25556 Company Sergean Major John Swan, R.E.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward De Santis, MSCE, P.E., MinstRE
(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
(March 2023)

Figure 1. Major General Charles George Gordon, C.B.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in the British Army. However, he made his military reputation in China, where he was placed in command of the "Ever Victorious Army", a force of Chinese soldiers led by European officers which was instrumental in putting down the Taiping Rebellion, regularly defeating much larger forces. For these accomplishments, he was given the nickname "Chinese Gordon" and honors from both the Emperor of China and the British.

He entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt in 1873 (with British government approval) and later became the Governor-General of the Sudan, where he did much to suppress revolts and the local slave trade. Exhausted, he resigned and returned to Europe in 1880. A serious revolt then broke out in the Sudan, led by a Muslim religious leader and self-proclaimed Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad. In early 1884 Gordon was sent to Khartoum with instructions to secure the evacuation of loyal soldiers and civilians and to depart with them. In defiance of those instructions, after evacuating about 2,500 civilians he retained a smaller group of soldiers and non-military men. In the months before the fall of Khartoum, Gordon and the Mahdi corresponded; Gordon offered him the Sultanate of Kordofan and the Mahdi requested Gordon to convert to his religion and join him, to which Gordon replied abruptly: "No!" Besieged by the Mahdi's forces, Gordon organized a citywide defense that lasted for almost a year and gained him the admiration of the British public, but not of the government, which had wished him not to become entrenched there. Only when public pressure to act had become irresistible did the government, with reluctance, send a relief force. It arrived two days after the city had fallen and Gordon had been killed.

Numerous sources were used in the preparation of this narrative describing the life and military service of Company Sergeant Major John Swan. The primary source was Swan’s service papers consisting of 13 documents obtained from the Public Records Office, now the National Archives. Descriptions of the actions that took place in the Sudan were taken from a number of historical books, all of which are cited in the Reference section at the end of this narrative. Where specific facts are included in the narrative without a citation, one may assume that the information came from Swan’s service papers. Unfortunately, no family trees could be found on Ancestry.com that included John Swan, the subject of this research; hence, detailed information regarding his parents and siblings could not be located.

As with any attempt to create a narrative such as this, times and places of events must be extracted from various sources. Often it is necessary to assume that certain events took place when they did. These assumptions sometimes produce inaccuracies in the work which cannot be avoided. Every attempt has been made to make Swan’s story as accurate as possible given the data available.

John Swan was born in St. Paul’s Parish near the town of Perth, in the County of Perth, Scotland, in April of 1871. John was the son of James Swan of 266 High Street, Perth. As a young man, John Swan worked as a plumber and gas fitter. Prior to his enlistment in the Army, he served for a period of 5½ years as an Apprentice Plumber to a Mr. Mc Leish in the town of Perth.

NOTE: The structure in Figure 2 is the structure that presently exists
at 266 High Street in Perth, Scotland. The building appears to be
constructed of sandstone blocks and looks very much like it could
have been in existence since 1871 when the Swan family lived there.
Since the building consists of three stories, it most certainly was the
residence of more than one family.

The only information available about his family is the name of his father and his wife. This information was obtained from Swan’s service papers, as James Swan was indicated to be his next of kin and his wife appears in the 1911 Census of the 47^th Fortress Company. While a number of men named John Swan were found in family trees, there was insufficient evidence to definitively link the John Swan of this research with any of the individuals found in those family trees.

John Swan was 19 years and 10 months old when he enlisted in the Army. He was described in his service papers as being 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 132 pounds. His normal chest measurement was 34 inches and his expanded chest measurement was 35½ inches.[2] Swan had a sallow complexion, blue eyes, and black hair. His distinctive marks included a hairy mole on his right arm. Swan listed his religion as Presbyterian on his enlistment papers.

It should be noted that the physical requirements for soldiers in the Corps of Royal Engineers at the time that Swan enlisted dictated that the minimum height and chest measurement for a Sapper was 5 feet 6 inches and 34 inches, respectively. Swan just met these minimum requirements.

John Swan was recruited for service in the Royal Engineers by Sergeant Pensioner A. Crichton. He was enlisted at Perth on 9 February 1891. Swan opted for a Short Service Enlistment of 7 years with the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve.[3] At the time of his enlistment, Swan indicated that he was not married, he had never been sentenced to imprisonment, and he had no prior naval or military service.

