Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War German East Africa M.C. group of five awarded to Captain H. Swifte, South African Mounted Rifles

Military Cross, G.V.R., reverse inscribed, ‘Lt. H. Swifte, 5th Mountain Battery S.A.M.R.’; 1914-15 Star (Cpl., S.A.M.R.-F.A.B.); British War and Bilingual Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Lt.); Coronation 1937 (Capt. Swifte, S.A.A.) privately named, mounted as worn, very fine (5) £1800-2200

M.C. London Gazette 4 June 1917. ‘Lt., S.A. Mtd. Rif.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 25 September 1917.

Harold Swifte was born on 6 March 1885. He served in the South African Constabulary, December 1906-September 1907, the Natal Mounted Police, September 1907-March 1913, and the South African Mounted Rifles from March 1913. Amongst his accomplishments he was a Zulu linguist. With the onset of war he was a Corporal with the S.A.M.R. Field Artillery Battery and saw action in German South West Africa, August 1914-July 1915. Appointed a Temporary Lieutenant on 23 August 1915, he served in Nyasaland and German East Africa, November 1915-March 1918. Granted a permanent commission in February 1918. He relinquished his commission on his release from Imperial Service on 30 April 1918 (London Gazette 7 November 1919). For his wartime services in the African campaign, he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Military Cross - the latter presented to him at Government House, Pretoria, on 19 July 1919. Lieutenant Swifte was posted to the South African Field Artillery in October 1921 and was appointed Captain in October 1932 and held the rank of Temporary Major, September 1934-October 1935. Captain Swifte, S.A.A. retired as medically unfit on 15 May 1938.

Lieutenant Swifte is frequently mentioned in ‘A Narrative of the Right Section, 5th Mountain Battery, South African Mounted Riflemen. Central African Imperial Service Contingent, Nyasaland, 1915-1918’, by Battery Quartermaster Sergeant J. G. Maker - published by the South African Military History Society.

The Right Section was commanded by Lieutenant Swifte. ‘On the 18th July (1916), Lieut. Swifte, Sgts. J. G. Maker and J. Wray accompanied a reconnaissance in force towards Malangali, the patrol was also accompanied by Col. Hawthorne and his Staff. On nearing the position we were met with a fairly hot fire which indicated the enemy was still in position in strength. We lost one Askari killed but the attack was pressed home.’

On the 23rd July ‘It took us some hours to gather the various parts and assemble the guns but at about 3 p.m. we were ready for action. I accompanied Lieut. Swifte to various points looking for suitable targets. These were not easily spotted as the enemy machine guns were well concealed, and the whereabouts of the German guns were not known. At one time Lieut. Swifte and I were pinned down by three machine guns. How we escaped from being hit I don’t know, as we could see bullets hitting the ground a couple of feet from us, or going close over our heads. Owing to the din we could not get orders down to the guns so we decided to crawl along on our stomachs and get out as best we could, but as the bullets again began to approach us we upped and made a dash for cover.’

The narrative continues with several other reconnaissance operations involving Swifte being mentioned. The narrative ends:

‘Before closing this ‘narrative’ I would like, on behalf of the Right Section, to pay tribute to Lieut. H. Swifte, M.C. His consideration for his men was deeply appreciated; he never expected of them what he himself would not do. He did not get the best of treatment from those above him in so far as his Section was concerned, as it was continuously deprived of men and equipment to augment the other two Sections, but he always came out on top.’

With a quantity of copied research, including service records, gazette and roll extracts and extracts from the South African Military History Journal.