{"id":5861,"date":"2021-10-27T07:35:21","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T07:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.overloonwarchronicles.nl\/?page_id=5861"},"modified":"2024-02-24T19:27:27","modified_gmt":"2024-02-24T19:27:27","slug":"swinley-andrew","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.overloonwarchronicles.nl\/en\/swinley-andrew\/","title":{"rendered":"Swinley Andrew"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Swinley | Andrew<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>First names<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Andrew<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Age<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>24<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Date of birth<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>31-01-1920<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Date of death<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>22-11-1944<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Service number<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>900601<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Rank<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Gunner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Regiment<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>Royal Artillery, 76 Field Regt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>Grave number<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>IV. E. 11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-6.jpg\" alt=\"Andrew Swinley\"><\/p>\n<h3>Andrew Swinley<\/h3>\n<p>Andrew Swinley<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-4.jpg\" alt=\"graf Andrew Swinley in Overloon\"><\/p>\n<h3>graf Andrew Swinley <\/h3>\n<p>Grave Andrew Swinley at Overloon War Cemetery<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<p>Author: Arno van Dijk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Biography<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Andrew Swinley: Young father at the front<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em>&#8220;He had always been the farthest forward, where the danger had been greatest.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>(Source: Letter from Captain John A. Ford to Widow Swinley)<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Tense faces everywhere, concentration. Andrew looks around the landing craft. They practiced on this landing in Scotland for months, but now it comes down to it. Because this is no longer training, this is real! He sees the French coast getting closer and closer. How fierce will be the opposition by those Jerries? The adrenaline rises.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Andrew Swinley is born on Saturday 31 January 1920 in Buckhaven, a small village in the county of Fifeshire in Scotland. He is the son of Andrew and Jean Swinley. Andrew is the third child to be born in this family in line. The first, a girl, dies soon after her birth in 1917. In 1918, sister Mary is born. Andrew (1920) is followed by Elizabeth (1922), Flora (1933), Thomas (1934) and Jean (1936).<br \/>Andrew grows up in this Scottish village and there he also meets fellow villager Mary Jane Hunter. They fall in love and get married on 29 November 1941. After the wedding they continue to live in Buckhaven.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Andrew joins the local coal mines at a young age and works deep underground. Dangerous work. Miners are officially exempt from military service, as it is stipulated that the coal fumes that the miners breathe have a negative effect on the conditional performance required in a war conflict. For some Scots the miner&#8217;s job is indeed an escape from military service, but Andrew is not happy with this rule and succeeds in enlisting in the army on 29 April 1939.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Andrew eventually ends up in the 76th Highland Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery and becomes a signaler (responsible for radio communication or other signal methods), Carrier driver and gunner. The 76th Highland Field Regiment is a territorial unit originally composed of the 303rd (Dundee) and the 302nd (Fife) Batteries.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On Wednesday 5 January 1944 son Andrew is born, the 6th consecutive generation with the name Andrew.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>In the course of 1944 it becomes clear that a major allied landing operation is imminent. Exactly when and where that operation takes place is still top secret. The Moray Firth in the north of Scotland, east of Inverness, is where Andrew and his regiment train on landing along with elements of the British Navy. Loading again and again at Rosemarkie, after which the training landings take place 40 kilometers away on the sandy beaches of Burghead Bay.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>When Andrew has to leave for Portsmouth with his regiment and his departure from there to the front is imminent, his wife Mary decides to temporarily move in with her parents again with little Andrew.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>For the first days of June, Andrew and his regiment are in Portsmouth on the English south coast and everything is prepared for the crossing to France. The vessels and crew are in the ports and waters of Portsmouth awaiting departure on Sunday 4 June when that is delayed for another 24 hours. On Monday 5 June the order to set sail that afternoon follows. At that moment everyone may open their sealed package containing the exact information about the destination and the arrival time.