33192 Sergeant David Gordon Swan 19/6/1879-26/3/1918

David Swan was a tailor in Auckland when he enlisted in the army, which is why a Dunedin-born man was enrolled in the Auckland Infantry Regiment.

He was born at Gateshead in England shortly before the family emigrated to New Zealand.  He enlisted in the army in August of 1916 and was promoted to Corporal about a year later, attending specialist training courses for his new rank.  He made Sergeant on March 19, 1918.

His military records show he was killed on the night of the 26/27 March.  This was during the height of the first phase of the German Spring Offensive.  On their way to the line Swan's Battalion, the 1st Auckland detrained at the little railway station of Hangest sur Somme - a familiar sight for the veterans of the battles on 1916 - in the small hourse of March 25.  The 1st managed to get on board the trucks heading for their next destination, beyond Amiens and eventually bivouacked at Dernancourt.  The 2nd Battalion had to walk.

That morning the 1st Aucklands tramped towards the front - it was the turn of the 2nd Battalion to be taken by truck.  As the Regimental History puts it "One thing only was certain, and that was that where the march stopped there the fighting would begin. Men were desperately tired and footsore, yet scarcely anyone dropped out."  The signs of activity were reached - artillery, a few wandering soldiers looking for their units, a squadron of light tanks.  The Aucklands were being marched into the gap torn in British lines by the advancing Germans.  They were joined by the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and soon were in action.

The German forces had dug in, waiting for their artillery and supplies to catch up with them and glad of a rest from a stunning advance.  The 1st advanced up the Serre Road, past a couple of 18 pounders which had been making a fighting retreat for the past four days.  Three hundred yards more and two German machine guns opened up.  The Battalion deployed, began to advance and began to take casualties.  What followed was a busy few days of action, best read in the Official History here.  The Germans were victorious but were running out of steam.  Behind their lines the looting of British store (army rum was a favourite) and general disorder was beginning to slow the Offensive.

During that confused time, Sergeant David Swan was killed in action.  He was 39.

Southern Cemetery, Dunedin, Allan Steel photo