The name of Thomas Noble Field SWINTON does not appear on either the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour or the Commemorative Roll that records the sacrifice of Australians that died while serving with armed forces of Allied countries.
He was, however, one who gave his life in the service of his country.
He was with his family at “Arcadie”, Hammond-street, Northcote when he volunteered to travel to England as a Registered Munitions Worker in his case with Vickers, Sons & Maxim, a prominent manufacturer of ordnance and ammunition in Eirth in outer London (it is known that he was employed at the Newport Railways Workshop, but the exact nature of his work is unknown). Vickers was a major supplier of munitions and was linked to the Royal Arsenal at nearby Woolwich on the outskirts of London.
As he did not enlist in the armed forces, there is no file held for him in National Archives, but his fate came to light with references to his death in personal notices published in The Argus in December, 1916 and again with In Memoriam notices in 1917 and in 1918.
The latter notices appeared in the “On Active Service” section, but it is highly improbable that newspapers ever bothered to check the credentials of those included, and perhaps significantly, the original notice appeared under the general “Deaths” section.
Swinton was born in Ballarat in 1883 – his parents James and Agnes married in 1869, the other children Jessie (1870), John (1871), James (1873), David (1875), William (1877), George (1879), Charles (1881), Agnes (1885) and Robert (1887), all born in Ballarat, but the family were listed at Hammond Street from 1913, and then from 1916 at 23 Union Street, both addresses in Northcote.
The Defence Department maintained a file of Munitions workers, but Swinton’s name is not included and he appears to have already been in England when he joined Vickers.
There are 6,353 dossiers held in the file, but only a small proportion appeared to have gone to England. Those that did were paid £5 to cover their time in transit on the understanding that they report to the British Ministry of Munitions on arrival and work for the duration of the war.
SWINTON.-On the 4th December, at Erith, Kent, England, Thomas N. F., of Vickers’ Munition Works, England, late of Footscray and Newport Workshops, seventh son of James and Agnes Swinton, “Arcadia,” Hammond street, Northcote, aged 33 years. (By cable.)
SWINTON – In loving memory of our dear brother Tom, who died at Erith, England, 6th December, 1916 (munition worker); seventh son of James and Agnes Swinton, “Arcadie”, Hammond-street, Northcote, late of Ballarat and Footscray (Inserted by his sisten and brother-in-law, Jessie and Edward Mahon, Conargo, N.S.W)
The featured image shows the Overseas Munitions Worker Badge – there was a different design as pictured below awarded to persons who enlisted for active service but who were rejected on medical, physical or occupational grounds and who later served in manufacturing munitions (there was an explosives factory at Maribyrnong, a clothing factory in South Melbourne, and a harness, saddlery and leather accroutments factory in Clifton Hill).
William ORR
Further research into the sparse records held of Munitions Workers uncovers a second from Northcote that died while working overseas, coincidentally at Woolwich Arsenal, the same as James Swinton.
ORR – On the 31st October, at Eltham Cottage Hospital, England, William, eldest son of the late William and Janet Orr, loved husband of Jessie, and loving father of Chrissie and Willie of 102 Dundas street, Thornbury, brother of Hugh, James (on active service), Janet (Mrs Foster) and Mary Orr, munitions worker Woolwich Arsenal. (The Argus 18 November, 1918).
The brother shown in the Death Notice was James Finnie Orr, 1080, Private, later Corporal, Australian Flying Corps. He enlisted in November, 1916 as a 31-year-old engineer, again born in Glasgow with his mother Janet then shown in Merri-street, Northcote. She died at the home of a niece, Isabella Cairns “Stranraer,” Arthurton road, Northcote in February, 1922 at 63 years of age.