On the same day as his enlistment, John Swan swore the Oath of Attestation. This was also accomplished at Perth where his oath was certified by the Colonel Commanding the 42^nd Regimental District, the home of the famous Royal Highland Regiment, or Black Watch. He was examined and declared medically fit for service in the Army by F.R. Wilson, Brigade Surgeon on the Medical Staff of the 42^nd Regimental District. Swan was given the Primary Military Examination on the day of his enlistment by the Recruiting Officer of the 42^nd Regimental District and found fit for service. Finally, the Colonel Commanding the Regimental District completed the Certificate of the Approving Field Officer and John Swan was duly made a member of Her Majesty’s land forces.

With the formalities of his enlistment completed, John Swan was sent to Brompton Barracks at Chatham, Kent. At Chatham he was issued Regimental Number 25556 and was appointed to the rank of Sapper. Following the administrative actions involved with his enlistment and training, Swan began his recruit training.[4] With the exception of Drivers, every recruit enlisted for the Royal Engineers had to have a trade. Pioneers and Sappers went to Chatham where they were trained for a year in infantry drill and pioneer duties. During the summer every training company in turn went into a tent-camp at Wouldham near Chatham, where the recruits were taught camp duties, pontooning and other field engineering tasks. The engineer recruits also received musketry training. When the course of training was completed, the recruits had to pass an examination and were then transferred to engineer formations, where they received higher pay and could earn extra allowances by working at their special trades. Because he had been an Apprentice plumber prior to entering the Army, Swan was designated a plumber and gas fitter as his military trade.

After his year of training, it appears that Sapper Swan was posted to a unit at Chatham. He was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal on 11 June 1892 and was granted Good Conduct Pay at the rate of 1.d. (an additional one penny per day) on 9 February 1893.[5] Lance Corporal Swan appears to have been assigned to the School of Military Engineering (S.M.E.) following his recruit training. This posting to remain at the S.M.E. was probably to have him serve in some administrated or supply capacity, or perhaps as an assistant instructor.

Figure 3. The Crest of the School of Military Engineering
(Image courtesy of S. Gase)

While at Chatham, Swan pursued his education and was awarded a Third-Class Certificate of Education on 23 March 1893. On 11 June 1894 he was awarded a Second- Class Certificate of Education. The Third-Class Certificate specified the standard for promotion to the rank of Corporal. The candidate was to read aloud and to write from dictation passages from an easy narrative, and to work examples in the four compound rules of arithmetic and the reduction of money. A Second-Class Certificate, necessary for promotion to Sergeant, entailed writing and dictation from a more difficult work, familiarity with all forms of regimental accounting, and facility with proportions and interest, fractions, and averages.

From the diligence that he exerted in receiving these certificates, it is obvious that Swan intended to rise in the ranks as quickly as possible and as far as possible. He was promoted to the rank of 2^nd Corporal on 1 February 1895. On 9 October of the same year, he extended his enlistment to complete 12 years of service with the Colours.[6] His character at the time was rated as “Very Good” by his commanding officer and his request for extension was approved by the Assistant Commandant of the School of Military Engineering. At the time of his extension, he was under orders for service abroad.

Malta and Egypt (1895-1898)

2^nd Corporal Swan sailed for Malta on 13 November 1895. He remained on the island of Malta for a little less than a year and then sailed for Egypt on 30 October 1896 to join the combined British and Egyptian forces under General Sir Horatio Herbert Kitchener;[7] forces which were then preparing for the reconquest of the Sudan from a fanatical religious leader known as the Khalifa.[8] Swan joined the 2^nd (Fortress) Company, Royal Engineers in Cairo upon his arrival in Egypt. The 2^nd Company was commanded by Major Leonard Arthur Arkwright, R.E.[9] Other officers assigned to the 2^nd Company at that time included Lieutenants Duncan Alexander Friederichs, R.E.,[10] George Edward Elkington, R.E.[11] and James Philip Moir, R.E.[12] In August of 1896, just prior to Swan’s arrival, Lieutenant Elkington and a section of the company was occupied for several weeks in rounding off dangerous corners and clearing away obstructive rocks with the aid of guncotton so that gunboats could pass safely through the cataracts on the Nile.[13]

The 2^nd Company, R.E. was busily engaged in preparations to embark on active service in the Sudan when Swan joined the unit. While in Cairo working on these preparations, Swan was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 1 December 1896.

In preparation for the advance into the Sudan, the 2^nd Company sent a section under the command of Lieutenant Elkington to a position between Berber and the River Atbara in January of 1898. Lieutenant Elkington’s section had been in Egypt for some time and had taken part in the Dongola Expedition of 1896.

