Frederick Vivian Swinburn
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
His father Frederick Vivian Swinburn married Mary Ann White in 1872 in Retford. Over their married life they had six children, five girls and one boy, all born in Worksop. Frederick Vivian junior was born in 1889. They lived in Worksop at 29 Beaver Place before moving in 1891 to 187 Eastgate, Worksop. When Frederick junior was nine years old, his mother died aged 44. Three years later in 1901, Frederick senior and three of his remaining children, moved to 128 Kilton Road. At the end of the year, Frederick snr. married a widow, Fanny Edge. Fanny died in 1905. In 1911, Frederick snr. was living with one of his stepchildren at 29 Sandy Lane. Meanwhile, Frederick Vivian jnr., a coal miner, had married Ann Elizabeth Asher in 1909. He and his wife had four children: Frederick George, Rosetta May, Arthur and Flora. In 1911 they were living at 49 John Street . Both of Frederick's sons, Frederick George and Arthur, served in the Second World War. Frederick, 7879291 Warrant Officer ll (MQMS), 1st King’s Dragoon Guards RAMC, died of wounds in the Middle East on 21 November 1941, aged 30 (Tobruk War Cemetery); he left a wife and sons. His brother, Arthur, was wounded early in the war but appears to have survived.
59th Div. Signal Coy., Royal Engineers. Formerly 2187 Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). A Territorial, Frederick Vivian volunteered for service overseas on the outbreak of war and served in Dublin. He was medically discharged but after undergoing an operation for varicose veins was able to rejoin the army. He was transferred to the Signal Section, Royal Engineers, attached to the Sherwood Foresters. He drowned accidentally on 26 August 1917 while on bathing parade. His body was recovered several days later and he was buried in Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
CWGC additional information:- Son of Frederick and Mary Swinburn, of Worksop; husband of Ann Elizabeth Swinburn, of 209, Kilton Rd., Worksop, Notts. Personal inscription on CWGC gravestone: 'Anchored safe where storms are o'er' Sapper Frank Vivian Swinburn Worksop Guardian 7 September 1917 In our last issue we reported that Mrs. Swinburn, of 209, Kilton Road, Worksop, had received a letter from her husband, Sapper Frank Vivian Swinburn, R. E., who, it was generally rumoured, had been killed in action. The letter was dated August 15th, and was received on the 20th, but by remarkable coincidence this week there comes the news that Swinburn was accidently drowned whilst on bathing parade on August 26th. Although official intimation of his death is not yet to hand, there is, unfortunately, no reason to doubt the accuracy of the report. The facts are briefly stated in a letter of condolence which Mrs. Swinburn has received from Captain Reg. Staniforth, deceased’s old Company Officer at Worksop. Captain Staniforth writes:- “I very much regret to have to write and tell you the sad news of the death of your husband, which occurred yesterday whilst he was bathing. He was heard to shout, and several men went to his rescue, but he disappeared very suddenly, evidently taken with cramp. Both officers and men dived into the water to rescue him. His personal affects will be sent home to you at the first opportunity. - Sincerely yours, R. Staniforth (Capt.)” Lieut. B. L. Barnett writes:-“I assure you the whole section feel for you in your bereavement, as your husband was a good companion and an ardent and willing worker, and his presence in our little “family” of a section will be sadly missed. I send you heartfelt condolences, and hope that you and the children will be spared for many years to be proud of his memory.” Some further details are furnished by Sapper F. Taylor, a chum of Swinburn’s, who writing to Mrs Swinburn, says:- “How it happened I don’t quite know, as I was not on the bathing parade, but it is the general opinion he was seized with cramp whilst out of his depth. He went down to the lake, and although he could swim a little he fell out with the non-swimmers and went into the shallow end. Walking a good distance from the bank he started swimming, and it was found afterwards the bottom was level for about 30 yards and then dropped suddenly. Being a crowd there and plenty of noise, he was not missed at first and he had evidently been in distress a while before his shout was heard, and then there was no one near who could swim, but one man on the bank plunged in with his clothes on and the swimmers hurried to the spot, but all were too late. They dived and dragged for him for hours, but up to the present I am sorry to say, they have not recovered his body, but are still carrying on the search … All his personal belongings I am having sent to you through the Chaplain. “Believe me, Mrs. Swinburn, I cannot express my sorrow. You have lost a good husband and I have lost the best of chums. I have known Fred ever since he joined the Battalion and we have been pals ever since, more so since we were transferred together into the Signal Service. All the section tender their sorrow for you and your children in your great loss. He was of the most cheerful disposition, and was liked and respected by all. In concluding I will offer again my heartfelt sympathy. There was no one in the World to Fred like you and the children. He would tell me something about them every time he had a letter. I cannot express myself on paper in fact, I can hardly realise it even now. God help him.” The foregoing letter and the tribute from his officers show what manner of man deceased was. He was a well known in Worksop, where he had numerous friends. He was an old Territorial and in 1912 he won the cup for shooting, given by Mr. Van der Gucht. On the outbreak of war, when the Territorials were mobilised, he answered the call with his fellow Volunteers, and was one of the Worksop lads who took part in quelling the Dublin Rebellion. Subsequently he was discharged on the account of varicose veins, but after undergoing an operation he was much to his delight able to rejoin his regiment, and was sent to France in January of this year. He had been transferred to the Signal Section R. E., attached to the Sherwood Foresters. Sapper Swinburn was a former member of the Shireoaks band and a member of St, John’s Church Choir. Prior to this he worked at Mansfield Colliery. Deep sympathy is expressed with his widow who, with four young children is left to mourn his loss. A further letter was received by Mrs. Swinburn from Sapper Taylor yesterday. This states that the body was recovered on August 29th, and was interred with Military honours in the English Cemetery. All the section followed as well as old friends from the Sherwood Foresters, so that although deceased was buried in a strange land, he was followed to the grave by those who had known him in the happy peaceful days gone by.' Research by Colin Dannatt Nottingham Evening Post, 12 December 1941 ‘Notts families bereaved. [Also report of Frank Redgate Piggin, Fleet Air Arm, died December 1941, nephew of Frederic Piggin, Sherwood Foresters, KIA 1916.]. Mrs Swinburn, of ‘Holme’, Hereford-road, Woodthorpe, Nottingham, has been informed that her husband, Qmr-Sgt. Frederick George Swinburn, 1st King’s Dragoon Guards, has died as the result ofwounds received on active service in the Middle East, and a brother, Sgt Arthur Swinburn, has been wounded. Their father, Spr FV Swinburn, was killed in the last war.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) 7879291 WO2 FG Swinburn, 1st King's Dragoon Guards RAMC, died 21 November 1941 age 30. Buried Tobruk War Cemetery, personal inscription on CWGC headstone: 'God has taken him, so dear, still in our hearts, he's always hear. Loving wife and boys.' CWGC: 'Son of Frederick Vivien and Anne Elizabeth Swinburn; husband of Dorothy Swinburn, of York.'
