Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Walter George Swanwick, an asylum attendant, born 1862 in Bingham, Nottinghamshire and his wife Harriet Swanwick (nee Pridmore, married in the 3rd quarter of 1886 in the Stamford, Lincolnshire district), born 1861 in Woodnewton, Northamptonshire. Henry Throld was born on the 29th October 1888 in Leicester and was baptised on the 16th June 1889 in St. Mary Magdalen Church, Knighton, Leicester, his siblings were, Harrold William, born 1886 in Woodnewton and baptised on the 26th December 1886 in Woodnewton Parish Church and Walter Frank, born 2nd April 1891 in Leicester and baptised on the 2nd December 1891 in St. Mary Magdalen Church, Knighton, in April 1891 the family home was at 215, Avenue Road Extension, Knighton, Leicester. In March 1901 Henry was residing in the family home at 215, Avenue Road Extension, Knighton, together with his father, an asylum attendant, his mother and siblings, Walter, Olive Kathleen, born 1893 and baptised on the 4th July 1894 in St. Mary Magdalen Church, Knighton, Nora Batelle, born 17th November 1895 and Evelyn Annie, born 2nd January 1899, the latter four siblings were all born in Leicester. In April 1911 Henry was absent from the family home at 3, Asylum Cottages, Narborough, Leicestershire, residing there was his father, an asylum attendant, his mother and siblings Walter, a gas fitter, Olive a shoe trade machinist, Nora, a boot lace packer and Evelyn, a schoolgirl, Henry was employed as a shoe trade machinist and was residing as a boarder at 5, East Street, Leicester. Henry’s father died on the 9th May 1916, aged 54.
Henry attested into the Army on the 21st January 1916 to serve for the Duration of War. He gave his religion as Wesleyan. He was first posted to the 3rd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and subsequently transferred to the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment.
His record of service records the following:- Embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 27/7/16. Disembarked on the 28/7/16. Posted to the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 27/8/16. Joined the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, in the field on the -?-. Wounded in action, in the field on the 27/10/16. Admitted to 1st Casualty Clearing Station suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest on the 27/10/16. Admitted to 2nd Australian General Hospital on the 28/10/16. Transferred to England on the 2/11/16. Admitted to -?- Depot, Ripon suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest on the 28/11/16. Discharged from Hospital on the 16/2/17. Admitted to the Military Hospital at Partrington Camp, on the 23/2/17, where a piece of shrapnel case embedded in his chest was removed under local anaesthetic. Discharged from Military Hospital, Patrington, the wound having healed satisfactorily, on the 6/3/17. Embarked from Folkestone to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 10/5/17. Joined the 12th Infantry Brigade Depot at Calais on the 11/5/17. To Hospital in Calais on the 12/5/17. Admitted to 3rd General Hospital, Boulogne suffering from I.C.T. right finger on the 12/5/17. Transferred to 7th Convalescent Depot, Boulogne on the 14/5/17. Joined the 12th Infantry Brigade Depot, Calais, from Hospital on the 2/6/17. Posted to -?- on the -?-. Joined -?- on the -?-. Admitted to -?- suffering from I.C.T. -?- on the ?/7/17. Admitted to 21 D.R.S. on the 27/7/17. Joined the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, in the field on the 8/8/17. -?- on the -?-. Died of wounds received in action in 38th Casualty Clearing Station on the 26/3/18. He was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
The following information was provided by Henry’s mother Harriet Swanwick on the 7th September 1919, and was witnessed and signed by J. Mallory, Clerk in Holy Orders, Winton, Knighton Rectory, Leicester on ARMY FORM W. 5080 (Information on deceased soldier’s family) Father of soldier, none. Mother of soldier, Harriet Swanwick of 14, Adderley Road, Leicester. Full blood brother of soldier, Walter Frank Swanwick, age 28 of 14, Adderley Road, Leicester. Full blood sisters of soldier, Olive Kathleen Swanwick, age 26 of 14, Adderley Road, Leicester. Nora Batelle Swanwick, age 23 of 14, Adderley Road, Leicester. Evelyn Annie Swanwick, age 20 of 14, Adderley Road, Leicester.
Henry’s surviving service documents are in a very poor condition, and much of the finer detail relating to the period of time that he spent in the Army, is either illegible or missing, hence the sparse overall description of his military and personal family history.