At this point in this research, it should be noted that that Lieutenant J.P. Moir was the only company officer to receive the clasp [THE ATBARA] on his Khedive’s Sudan Medal. As Corporal Swab also received this clasp, it is safe to assume that he was in Moir’s section of the 2^nd Company. While the remainder of the 2^nd Company moved to a position between Berber and the River Atbara in stages, Lieutenant Moir’s section advanced as shown below:[14]

26 February 1898: Lieutenant Moir’s section departs Abu Dis with the British brigade.

3 March 1898: Lieutenant Moir’s section reaches Dibeika, beyond Berber, with the British Brigade.

20 March 1898: The company moves up The Atbara River with the British brigade.

21 March 1898: The company reaches Ras el Hudi. When the company reached Wady Halfa one of its men, Sapper D. Macpherson suddenly died, of disease or from sun stroke.[15] On this date the British force made first contact with Dervish cavalry, but the 2^nd (Fortress) Company was not involved in the action. The company did, however, lay trip lines along the front and flanks of the British zariba at Ras El Hudi and about 50 yards outside of the zariba.

30 March 1898: A British reconnaissance in force is made against Nakheila. Moir was ordered to make hand grenades of gun cotton and explosive charges for use against obstacles.

3 April 1898: Swan and his section are at Ras el Hudi with the entire Anglo-Egyptian force. They put down rows of wire around the camp perimeter as obstacles against a Dervish charge on the camp.

8 April 1898: Corporal Swan took part in the battle of The Atbara against the Dervish forces of Emir Mahmoud. “Very few officers of the Royal Engineers were privileged to take part in the military operations on the Atbara River which culminated in the Battle of the Atbara . . . Lieutenant J.P. Moir was present with a section of the 2^nd (Fortress) Company.”[16]

The following is Lieutenant Moir’s description of the Battle of the Atbara as seen from his position and probably as witnessed by Corporal Swan.

“By 1898, the combined British and Egyptian army was advancing down the Nile river into Sudan. The Sudanese Mahdist leader, the Khalifa Abdallahi ibn Muhammad ordered the Emir Mahmud Ahmad and his 10,000 strong army of western Sudan northward towards the junction of the Nile and Atbara rivers to engage the British and Egyptian army led by Herbert Kitchener. Encamping on the banks of the Atbara river by March 20, Mahmud, with Osman Digna’s group of Dervish warriors were within 20 miles (32 km) of the British camp outpost at Fort Atbara at the confluence of the Atbara with the Nile. On April 4, after seeing that the Mahdists were unwilling to attack, Kitchener quietly advanced with the British and Egyptian army towards the Mahdist fortified camp just outside the town of Nakheila.

The British attack began at 06:20 on April 8, 1898; two brigades, the British Brigade led by William Gatacre, and the Egyptian Brigade led by Archibald Hunter, led the attack. After a brief artillery bombardment of the Mahdist camp, the combined British and Egyptian brigades attacked. Soon, the British and Egyptian troops were in the Mahdist camp, often fighting hand-to-hand with the Mahdist warriors. After 45 minutes, the battle was over as Osman Digna led a few thousand warriors on a retreat to the south, while most of the remainder were killed or captured, including Mahmud who was captured by loyal Sudanese troops of the Egyptian Brigade.”

Figure 4. The Defeated Emir Mahmud with the British Director of
Military Intelligence Francis Wingate after the Battle.
(Image from SANDES)

During this battle, the combined British and Egyptian force, 14,000 strong, attacked an entrenched zariba on the River Atbara that was occupied by 18,000 Dervish troops. The Anglo-Egyptian force thoroughly routed the Dervish who suffered 5,000 killed and 1,000 prisoners, while many more fell during the pursuit following the battle. The Anglo-Egyptian losses were 570 killed and wounded, including 29 British officers.

Although the map below does not show the position of the Royal Engineers present at the Battle of the Atbara, it is most likely that they were in the vicinity of the transport near the position of Lord Kitchener so that they could be employed if needed at enemy part of the battlefield. Since there only was a section of the 2^nd (Fortress) Company present at the battle, the capabilities of the engineers would have been extremely limited. However, the men of Lieutenant Moir’s section were on the battlefield and they did get credit for participating in the action.

Figure 5. The Battle of the Atbara.
(Image from WILKINSON-LATHAM, R. and ROFFE, M.)

Following this action the 2^nd Company continued the advance to Khartoum, again in stages:[17]

14 April 1898: Lieutenant Moir’s section of the company reached Darmali. Sapper F. Wythe died there of unknown causes.

30 April 1898: Moir’s section reached Abadieh where 27058 Sapper R. Allsop died. The remainder of the company arrived here and remained for just over three months.