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>After a night of superior navigation by the Royal Navy, the Normandy coast comes into view for Andrew in the early morning of Tuesday 6 June 1944 at around 5:30 am, after which the shelling towards the beach codenamed Sword Beach starts at 6:50 am. The heavy shelling stops after 35 minutes, after which the first wave of landing of the 8th Brigade can begin. Shortly thereafter, it is Andrew&#8217;s regiment&#8217;s turn to storm the beach from 18 LCT (Landing Craft Tanks, amphibious vehicles that can put tanks on the beach in addition to troops). Sword Beach and the landing is part of Operation Neptune (the naval part and the first attacks of the entire Operation Overloard). The liberation of Western Europe has begun!<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The situation on the beach is chaotic. After 5 hours of shelling from the beach, which is getting narrower due to the rising tide, enough safe paths are cleared to finally leave the beach.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Andrew is part of the OP, the Observation Post. These OPs are usually at the front of the lines to inform the artillery.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The first goal is to conquer the strategically important French city of Caen. But the German opposition is very fierce. In fact it will take more than a month to take the city, at the expense of thousands of victims.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>After Caen, Andrew&#8217;s regiment enters The Netherlands via battles in Northern France and Belgium.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On 23 September the 76th Field Regiment is ordered to guard the canal near Maastricht and to defend it against possible German attacks from the south.<br \/>On 25 September the regiment again supports the 8th British infantry regiment in Weert and a day later they are in the Heeze area, after which they arrive in Bakel on 27 September.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On 1 October the 76th comes into action north of the Maas and on 2 October Germany is fired upon by E troop, part of the 76th Field Regiment.<br \/>From 13 October the regiment takes action in Operation Aintree, the Battle of Overloon, and advances to Venray. On 19 October they relocate to the Kleindorp region, after which they support the 185th Brigade when they return to their own lines on 26 October.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The allies attack again on 14 November to roll up the Venlo bridgehead. The code name for this operation is Operation Nutcracker. On the German side General Von Obstfelder is still the man responsible for the Venlo bridgehead and thinks that after a few days the tide has turned. On 20 November the 15th Scottish Division attacks, two days later followed by the 11th Panzer Division. Subsequently the 86th Corps holds the Venlo bridgehead until 3 December. Then all Germans are finally driven back across the Maas.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On Wednesday evening 22 November 1944 Andrew&#8217;s regiment advances in support of the infantry. Andrew drives his Carrier. Suddenly an explosion! Andrew hit a German mine, placed under the surface of the road by retreating German troops. The Carrier is completely blown over. Andrew is killed instantly.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Andrew&#8217;s comrades are shocked by his death and along with Andrew&#8217;s Captain, John A. Ford of the 302 Field Battery (part of the 76th Highland Field Regiment), they burry Andrew&#8217;s body in a field grave that same night. The next morning Andrew is buried next to the crucifix on the Gildestraat in Holthees where a short impressive ceremony takes place.<br \/>In his letter dated 27 November 1944 to widow Mary Swinley, Ford mentions Andrew&#8217;s courage and sense of duty: \u201cBeing in the OP party he had always been the farthest forward, where the danger had been greatest, yet he had never complained or asked to be given a safer or more comfortable job at the gun-end. His death is a great blow to us all.\u201d <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>On 2 June 1947 Andrew&#8217;s remains are transferred to the CWGC cemetery in Overloon.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Soon after the war, widow Mary meets John Denouette Patterson in Buckhaven. John, like Mary and Andrew, is also from Buckhaven. John was taken prisoner of war by the Japanese and forced by them to work on the infamous Burma Railway. John has also been a prisoner of war in the Changi prison in Singapore after the Japanese captured Singapore. Mary and John get married in August 1946 and have 3 children. Little Andrew is raised by John as his own son.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>In 2020 the 8th consecutive generation of Andrew is born into the Swinley family, a family tradition that dates back to the first Andrew (born in 1824).<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Andrew Swinley, the brave and proud young father at the front. The memory of him will\u00a0 forever be honored by his next generations.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0Read the full and extensive story by clicking the image.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Article-04-Andrew-Swinley-English-translated-version.pdf\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Andrew-Swinley-Faces-of-the-Past.jpg\" alt=\"Andrew Swinley Faces of the Past\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Photos<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The family photos reached us through Andrew&#8217;s grandson Andrew Swinley in Singapore, the 7th generation Andrew in the family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-1.jpg\" alt=\"Andrew Swinley\"><\/p>\n<h3>Andrew Swinley<\/h3>\n<p>Andrew Swinley<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-2.jpg\" alt=\"Andrew Swinley tijdens verlof met familie\"><\/p>\n<h3>Andrew Swinley &#8211; photo<\/h3>\n<p>Photograph in 1943 (?), showing from left to right: Andrew&#8217;s sister Mary, a family friend, George Simpson (married to Andrew&#8217;s sister Elizabeth), Andrew&#8217;s wife Mary and Andrew Swinley. Photo taken in front of Andrew&#8217;s parents&#8217; house in Methil, Fife.