3649 Private Henry Francis Swan – Ensay Killed in Action 1 August 1916

Henry Swan was born in West Melbourne in 1868 to Henry and Ann Swan. He was the third of seven children. By the time Henry had turned sixteen, his father, who had been a cartage contractor, had died. With seven children to raise, Ann married Charles Seal and had another daughter. Two years later she too, died and Henry Jnr was supporting himself, and possibly his younger siblings, also as a cartage contractor. A single man he was working in the Ensay area when he enlisted on 31 July 1915 with the 24 th  Battalion, 8/25 th  Reinforcements. He claimed to be 43 years old at the time but in reality he was 47 years old. Henry Swan was one of the thirteen recruits from Ensay. He embarked on HMAT Afric on 5 January 1916 and transferred to the 23rd Infantry Battalion. He first landed in Egypt before proceeding to Marseilles in preparation for the July offensive. He was wounded on 28 July and transferred from the 1 st  Field Ambulance to the 6 th  Motor Ambulance Corp with gunshot wounds to the chest and left leg. The following day he was taken to the 44 th  Clearing Station where he died of his wounds on 1 August 1916 and was buried at Puchevillers British Cemetery, France.

….. at 17 yrs was working to support his siblings