Eric John Swift
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Eric John was the son of John and Sarah Swift (née Clay).
His parents were married on 25 July 1903 at Sneinton St Stephen parish church and had three children, Arthur (b. 1904), Norah M (b. 1915) and Eric John (b. 1918 reg. JAS).
John, Sarah and their son Arthur were living on Liddington Street, Basford in 1911; John was a labourer at a Nottingham Corporation electric power station.
The family had moved to 1 Chard Street, Nottingham, by 1921, but only their two youngest children were still at home. Their eldest son was probably already serving in the Grenadier Guards.
John and Sarah were living at 76 St Stephen's Road, Sneinton, when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled. John was a power station yardman. Also in the home was their eldest son, Arthur, a time expired reservist (260734 Grenadier Guards), who was a foreman at a garage service station. The record of one other member of the household remains closed.
Eric had joined the Grenadier Guards at the age of 18 (abt. 1936) and Norah had married James P Burley in 1934 (reg. JFM Nottingham).
John Swift probably died in 1940 and his widow Sarah in 1953. Their son Arthur died in 1975.
Eric John joined the Grenadier Guards at the age of 18 but transferred to the Army Air Corps, Parachute Regiment, early in the war (a newspaper report cited 'after Dunkirk').
He was serving in North Africa when he died of wounds on 20 March 1943; a casualty list included his name as 'Previously reported wounded 8 March now reported died of wounds 20 March [1943]'.
Eric is buried in Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery, Tunisia (grave ref. 3.B.5)
CWGC History of Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery (extract): 'Tabarka is a coastal town near the Tunisian/Algerian border. On 8 November 1942, Commonwealth and American troops made a series of landings in Algeria and Morocco. The Germans responded immediately by sending a force from Sicily to northern Tunisia, which checked the Allied advance east in early December. Tabarka was just behind the limit of the advance that winter. In May 1943 the war in North Africa came to an end in Tunisia with the defeat of the Axis powers by a combined Allied force.' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC Additional information: Son of John and Sarah Swift, of Sneinton, Nottingham.
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'A loving son. A brother respected and admired. A gentleman, a Grenadier'
Nottingham Evening Post, 5 April 1943, report with photograph: ‘Local War Casualties. Mrs Swift, of 76 St Stephen’s-road, Nottingham, has received word that her son, L/Cpl. Eric John Swift, a paratroop (sic), has died of wounds in North Africa. Almost 26 years of age, L.Cpl. Swift joined the Grenadier Guards on reaching his 18th birthday. He served at Dunkirk and shortly afterwards was transferred to the paratroops. Several members of the Swift family, including the lance-corporal’s brother, have served in the Grenadier Guards.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Research RF (Jan. 2026)
Photo of Eric John Swift
Tabarka Ras Rajel War Cemetery, Tunisia
Photo of Eric John Swift
Photograph published in the Nottingham Evening Post, 5 April 1943 (www.britishnewspapearchive.co.uk)