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

In March, 1918, the German Spring Offensive was at its height.  A gap had been torn between the British 4th and 5th Army Corps and Battalions 1 and 2 the Auckland Infantry Regiment, along with the 2nd Battalion of the NZ Rifles, were sent to fill it.  

The Official History of the Auckland Regiment describes the action:

1/Auckland advanced along the Serre road, in threes, with intervals between the platoons. In an orchard just outside the village they passed two English eighteen-pounder guns, which for the last four days had been retiring and fighting all the way. Three hundred yards further on, near the "Windmill," two Hun machine-guns opened fire on the column. The Aucklanders immediately swung half-right and deployed, with the 15th and 16th Companies leading and the left flank just touching on the Serre road. They advanced in artillery formation toward the "apple-trees" and a long hedge, which ran across the front. Here the enemy fire became intense, and at this point casualties commenced to occur. Henry Beery, one of the oldest soldiers with the Battalion, a very brave man, was killed. From the hedge the ground fell away for some little distance, and then, after a small level space, rose again to the Serre Ridge. At the foot of the ridge, and just to the right of the sugar refinery the 16th were checked. Many men had fallen. Lieutenant Swayne, one of the company's most gallant soldiers, was wounded. The machine-gun barrage was too heavy to pass, and so a halt was made in a sunken road, while the men recovered their breath, and ways and means were found to continue the advance. In the meanwhile, the 15th Company, under Captain Holland, had gone well forward. Getting into a tangle of old saps, and led by their Company Commander, Sergeant-Major Rogers, Prendergast and other brave men, they bombed forward, past the chalk pits, through the Bowery and into the enemy positions beyond. Three machine-guns were taken and a number of the enemy, who were fleeing in all directions, were killed. This brought the 15th Company well ahead of the 16th, took off much of the pressure, and opened up the way for a further move. In the meanwhile, Captain Vercoe had worked with great energy to reorganise his men, Captain Coates had pushed up reinforcements from the 3rd Company, and shortly before dusk everything was ready. The Lewis gunners, coming practically out into the open, engaged the enemy guns and drew nearly all the fire upon themselves. They suffered heavily. Few of them were left, but their purpose was achieved.

From the sunken road to the enemy guns there was only some hundred and twenty yards of open, gentle slope. As darkness commenced to fall, Captain Vercoe gave the signal. "Come on, boys; rush them, rush them!" The Waikatos, and the 3rd Auckland with them, went up the hill in the teeth of the German fire. Lieutenant John Allen led the charge with magnificent courage. Looker, Moffitt and Brewer were amongst the first to break into the German line. The Aucklanders closed in with the cold steel, and in a few moments the Huns were a crowd of panic-stricken fugitives. It was in vain that their officers endeavoured to rally them — a few were taken prisoner, many were killed, and the remainder ran. Night fell as victory was secure. The sugar refinery, on the left of the Serre road, taken by the Rifle Brigade, and set on fire by the German artillery, was burning luridly. It was a wild night. Numbers of the enemy were on the front, and several times they came up against the Auckland posts. Once a number of them were observed to be deploying out on the road ready to counter-attack. Lance-Corporal Bray and another man, going out by themselves, reached the flank of this party and dispersed them with Lewis gun fire.

Photo courtesy of the Online Cenotaph.

CORPORAL D. G. SWAN. 

Corporal David Gordon Swan, who was killed in action on the west front on May 25, was the eldest surviving son of Mr David Swan, of Bayfield, Anderson Bay. Corporal Swan arrived in Dunedin with his parents in 1879. He was then an infant six months old. He was educated at the Caversham School and then went into the employ of Messrs Wood, Scott, and Co., to learn the tailoring business. He afterwards learnt his trade as a cutter with Mr Warsaw. About 16 years age he went to England and Canada to gain experience. Returning six years later, he accepted an appointment with Messrs Thomson and Beattie, of Invercargill, as cutter. After three years service there he returned to Dunedin, and entered into business on his own account, and soon had a fine connection. He enlisted with the 23rd Reinforcements. In his younger days Corporal Swan was a keen footballer. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society, and was also a member of the Cargill Road Methodist Church. He would have been 39 years of age in June next. Mr Swan has another son at the front, Leonard Wesley Swan, a despatch rider. 

David is usually referred to as having the rank of Corporal.  He was promoted to Sergeant  one week before his death.

Southern Cemetery, Dunedin.  DCC photo.