Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Leslie Swallow was born in Manchester on 5 February 1896, to parents Alfred (a printers clerk) and Hannah.  He was the first of eight children in the family.  By 1911, at the age of 15, Leslie was listed as a chartered accountant’s clerk.

During the war Leslie served in the Merchant Navy.  His visitors’ book entry, dated 27 May 1916, describes how his ship RNT ‘Lincairn’ was torpedoed off the Suffolk coast that afternoon.  He wrote “I was torpedoed off the coast of Suffolk at 1.30 on May 27th and myself with the rest of the crew were landed at Lowestoft at 4.30pm the same day. I managed to reach Peterboro the same evening where I was taken to the Soldiers and Sailors rest. The two young ladies that were in attendance at the time.” Official records later reported that the ship was actually mined, eight miles from Shipwash. http://www.naval-history.net/WW1LossesBrMS1914-16.htm

Leslie married Hannah Fox in 1925, and they had a son Alfred, born in 1927.  Between 1921 and 1927 records show Leslie living in Blackpool and working as an accountant for a shipping company.

In 1939, Alfred and Hannah were living at 56 Folly Lane, Pendlebury and Alfred was working as a calico printer’s salesman.  Alfred died in Fylde, Lancashire in 1964, aged 69.

No medal records for Leslie Swallow could be found.

Photograph provided with grateful thanks to Leslie Swallow’s grandson who has been traced.