7 August 1898: Major Arkwright and the remainder of the company joined up with Lieutenant Moir’s section. Company troops under Major Arkwright built two towers across the Nile near Fort Atbara to pass telegraph wires over the river.

17 August 1898: The company completed the construction of two tripod towers, each 80 feet high and two wires were slung from their tops. By this time the remainder of the 2^nd Fortress Company had joined Lieutenant Moir’s section in the Anglo-Egyptian force moving towards Omdurman. The officers with the company at this time were: Major L.A. Arkwright (OC) and Lieutenants J.P. Moir and D.A. Friederichs. A third company officer, Lieutenant A.H. Crozier had remained behind in Cairo.

31 August 1898: The company was at Sururab, 6 miles north of the Kerreri Ridges.

1 September 1898: The company arrived at Egeiga. Sappers operated searchlights from the gunboats on the Nile behind the British defensive position at Omdurman. The searchlights were used to illuminate the Dervish troops who were assembled in on the open ground in front of the British lines. The Dervish were assembled there that night in preparation for a daylight attack the next morning. The searchlights were used because the British feared a night attack. Since the Royal Engineers were responsible for searchlight duties and the 2^nd Fortress Company, R.E. were present at the Battle of Omdurman, it may be safe to assume that the sappers working the searchlights were from Swan’s company. Although it is not specifically mentioned in this reference, it may be assumed that the 2^nd Fortress Company assisted in the construction of the defensive zariba for the British forces at Omdurman.[18]

During the Battle of Omdurman, the 2^nd Fortress Company had been positioned to the right of the 1^st British Brigade (Wauchope), adjacent to the 1^st Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment and to the left of the 2^nd Egyptian Brigade (Maxwell). This placed the company in the center of the defensive position with the Maxim guns. There is no record of the part taken by the 2^nd Fortress Company in the preparations of the defenses, but it is assumed that they built a section of the zariba and assisted the British battalions in the construction of defensive positions. During the battle they acted as infantry and did not perform any field engineering tasks.

The Anglo-Egyptian Order of Battle shows a detachment of Royal Engineers with each of the British brigades in the British division. These must be sections of the 2^nd Fortress Company. This is contrary to other references that indicate that the company was in support of the division in a single location between the British division and the Egyptian division.

The troops in the ranks were told that the name of the battlefield was El Egeiga, after the small town around which the zariba was built. There were no Royal Engineers casualties during the Battle of Omdurman.

Figure 6. (General Maxwell and Figure 7. General Wauchope.
(Images courtesy of Wikipedia)

In the Battle of Omdurman, the British force, 23,000 strong, was attacked in its defensive position by a Dervish force of more than 50,000 commanded by the Khalifa. The Dervish attacked the British zariba and were repulsed with heavy losses. Kitchener then advanced his divisions to drive the enemy before him into the town of Omdurman, the center of the Dervish empire. In the course of the advance, the Egyptian Brigade on the British right, under General Hector Macdonald, became isolated and was attacked in front by the center of the Dervish army, while his flank and rear were threatened by the Dervish left. The position was critical, but through the extreme steadiness of the Sudanese in Macdonald’s Brigade, who changed front under heavy fire, the attack was repulsed. During this battle, the 21^st Lancers, among whom was Winston Churchill, made the last full-scale cavalry charge of modern warfare. The British and Egyptian losses were 500 killed and wounded. The Dervish lost about 15,000 men in a day of terrible carnage. Following the defeat of the Dervish force at Omdurman, the Anglo-Egyptian force was easily able to enter Khartoum, the place where a gallant Sapper officer, Major General Charles George Gordon, had lost his life in 1885.[19]

Figure 8. Major General Charles George Gordon.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Siege of Khartoum or Fall of Khartoum was the conquest of Egyptian-held Khartoum by the Mahdist forces led by Muhammad Ahmad of Sudan, who claimed to be the Mahdi. Egypt had held the city for some time, but after a ten-month siege, from 13 March 1884 to 26 January 1885, the Mahdists finally broke into the city and killed the entire garrison of Egyptian soldiers, along with 4,000 mostly male Sudanese civilians. Many women and children were enslaved. According to some accounts, the attackers killed and beheaded British General Charles George Gordon, the commander of the defenders, delivering his head to the Mahdi.

Figure 10. The Battle of Omdurman Looking South Along the British Line.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

On 30 September 1898, a despatch was received by the Secretary of State for War from the General Officer Commanding the Force in Egypt. The despatch read as follows: “NILE, EXPEDITION, 1898. BATTLE OF KHARTOUM. From the General Officer Commanding the Force in Egypt to the Under Secretary of State for War. Head-Quarters, Cairo, September 16th, 1898.”

Mentioned in the despatch were three men of the Royal Engineers who served with the Maxim machine guns. Presumably, these men were from the 2^nd Fortress Company (see Annex A for a nominal roll of the company:

Following the battle at Omdurman and the occupation of Khartoum, the 2^nd Company, R.E. returned to Cairo. Corporal Swan was awarded the Khedive’s Sudan Medal which was presented by the Egyptian government to British soldiers who participated in the Sudan campaign. The medal was authorized by the British government in Army Order 163 of 1898. Swan received the medal with the clasps [THE ATBARA] and [KHARTOUM]. On 8 April 1899, he was awarded the Queen’s Sudan Medal under authority of Army Order 49 of 1899. His name appears on the medal roll of the 2^nd Company, R.E. for participation in the Expedition to Khartoum. Swan was not actually presented with the Queen’s Sudan Medal until 17 August 1900. At that time he was still stationed with the 2^nd Company in Cairo.[20]

Swan was to continue serving in Egypt for another year and a half. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on 1 April 1901 and on 22 August 1902 he re-engaged to complete 21 years of service with the Colours.[21] Swan’s Re-engagement Papers (Army Form B. 136) were prepared by 2^nd Lieutenant H.O. Clagston, Officer Commanding the 2^nd Company, R.E., witnessed by Company Sergeant Major J.T. Anderton, R.E.,[22] and approved by the Commander Royal Engineers (C.R.E.) Egypt.

Sergeant Swan sailed from Egypt for home on 14 December 1902 after having spent 6 years and 45 days in Egypt and the Sudan. After a period of leave, Swan was posted to “G” (Depot) Company, Royal Engineers at Chatham. He reported into his new unit on 6 March 1903.

On 1 April 1904 Sergeant Swan elected to receive Service (Proficiency) Pay, Class I, at the rate of 7.d per day. This proficiency pay was offered to men of certain arms in accordance with their specialty skills and efficiency in the performance of their duties. Based on his experience and proficiency, Sergeant Swan may have been selected to serve as an Instructor or Assistant Instructor at the School of Military Engineering. His posting to “G” (Depot) Company would have been for administrative purposes only; that is, for quarters and rations.

Swan sailed from England, bound for Gibraltar, on 8 November 1904. Upon arrival on “The Rock” he was posted to the 1^st (Fortress) Company, Royal Engineers commanded by Major C. Hill, R.E.[23] The 1^st Company, R.E. was stationed in the North Sub-District of Gibraltar, with headquarters at Southport Street. Other officers in the company at that time included Lieutenants H.P.T. Lefroy, R.E. and M.G. Taylor, R.E. Sergeant Swan was promoted to the rank of Company Sergeant Major on 31 March 1907 while still serving with the 1^st Company, R.E.

Swan and his wife sailed from Gibraltar for home on 2 September 1907 and joined his new unit, “M” (Depot) Company, Royal Engineers at Chatham on 18 September.

On 8 February 1909 he completed 18 years of service and became eligible for the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.[24] He was awarded the medal by authority of Army Order 270 of 1909 along with a gratuity. The gratuity would not actually be paid to him until after his final discharge from the Army in 1912.

On 19 October 1909, Company Sergeant Major Swan sailed from England bound for South Africa. It is not known whether his wife accompanied him, although it would probably be safe to assume that she did as hostilities with the Boers had long since ended. Upon arrival he was assigned to the 47^th (Fortress) Company, Royal Engineers in Simon’s Town[25] at the Cape of Good Hope. The 47^th Company was commanded by Captain C.S.A. Ackerman, R.E. Other officers in the company included Lieutenants W.H.A. Hunt, R.E. and J. Day, R.E. The 47^th Company at that time was part of the Cape Colony District, Cape Peninsula Sub-District, which had its headquarters at The Castle in Cape Town.

On 4 April 1910, Company Sergeant Major Swan was admitted to hospital at Simon’s Town with an ailment called “delirium tremens.” This is the first indication in his service record that he was hospitalized during his more than 19 years in the Army. He was released from hospital on 11 April 1910. On 26 March 1911 Swan was stricken with the same ailment and again hospitalized for treatment. He was released from hospital on 8 April. One might suspect that this ailment was the result of the unhealthy climate in the vicinity of Simon’s Town or that he may even have been suffering from malaria. However, a closer examination of his service record appears to reveal another source of this ailment.

