silk weaver Henry and Hanna Phoebe (nee, Burgess) Swaine, of 2, Pool Street, Macclesfield. In 1911, James was working as an embroiderer assistant

James attested at Macclesfield, after completion of his training, James was drafter with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, embarking from Devonport to Alexandria in Egypt, then onto the island of Lemnos on 4t August. On 8th August the Battalion arrived off the coast of Gallipoli and the following day landed on ‘C’ beach, Suvla Bay. Having landed, they came under shell fire at about 8.30 am, they moved north along the edge of the bay; they then received orders to attack in the direction of a dip in the hills behind Anafarta Saghir. At 8am on 10th August the Battalion was ordered to attack Hill 70. This was unsuccessful and the Battalion suffered severe losses. A second attack took place at 5pm. James was killed in action during one of these attacks on Tuesday 10 August 1915 aged 19.

Medals: 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal

Private, James Swaine has no known resting place and he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey
C.W.G.C. Ref: – Panel 75 – 77

Also refer to

  • Macclesfield Troops pre WWI
  • Photos from Barnswood archive Macclesfield WW1
  • ‘Big Hats, Shorts and Dyb Dyb Dyb’ – a history of Macclesfield and Congleton Scouts by Norman Gosling
  • WWI List of Addresses Trevor Druce Macclesfield Reflects
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