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-3.jpg\" alt=\"Gunner Andrew Swinley Royal Artillery\"><\/p>\n<h3>Andrew Swinley<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/medals-Andrew-Swinley.pdf\">more info<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-5.jpg\" alt=\"tijdelijke begraafplaats Andrew Swinley\"><\/p>\n<h3>Andrew Swinley &#8211; foto 5<\/h3>\n<p>The crucifix in Gildestraat, Holthees, Andrew&#8217;s temporary burial site<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>Photo: Collection Piet Peters<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Sources and credits<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Letter Capt. John A. Ford of the 302. Field Battery to Mary Jane Hunter Swinley<br \/>Letter Buster (Andrew\u2019s military comrade) to Mary Jane Hunter Swinley<br \/>Andrew Swinley &#8211; Singapore<br \/>Operation Aintree &#8211; The Battle of Overloon &amp; Venray (authors Antal Giesbers and Herman Dinnissen, Giesbers Media, 2004)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 2021 Arno van Dijk on behalf of the Overloon War Chronicles foundation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<!-- {\"name\":\"Basis pagina biografie\\u00ebn\",\"type\":\"layout\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"layout\":\"1-2,1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Swinley | Andrew\",\"title_element\":\"h3\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"layout\":\"grid-2\",\"list_element\":\"ul\",\"list_size\":\"collapse\",\"list_style\":\"divider\",\"meta_align\":\"below-content\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_link\":true,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":true,\"title_element\":\"div\",\"title_grid_column_gap\":\"small\",\"title_grid_row_gap\":\"small\",\"title_grid_width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Andrew<\\\/p>\",\"title\":\"First names\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>24<\\\/p>\",\"title\":\"Age\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>31-01-1920<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Date of birth\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>22-11-1944<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Date of death\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>900601<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Service number\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Gunner<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Rank\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Royal Artillery, 76 Field Regt.<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Regiment\"}},{\"type\":\"description_list_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p>IV. E. 11.<\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"\",\"title\":\"Grave number\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"gallery\",\"props\":{\"filter_align\":\"left\",\"filter_all\":true,\"filter_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"filter_grid_width\":\"auto\",\"filter_position\":\"top\",\"filter_style\":\"tab\",\"grid_default\":\"1\",\"grid_medium\":\"2\",\"image_height\":\"350\",\"image_width\":\"200\",\"item_animation\":true,\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"overlay_hover\":true,\"overlay_mode\":\"cover\",\"overlay_position\":\"center\",\"overlay_style\":\"overlay-primary\",\"overlay_transition\":\"fade\",\"parallax_easing\":\"1\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_hover_image\":false,\"show_link\":false,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":false,\"text_align\":\"center\",\"text_color\":\"light\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-6.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Andrew Swinley\",\"meta\":\"Andrew Swinley\",\"title\":\"Andrew Swinley\"}},{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-4.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"graf Andrew Swinley in Overloon\",\"meta\":\"Grave Andrew Swinley at Overloon War Cemetery\",\"title\":\"graf Andrew Swinley \"}}]}]}]}],\"name\":\"personalia\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding\":\"xsmall\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Author: Arno van Dijk<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"small\",\"margin_remove_bottom\":false,\"margin_remove_top\":false}}]}]}],\"name\":\"auteur\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Biography\",\"title_element\":\"h2\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Andrew Swinley: Young father at the front<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p><em>\\\"He had always been the farthest forward, where the danger had been greatest.\\\"<\\\/em><\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>(Source: Letter from Captain John A. Ford to Widow Swinley)<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Tense faces everywhere, concentration. Andrew looks around the landing craft. They practiced on this landing in Scotland for months, but now it comes down to it. Because this is no longer training, this is real! He sees the French coast getting closer and closer. How fierce will be the opposition by those Jerries? The adrenaline rises.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Andrew Swinley is born on Saturday 31 January 1920 in Buckhaven, a small village in the county of Fifeshire in Scotland. He is the son of Andrew and Jean Swinley. Andrew is the third child to be born in this family in line. The first, a girl, dies soon after her birth in 1917. In 1918, sister Mary is born. Andrew (1920) is followed by Elizabeth (1922), Flora (1933), Thomas (1934) and Jean (1936).<br \\\/>Andrew grows up in this Scottish village and there he also meets fellow villager Mary Jane Hunter. They fall in love and get married on 29 November 1941. After the wedding they continue to live in Buckhaven.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Andrew joins the local coal mines at a young age and works deep underground. Dangerous work. Miners are officially exempt from military service, as it is stipulated that the coal fumes that the miners breathe have a negative effect on the conditional performance required in a war conflict. For some Scots the miner's job is indeed an escape from military service, but Andrew is not happy with this rule and succeeds in enlisting in the army on 29 April 1939.