Delirium tremens, also called DTs or alcohol withdrawal delirium (AWD), is a severe type of withdrawal from alcohol. It usually starts about 2 to 3 days after someone who is dependent on alcohol ends a long drinking binge. DTs usually lasts for 2 to 3 days, but symptoms may linger for as long as a week. About 5% of people in alcohol withdrawal get DTs. If untreated, delirium tremens can cause a heart attack, stroke, and death. Following this second episode with “delirium tremens,” his records indicate that he did not suffer from this illness or any other during the remainder of his time in the Army.

If Swan was suffering from delirium tremens, then he may have been suffering from alcoholism. Apparently, he could still function as a superior non-commissioned officer, allowing him to rise to the rank of Company Sergeant Major despite his addiction. He continued his duties in South Africa until 2 January 1912 when he sailed home to England.

Company Sergeant Major Swan was posted to “G” (Depot) Company, Royal Engineers at Chatham on 20 January 1912. On the 25th of this same month he submitted his initial application for discharge from the Army. Discharge proceedings were initiated by the Royal Engineers Record Centre at Chatham on 5 February 1912. During this period, it appears that Swan was temporarily assigned to Gosport, as it was there that he was finally discharged from the Army on 8 February 1912 upon the termination of his second period of limited engagement.

Swan’s total service with the Royal Engineers was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

On the date of his discharge, John Swan had completed exactly 21 years of service with the Colours. All of this time was counted towards his pension. Sergeant Swan was a fighting SAPPER! Compared to other men who served during the same period, he spent more time abroad that many others. As an example, 26839 Quartermaster Sergeant William Edward Rogan, R.E., whose medal also is in the author’s collection, enlisted in 1892, one year after Swan, and spent only 2 years and 328 days abroad. Rogan saw no active service in any campaigns and was entitled to only the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal when he was discharged. The military service of Swan and Rogan took place over the same period of time and yet Rogan never heard a shot fired in anger while Swan stood in line at the zariba near Khartoum while thousands of angry Dervishes came at him with the intent to tear him apart.

Figure 11. A Hadendoa Warrior.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
NOTE: This Figure of a Hadendoa warrior, or “Fuzzy-Wuzzy” as the British called him, was the type of
enemy that Swan faced at Khartoum. He was a brave and formidable foe.

Swan was 40 years and 10 months old at the time of his discharge. His description on discharge indicates that he was 5 feet 7 inches tall with a normal chest measurement of 37 inches and an expanded chest measurement of 39 inches. He was described as having a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and grey hair.[26] He still had the hairy mole on his right arm.

The following sections are presented in tabular form to summarize Swan’s promotions, appointments, military training and qualifications and the medals that he was awarded during his time in the Army. They are provided to give the reader easy access to these aspects of his military career. The tables are followed by sections dealing with his marriage, personal information, and post-service life.

Swan’s overall conduct during the period of his Army service was rated as “Very Good.” His commanding officer indicated that with regard to special qualifications for employment in civilian life, Swan was “a superior plumber & gas fitter” and was “thoroughly reliable.”

A close examination of two entries in Swan’s Statement of Services appears to reveal the possibility that disciplinary action was considered after both his bouts with “delirium tremens.” On 4 April 1910 there is an entry in his record that reads:

“In hospital [. . .] delirium tremens. Treated as an offense under Section 138 (2) Army Act.”

On 26 March 1911 there is an identical entry in his records. However, adjacent to these entries is the word “Cancelled” and the dates are then crossed out. It would appear that his commanding officer was sympathetic to his problem and did not want his drinking problem to be recorded as an offense. Captain C.S.A. Ackerman, the Officer Commanding the 47^th (Fortress) Company, was the man who approved the deletion of these entries from Swan’s record. Ackerman must have known that he had a good Company Sergeant Major and did not want to see him penalized for his drinking bouts.

Swan received Good Conduct Pay at 1.d. on 9 February 1893 after 2 years in service. He was a Lance Corporal at the time. Swan entered the Army when the 1885 rules for awarding good conduct pay were in force. Under these rules he would have received good conduct pay after 2, 6 and 12 years of total service. His fourth and fifth good conduct badges under the 1885 rules would have been awarded at 18 years and 23 years. However, by his sixth year of service (1897) he already was a Corporal and did not receive any further Good Conduct Pay.

As previously indicated, John Swan had received the Queen’s Sudan Medal, the Khedive’s Sudan Medal with clasps [THE ATBARA] and [KHARTOUM], and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with gratuity during the period of his military service.

