Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
Jack Edward Swinfield, 22, was born in Auburn and he had been a pupil of Auburn Public School. His parents lived at 104 Harrow Road, Auburn. A plumber, Swinfield was a member of the 40th Battalion Militia that paraded in the Drill Hall in Stanley Street, Burwood.
Swinfield enlisted at Holsworthy on 27 August 1915 but, being too late for Gallipoli, he spent an extended time in Egypt where he was allocated to the 53rd Battalion in the 5th Australian Division.
The division arrived in France on 28 June 1916 and had a few weeks settling into the Nursery Sector before they were launched into the disastrous one-day battle of Fromelles (Australia’s first major action on the Western Front).
Private Swinfield was declared missing in action. Swinfield’s father wrote to the authorities stating that a corporal in the 53rd Battalion told him that his son had been taken prisoner. The report proved to be false. A Court of Inquiry held in December 1917 declared Swinfield had been killed in action at Fromelles on 19 July 1916. His body was never found and his name is inscribed on the wall of the VC Corner Cemetery and Memorial at Fromelles.
There were eight Auburn Memorial men serving in the 5th Australian Division at the time of the action at Fromelles. Four of them were killed in the battle – Jack Swinfield, Peter Myers, Claude Ward and Fredrick Webber.
Jack Swinfield is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Auburn Public School First World War Honour Roll
- Auburn Boys Public School Great War Honour Roll
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal 1914-20
- Victory Medal