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Andrew eventually ends up in the 76th Highland Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery and becomes a signaler (responsible for radio communication or other signal methods), Carrier driver and gunner. The 76th Highland Field Regiment is a territorial unit originally composed of the 303rd (Dundee) and the 302nd (Fife) Batteries.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On Wednesday 5 January 1944 son Andrew is born, the 6th consecutive generation with the name Andrew.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>In the course of 1944 it becomes clear that a major allied landing operation is imminent. Exactly when and where that operation takes place is still top secret. The Moray Firth in the north of Scotland, east of Inverness, is where Andrew and his regiment train on landing along with elements of the British Navy. Loading again and again at Rosemarkie, after which the training landings take place 40 kilometers away on the sandy beaches of Burghead Bay.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>When Andrew has to leave for Portsmouth with his regiment and his departure from there to the front is imminent, his wife Mary decides to temporarily move in with her parents again with little Andrew.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>For the first days of June, Andrew and his regiment are in Portsmouth on the English south coast and everything is prepared for the crossing to France. The vessels and crew are in the ports and waters of Portsmouth awaiting departure on Sunday 4 June when that is delayed for another 24 hours. On Monday 5 June the order to set sail that afternoon follows. At that moment everyone may open their sealed package containing the exact information about the destination and the arrival time.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>After a night of superior navigation by the Royal Navy, the Normandy coast comes into view for Andrew in the early morning of Tuesday 6 June 1944 at around 5:30 am, after which the shelling towards the beach codenamed Sword Beach starts at 6:50 am. The heavy shelling stops after 35 minutes, after which the first wave of landing of the 8th Brigade can begin. Shortly thereafter, it is Andrew's regiment's turn to storm the beach from 18 LCT (Landing Craft Tanks, amphibious vehicles that can put tanks on the beach in addition to troops). Sword Beach and the landing is part of Operation Neptune (the naval part and the first attacks of the entire Operation Overloard). The liberation of Western Europe has begun!<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The situation on the beach is chaotic. After 5 hours of shelling from the beach, which is getting narrower due to the rising tide, enough safe paths are cleared to finally leave the beach.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Andrew is part of the OP, the Observation Post. These OPs are usually at the front of the lines to inform the artillery.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The first goal is to conquer the strategically important French city of Caen. But the German opposition is very fierce. In fact it will take more than a month to take the city, at the expense of thousands of victims.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>After Caen, Andrew's regiment enters The Netherlands via battles in Northern France and Belgium.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On 23 September the 76th Field Regiment is ordered to guard the canal near Maastricht and to defend it against possible German attacks from the south.<br \\\/>On 25 September the regiment again supports the 8th British infantry regiment in Weert and a day later they are in the Heeze area, after which they arrive in Bakel on 27 September.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On 1 October the 76th comes into action north of the Maas and on 2 October Germany is fired upon by E troop, part of the 76th Field Regiment.<br \\\/>From 13 October the regiment takes action in Operation Aintree, the Battle of Overloon, and advances to Venray. On 19 October they relocate to the Kleindorp region, after which they support the 185th Brigade when they return to their own lines on 26 October.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>The allies attack again on 14 November to roll up the Venlo bridgehead. The code name for this operation is Operation Nutcracker. On the German side General Von Obstfelder is still the man responsible for the Venlo bridgehead and thinks that after a few days the tide has turned. On 20 November the 15th Scottish Division attacks, two days later followed by the 11th Panzer Division. Subsequently the 86th Corps holds the Venlo bridgehead until 3 December. Then all Germans are finally driven back across the Maas.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On Wednesday evening 22 November 1944 Andrew's regiment advances in support of the infantry. Andrew drives his Carrier. Suddenly an explosion! Andrew hit a German mine, placed under the surface of the road by retreating German troops. The Carrier is completely blown over. Andrew is killed instantly.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Andrew's comrades are shocked by his death and along with Andrew's Captain, John A. Ford of the 302 Field Battery (part of the 76th Highland Field Regiment), they burry Andrew's body in a field grave that same night. The next morning Andrew is buried next to the crucifix on the Gildestraat in Holthees where a short impressive ceremony takes place.<br \\\/>In his letter dated 27 November 1944 to widow Mary Swinley, Ford mentions Andrew's courage and sense of duty: \\u201cBeing in the OP party he had always been the farthest forward, where the danger had been greatest, yet he had never complained or asked to be given a safer or more comfortable job at the gun-end. His death is a great blow to us all.