Figure 12. The Medals of 25556 Company Sergeant Major John Swan, R.E.
(Image from the author’s collection)

The Queen’s Sudan Medal is named to Swan in engraved upper case letters as follows:

The Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (Edward VII) is named to him in impressed upper case letters as follows:

The Khedive’s Sudan Medal is named to him in impressed upper case letters as follows:

John Swan was a “skilled” plumber and gasfitter. He was still receiving Class I Proficiency Pay at the rate of 7.d. per day at the time of his discharge.

Location	Date of Admission	Ailment or Medical Procedure	Period of Hospitalization Or Treatment
Cape Town, South Africa	4 April 1910	Delirium Tremens	Released on 11 April 1910 (7 days)
Cape Town, South Africa	26 March 1911	Delirium Tremens	Released on 8 April 1911 (13 days)

Under ordinary circumstances Swan would have accrued 20 days of “bad time” for missing duty during his bouts with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, as this was not a service-related affliction. However, as explained in Section 8 above, it appears that his commanding officer chose to ignore this problem and cover for him. He did not lose the 20 days spent in hospital from his total service time or his pension as a result of his overindulgence in alcohol. After witnessing the horrors of Omdurman, one wonders if Swan and other British soldiers were not affected by what today we know a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. His drinking problem could well have started shortly after the battle, but perhaps he controlled it to a greater degree or it just went un-noticed by his commanders.

Other than the fact that James Swan of Perth was John Swan’s father, no additional information could be found regarding his parents.

On 15 February 1906, Swan married Eleanor Isabel Hobbert[27] at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Gibraltar. The marriage was performed by Minister John Brown Smith and was witnessed by James Fielding and Caroline Thompson. Since Swan was married with the leave of his Commanding Officer, he was placed on the married rolls on the date of his wedding.[28]

In the 1911 Census of England and Wales Eleanor Isabel Hobbert’s birthplace is shown as St. John’s Parish in Chatham, Kent. Her age is shown as 41, therefore she was born in the first quarter of 1870. No children are listed on the census form.

Figure 13. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Gibraltar.
(Image courtesy of HM Government of Gibraltar(

John Swan’s military service papers show no record of he and his wife having any children while he was in the Army.

Since no family trees could be located for John Swan on Ancestry.com, it is not known whether or not he had any siblings.

Swan indicated to the Royal Engineers Records Centre that his intended place of residence after leaving the Army was to be 77, Upper Milton Road, Gillingham, Kent.[29]

On 9 February 1912, John Swan’s military records were forwarded to the Secretary of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London. On 25 March 1912 the Royal Hospital prepared a certification of payment of the 5-Pound gratuity to which Swan was entitled for receiving the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

A check of the official Army Lists during the period of the Great War of 1914 to 1918 did not indicate that Swan was commissioned and returned to active service for the period of the war.[30]

ANNEX A.
NOMINAL ROLL
2^nd (Fortress) Company, Royal Engineers
he Sudan, 1896-1898

Lieutenant G.E. Elkington (not with the company during the Omdurman campaign)

Lieutenant A. Gardiner, R.E. (not with the company during the Omdurman campaign)

22828 Sergeant William Skidmore Jacob (medals also in the author’s collection – ADDITIONAL RESEARCH below.

The medals of both 25556 Company Sergeant Major John Swan, R.E. and 22828 Sergeant W.S. Jacob, R.E. are in the author’s collection. This ADDITIONAL RESEARCH regarding both of these men was produced after a detailed study in 2015 of the roll of the Royal Engineers in the Sudan Campaign. Most of the information contained therein deals with the movements of the 2^nd Company, Royal Engineers in which CSM Swan served. However it is considered that sufficient information is presented to provide additional details of the service of Sergeant Jacob during this campaign although he served in the 8^th Railway Company, Royal Engineers and was attached at some point to the Egyptian forces during the campaign. Although Jacob is not mentioned by name, one can assume that he and his unit was in close proximity to Swan’s unit during the actions described. In addition, the nominal roll of the 2^nd (Fortress) Company, Royal Engineers again is specifically directed at the service of CSM Swan.

1. ALFORD, H.S.L. & SWORD, W.D. The Egyptian Soudan. Macmillan and Company, Ltd., New York, 1898.

3. CONOLLY, T.W.J. Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers From 1660 to 1898. The Royal Engineers Institute, Chatham, Kent, 1898.

4. FARWELL, B. Mr. Kipling’s Army: All the Queen’s Men. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1981.

5. FEATHERSTONE, D. Omdurman, 1898: Kitchener’s Victory in the Sudan. Campaign Series No. 29. Osprey Publishing Limited, London, 1993.

7. GRIERSON, J.M. Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War. Greenhill Books, London, 1988.

11. PORTER, W. The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Volume II. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1952.

