Page 4 - Herald Feburary 2023

4 THE NEW COUNTESTHORPE HERALD
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES
Having spent 4 years researching the lives of the men whose names are carved on the war memorials of Countesthorpe, Kilby, Peatling Magna, Peatling Parva and Shearsby, the late Henrietta Schultka realised that the names of 3 men, who should have been commemorated as Commonwealth War Casualties were missing.
One of these was Driver Herbert Swann of the Royal Field Artillery who was invalided out of the army in 1916 following an accident. He sustained an injury to his spine which resulted in him suffering from paraplegia. He died, age 22, on 2nd November 1918 at his family home on Foston Road. His sister Stella, 7 years his senior, died on the same day. The cause of both of their deaths was recorded as influenza and they were buried together at Countesthorpe Cemetery.
Details of Driver Swann’s death were
entered into the United Kingdom
Book of Remembrance. There was no
headstone to mark his grave but details
of his case were finally submitted to the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
and in a letter received in December 2022,
FEBRUARY 2023
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it was recorded that Driver Swann has been accepted for commemoration as a Commonwealth War Casualty. He will now be remembered on a standard CWGC
two World Wars who were not formerly recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The men and women here are presently commemorated
Schultka.
Ann True
headstone erected in due course on or close to his place of burial. Herbert’s parents were Frederick and Mary Ann Swann. His father came from Cossington and his mother from North Kilworth. They were married c1871 and lived in Sileby and Blaby before moving to Countesthorpe around 1893. They had 14 children, Herbert being the youngest. The 1901 census records the occupation of Frederick and his 3 older sons, Frederick, age 24, George, age 19, and John, age 17, as shoe makers. The daughters, Emma (29), Annie (28) and Ellen (22) were sock hosiery hands. Herbert was age 5 at this time. The photograph shows Herbert’s brother, Frederick, who was married to Mary Ann Hubbard on 8th April 1901.
The only known photograph of Driver Swann (shown here) was endorsed with the inscription, ‘Uncle Herbert had a gun carriage
over him. He was leading driver. Fell off.
Broke back...’
Herbert Swann’s certificate shows that
he is ‘Remembered with Honour.’ The
United Kingdom Book of Remembrance
commemorates UK casualties of the
solely by their database and register entry. The Commission continues to investigate their grave location details: this is shown in the case of Driver Herbert Swann and other war casualties whose cases are pending. There are still Swann family members residing in this locality.
Further details about local war casualties can be found in ‘Lost Lives’ by Henrietta
Richard Ward
Independent Funeral Services Ltd.
Qualified, compassionate and experienced Independent Family Funeral Directors Home visits at your convenience Branches at:
2B Cross Street, Enderby LE19 4NJ
T: 0116 2866858 (24 hrs) E: enderby@rwfs.co.uk
112 Aylestone Lane, Wigston LE18 1BA T: 0116 2887979 (24 hrs) E: wigston@rwfs.co.uk
Website: www.rwfs.co.uk
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