\\u201d <br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>On 2 June 1947 Andrew's remains are transferred to the CWGC cemetery in Overloon.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Soon after the war, widow Mary meets John Denouette Patterson in Buckhaven. John, like Mary and Andrew, is also from Buckhaven. John was taken prisoner of war by the Japanese and forced by them to work on the infamous Burma Railway. John has also been a prisoner of war in the Changi prison in Singapore after the Japanese captured Singapore. Mary and John get married in August 1946 and have 3 children. Little Andrew is raised by John as his own son.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>In 2020 the 8th consecutive generation of Andrew is born into the Swinley family, a family tradition that dates back to the first Andrew (born in 1824).<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>Andrew Swinley, the brave and proud young father at the front. The memory of him will\\u00a0 forever be honored by his next generations.<br \\\/>\\u00a0<br \\\/>\\u00a0Read the full and extensive story by clicking the image.\\u00a0<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p><\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Andrew-Swinley-Faces-of-the-Past.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Andrew Swinley Faces of the Past\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/Article-04-Andrew-Swinley-English-translated-version.pdf\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"text_align\":\"center\"}}]}]}],\"name\":\"biografie\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"}}]}],\"name\":\"de verdieping\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Photos\",\"title_element\":\"h2\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>The family photos reached us through Andrew's grandson Andrew Swinley in Singapore, the 7th generation Andrew in the family.<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"medium\"}},{\"type\":\"gallery\",\"props\":{\"filter_align\":\"left\",\"filter_all\":true,\"filter_grid_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"filter_grid_width\":\"auto\",\"filter_position\":\"top\",\"filter_style\":\"tab\",\"grid_default\":\"1\",\"grid_medium\":\"2\",\"item_animation\":true,\"link_style\":\"primary\",\"link_target\":true,\"link_text\":\"meer info\",\"margin\":\"default\",\"meta_align\":\"below-title\",\"meta_element\":\"div\",\"meta_style\":\"text-meta\",\"overlay_hover\":true,\"overlay_mode\":\"cover\",\"overlay_position\":\"center\",\"overlay_style\":\"overlay-primary\",\"overlay_transition\":\"fade\",\"parallax_easing\":\"1\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_hover_image\":false,\"show_link\":true,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":false,\"text_align\":\"center\",\"text_color\":\"light\",\"title_element\":\"h3\",\"title_hover_style\":\"reset\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-1.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Andrew Swinley\",\"meta\":\"Andrew Swinley\",\"title\":\"Andrew Swinley\"}},{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-2.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Andrew Swinley tijdens verlof met familie\",\"meta\":\"Photograph in 1943 (?), showing from left to right: Andrew's sister Mary, a family friend, George Simpson (married to Andrew's sister Elizabeth), Andrew's wife Mary and Andrew Swinley. Photo taken in front of Andrew's parents' house in Methil, Fife.\",\"title\":\"Andrew Swinley - photo\"}},{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-3.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"Gunner Andrew Swinley Royal Artillery\",\"link\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/medals-Andrew-Swinley.pdf\",\"link_text\":\"more info\",\"title\":\"Andrew Swinley\"}},{\"type\":\"gallery_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><em>Photo: Collection Piet Peters<\\\/em><\\\/p>\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/10\\\/Andrew-Swinley-foto-5.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"tijdelijke begraafplaats Andrew Swinley\",\"meta\":\"The crucifix in Gildestraat, Holthees, Andrew's temporary burial site\",\"title\":\"Andrew Swinley - foto 5\"}}]}]}]}],\"name\":\"de foto's\"},{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"padding_remove_top\":true,\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"middle\",\"width\":\"small\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Sources and credits\",\"title_element\":\"h2\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>Letter Capt. John A. Ford of the 302. Field Battery to Mary Jane Hunter Swinley<br \\\/>Letter Buster (Andrew\\u2019s military comrade) to Mary Jane Hunter Swinley<br \\\/>Andrew Swinley - Singapore<br \\\/>Operation Aintree - The Battle of Overloon &amp; Venray (authors Antal Giesbers and Herman Dinnissen, Giesbers Media, 2004)<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p>\\u00a9 2021 Arno van Dijk on behalf of the Overloon War Chronicles foundation.<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p><\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}}]}]}],\"name\":\"bronnen en credits\"}],\"version\":\"4.3.4\"} --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Swinley | Andrew First names Andrew Age 24 Date of birth 31-01-1920 Date of death 22-11-1944 Service number 900601 Rank Gunner Regiment Royal Artillery, 76 Field Regt. Grave number IV. E. 11. Andrew Swinley Andrew Swinley graf Andrew Swinley Grave Andrew Swinley at Overloon War Cemetery Author: Arno van Dijk Biography Andrew Swinley: Young father [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5861","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-biography"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Swinley Andrew - Overloon War Chronicles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Andrew Swinley, the brave and proud young father at the front. 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