12. SANDES, E.W.C. The Royal Engineers in Egypt and the Sudan. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1937.

13. SKELLEY, A.R. The Victorian Army at Home: The Recruitment and Terms and Conditions of the British Regular, 1859-1899. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal, 1977.

14. WILKINSON-LATHAM, R. and ROFFE, M. The Sudan Campaigns, 1881-1898. Osprey Men-At-Arms Series No. 59, Osprey Publishing Limited, 1986.

g. Descriptive Return of a Soldier Wishing to Extend His Service (Army Form B. 221)

1. AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION. AA Motorists Atlas of Great Britain. Basingstoke, 1984.

2. BAEDEKER, K. Great Britain Handbook for Travellers. Karl Baedeker, Publisher, Leipzig, 1910.

3. BARTHOLOMEW, J. Reference Atlas of Greater Lonon. John Bartholomew & Son Ltd., Edinburgh, 1957.

ENDNOTES

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all details of John Swan’s military service have been taken from his service papers, copies of which are provided in the Appendix.

[2] See Age and Physical Requirements for Soldiers in the British Army (Victorian Period).

[3] See Periods of Enlistment for the Corps of Royal Engineers.

[4] See Engineer Recruit Training.

[5] See Good Conduct Pay.

[6] See Extensions of Service of the Regular Army.

[7] Horatio Herbert Kitchener, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., Baron Kitchener of Khartoum and of Aspall, late Royal Engineers

[8] The Khalifa’s aggressive religious uprising was modeled along the lines of his predecessor, the Mahdi, who caused so much trouble for the British and Egyptian governments in the mid-1880s.

[9] Leonard Arthur Arkwright.

[10] Duncan Alexander Friederichs, later Captain, Royal Engineers.

[11] George Edward Elkington. Died at Bloemfontein, South Africa on 12 January 1901.

[12] James Philip Moir. Later Colonel, DSO.

[13] SANDES, 1937, pp. 166-167.

[14] WILKINSON-LATHAM, 1979, p. 39.

[15] ALFORD & SWORD, 1898, pp. 200 and 324).

[16] SANDES, 1937, p. 211.

[17] WILKINSON-LATHAM, 1979, pp. 237-249.

[18] CHURCHILL, 1951, p. 266.

[19] General Charles George Gordon, C.B. was killed at Khartoum on 26 January 1885.

[20] Both of these medals are in the author’s collection.

[21] See Re-Engagements in the Regular Army.

[22] 20372 Company Sergeant Major J.T. Anderston may have been the CSM of the 2^nd Company during the Battle of Omdurman.

[23] Later, Brigadier General.

[24] This medal is also in the author’s collection.

[25] Simon’s Town or Simonstown is located on the western shore of False Bay, 20 miles south of Cape Town. It was the base of the British South Atlantic Naval Squadron from 1814.

[26] Swan had gained an inch in height and 3 inches around his chest during his time in service. His complexion had turned from “sallow” to “fresh” and his hair from black to grey.

[27] Eleanor Isabel Hobbert is listed as a “spinster” in Swan’s service papers. This term was usually used to denote a woman who had never been married before.

[28] See Marriage of Soldiers During the Victorian Period.

[29] This address no longer appears to exist in Gillingham, Kent.

[30] Many senior non-commissioned officers of the Royal Engineers who were discharged just prior to the Great War were recalled to service and given commissions as Lieutenants (Quartermasters).

Location	Period of Service
Chatham	9 February 1891 – 12 November 1895
Malta	13 November 1895 – 29 October 1896
Egypt	30 October 1896 – 14 March 1898
Sudan	15 March 1898 – 16 August 1900
Egypt	17 August 1900 – 13 December 1902
Chatham	14 December 1902 -7 November 1904
Gibraltar	8 November 1904 – 1 September 1907
Chatham	2 September 1907 – 18 October 1909
South Africa	19 October 1909 – 19 January 1912
Chatham/Gosport	20 January 1912 – 8 February 1912

Location	Period of Service
Home	12 years and 80 days
Abroad	8 years and 285 days
Total Service	21 years

Date of Promotion or Appointment	Rank or Position
9 February 1891	Sapper, upon enlistment in the Royal Engineers.
11 June 1892	Promoted Lance Corporal.
1 February 1895	Promoted 2^nd Corporal.
1 December 1896	Promoted Corporal.
1 April 1901	Promoted Sergeant.
31 March 1907	Promoted Company Sergeant Major.

Certificate Awarded	Date of Award
Third Class Certificate of Education	23 March 1893
Second Class Certificate of Education	11 June 1894