| McSwiney | Edward Frederick Henry | | Lieutenant | McSWINEY, EDWARD FREDERICK HENRY, Lieutenant, was born at Oonstadt, Russia, 28 February 1857, son of the Reverend John Herbert McSwiney, MA, British Chaplain at Cronstadt, and of Mrs Emily Sarah McSwiney, daughter of Admiral Hills, RN, and second cousin of Sir Harry Verney. He was educated at Cronstadt: Victoria College, Jersey; Oxford Military College, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; was gazetted Second-Lieutenant to the 40th Foot 22 January 1879, arriving in India 3 April 1879. He served with the Kurram Valley Field Force during the Second Afghan War, 1880, as Sub-Assistant Commissary-General (Medal); transferred to the 3rd Cavalry HC in May 1884. He married, 13 December 1885, in Bombay Cathedral, Ida F Knaggs, daughter of Colonel Henry Knaggs, AMS, and their children were: Herbert Frederick Cyril, born 8 November 1886 (Captain, Temporary Major, 2/3rd QAO Gurkha Rifles; mentioned in Despatches, 1918 and 1919, for services rendered as DAQMG, 75th Division, under General Allenby, Egyptian Expeditionary Force; awarded MC, 1917); Hugh Norman Claude, born 3 April 1891 (died in September 1902), and Ida Kathleen. He commanded a Squadron in the Burma Campaign, 1886-87; defeated large bands of Dacoits at Pindin on the 3rd December, and at Chounghwa on 11 December 1886; congratulated by Brigadier General R C Stewart); completed the subjugation of Nazasin District by utterly routing the Dacoits at Theo, June 1887 (acknowledgments of Major General Sir G S White, VC; Despatches; Medal with two clasps, and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 25 November 1889]: "Edward Frederick Henry McSwiney, Lieutenant, Bengal Staff Corps. For services in Burma.") He was transferred to 4th Lancers, HC, in August 1888; qualified as Russian Interpreter, 1889; appointed Adjutant, 4th Lancers, HC, May 1889; promoted Captain, 22 January 1890; Attache, Intelligence Branch, Quartermaster-General's Department, Army HQ, 1891; Brigade Major of Cavalry during cavalry manoeuvres in the Meerut District; DAQMG, Intelligence Branch, Army HQ, Simla, 5 June 1894; served in Waziristan, 1895 (clasp); appointed Second in Command, 1st Lancers, HC, but remained seconded Camp Commandant, and Intelligence Officer, Pamir Boundary Commission, 1895 (thanks of the Government of India, 1896, and Brevet of Major, 1897); Officiating Commandant, 1st Lancers, HC, 1 July 1897; DAAG, Kurram-Kohat Force, under Major General Yeatman-Biggs, CB 1897; present at, the action of the Uhlan Pass, 27 August 1897; operations on the Samana and in the Kurram Valtey, August and September 1897; Defence of the Samana Forts, Relief of Gulistan (Despatches [London Gazette, 11 February 1898], Medal and two clasps, recommended for promotion to AAG). When the Kurram-Kohat Field Force was merged into the Tirah Expeditionary Force, Major McSwiney was appointed DAAG to the Kurram Movable Column; was present at the reconnaissance of the Khurmana Defile and action of 7 November; operations against the Khami Khel Chamkanis, 1st and 2nd HC (Despatches [London Gazette, 1 March 1898]; clasp; Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel, 21 May 1898). Colonel W Hill, in his Despatches, dated 12 and 24 December 1897, said that Major McSwiney's services were "invaluable" and that he had "great ability, zeal, and tact". In 1898 he was Staff Captain at the Intelligence Division, War Office, and in 1899 was appointed Commandant, 1st Lancers, Hyderabad Contingent, in March 1900 was Special Service Officer, China Expeditionary Force; created a CB, 1905; appointed Brigadier, Ambala Cavalry Brigade, 1906. Colonel E F McSwiney died at Ambala 21 January 1907.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Bengal Staff Corps |
