John Swayne

John Swayne
Born	1890
Died	1964 (aged 73 or 74)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1911–1946
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Unit	Somerset Light Infantry
Commands held	1st Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers 4th Infantry Division South-Eastern Command
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Lieutenant-General Sir John George des Reaux Swayne KCB CBE (1890–1964) was a senior British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding South-East Command.

Military career

Born the son of William Swayne, Bishop of Lincoln,^[1] Swayne was commissioned into the Somerset Light Infantry in 1911.^[2] He served in World War I spending most of it as a prisoner of war.^[2] After the War he was appointed Aide-de-camp to the General Officer Commanding Western Command in India before becoming Adjutant of his Regiment in 1924.^[2] He became a General Staff Officer at the War Office in 1927 and Brigade Major for 7th Infantry Brigade in 1929.^[2] He was made Military Assistant to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1930 and Chief of Staff for the International Force for the Saar Plebiscite in Germany in 1934.^[2] He was selected to be Commanding Officer of 1st Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in 1935 and Chief Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley in 1937.^[2]

He served in World War II initially as Head of the British Military Mission to the French General Headquarters and then as General Officer Commanding 4th Division from 1941.^[2] He was appointed Chief of the General Staff for Home Forces in 1942 and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Eastern Command in 1942.^[2] His final appointment was as Chief of the General Staff in India in 1944; he retired in 1946.^[2]

References

1. Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: a directory of gentlemen of coat of armour - volume 2
2. Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives