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SIR ERNEST DUNLOP SWINTON

Major-GeneralSir Ernest Dunlop

Swinton, KBE, CB, DSO(21 October 1868 15

Januar 1!51" #a$ a Br%t%$& 'ro))%cer #&o #a$

act%*e %n t&e +e*eloent an+ a+ot%on o)

t&e tan+ur%n. t&e /%r$t 0orl+ 0ar e #a$ al$o a

#ar corre$on+ent an+ aut&or o) $e*eral alle.or%cal

#or$ o) )%ct%on on %l%tar t&ee$, %nclu+%n. a

la$t%n.l %n)luent%al boo on tact%c$ an+ .oo+ract%ce e %$ cre+%te+ #%t& &a*%n. co%ne+ t&e #or+

3tan3 a$ a co+e-nae )or t&e )%r$t trace+, aroure+

)%.&t%n. *e&%cle$

Early life and career4e+%t

S#%nton #a$ born %n Ban.alore, n+%a, %n 1868 %$ )at&er #ore+ )or

t&eMa+ra$C%*%l Ser*%ce S#%nton #a$ e+ucate+ at 7n%*er$%t Colle.e

Sc&ool, u.b Sc&ool, C&elten&a Colle.e, Blac&eat& 9ror%etar Sc&ool, an+

t&e oal M%l%tar 'ca+e, 0ool#%c& e becae an o))%cer %n t&e Cor$ o)

oal En.%neer$%n 1888, $er*%n. %n n+%a an+ beco%n. :%eutenant%n 18!1

e $er*e+ a$ a Cata%n+ur%n. t&e Secon+ Boer 0ar(18!!1!;1", an+ rece%*e+

t&e D%$t%n.u%$&e+ Ser*%ce Or+er(DSO" %n

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an+ 7S %l%tar to tra%n %t$ o))%cer$ 424=n t&e ear$ lea+%n. u to t&e /%r$t 0orl+

0ar, &e $er*e+ a$ a $ta)) o))%ceran+ a$ an o))%c%al &%$tor%an o) t&e u$$o-

Jaane$e 0ar

First World War4e+%t

>&e 0ar M%n%$ter, :or+ K%tc&ener, ao%nte+ S#%nton a$ t&e o))%c%al Br%t%$& #ar

corre$on+enton t&e 0e$tern /ront Journal%$t$ #ere not allo#e+ at t&e )ront,

an+ S#%nton?$ reort$ #ere cen$ore+, lea+%n. to an e))ect%*el uncontro*er$%al

alt&ou.& e*en-&an+e+ reort%n.

Development of tanks4e+%t

S#%nton recount$ %n &%$ boo Eyewitness&o# &e )%r$t .ot t&e $u++en %+ea to

bu%l+ a tan on 1! October 1!1@, #&%le +r%*%n. a car %n /rance t %$ no#n t&at %n

Jul 1!1@ &e rece%*e+ a letter )ro a )r%en+, a %n%n. en.%neer nae+ u.& /

Marr%ott #&o &e &a+ et #&%le %n Sout& ')r%ca Marr%ott occa$%onall $ent

S#%nton ne#$ o) tec&n%cal +e*eloent$ t&at %.&t &a*e a %l%tar al%cat%on,

an+ &%$ letter +e$cr%be+ a ac&%ne &e &a+ $een %n 'nt#er, an 'er%can-

a+e olt Cater%llar >ractor e $u..e$te+ t&at t&e ac&%ne %.&t be u$e)ul )or

tran$ort, an+ S#%nton a$$e+ t&e %n)orat%on on to $e*eral %l%tar an+ ol%t%cal

)%.ure$ &e t&ou.&t %t %.&t %ntere$t 't t&e t%e, #%t& no aarent ro$ect o) #ar,

t&e %+ea $eee+ to be a atter onl o) tran$ort e))%c%enc, an+ S#%nton )or.ot

about t&e atter >&e %+ea o) a cater%llar trac a$ t&e ba$%$ )or a )%.&t%n. *e&%cle

occurre+ to &% onl a$ &e +ro*e )ro St Oer to Cala%$ on t&e orn%n. o) 1!

October

n Br%ta%n, Da*%+ obert$o) %c&ar+ orn$b A Son$&a+ attete+ $tart%n. %n

1!11 to %ntere$t Br%t%$& %l%tar o))%c%al$ %n a trace+ *e&%cle, but )a%le+ Benja%n

olto) t&e olt Manu)actur%n. Coanbou.&t t&e atent$ relate+ to t&e 3c&a%n

trac3trac-te tractor)ro %c&ar+ orn$b A Son$%n 1!1@4@)or @,;;; 0&en

0orl+ 0ar broe out, #%t& t&e roble o)trenc& #ar)arean+ t&e +%))%cult o)

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tran$ort%n. $ul%e$ to t&e )ront, t&e ull%n. o#er o) cra#l%n.-tetractor$ +re#

t&e attent%on o) t&e %l%tar

>&e Br%t%$& 0ar O))%ce con+ucte+ tr%al$ #%t& olt tractor$ at'l+er$&otbut $a#

t&e onl a$ $u%table )or to#%n. &ea* art%ller Major S#%nton #a$ $ent to

/rance a$ an ar #ar corre$on+ent n &e oal Co%$$%on on '#ar+$ to n*entor$ +ec%+e+ a)ter t&e #ar

t&at t&e %n*entor$ o) t&e tan #ere S%r 0%ll%a >r%tton, ana.%n. +%rector

o) /o$ter$an+ Major 0alter Gor+on 0%l$on B 1!18, t&e 0ar O))%ce &a+

rece%*e+ 2,1;; olt tractor$46

S#%nton an+ Benja%n olt%nStocton, Cal%)orn%aon 22

'r%l 1!18, #%t& a olt cater%llar tractor(r%.&t" an+ a

o+el o) a Br%t%$& tan (le)t"

n 'r%l 1!18, #&%le on a tour o) t&e 7S', S#%nton

*%$%te+ Stocton, Cal%)orn%ato ubl%cl &onour

Benja%n olt an+ t&e coan )or t&e%r contr%but%on to t&e #ar e))ort an+ to

rela Br%ta%n?$ .rat%tu+e to t&e %n*entor Benja%n olt #a$ reco.n%$e+ b t&e

General at a ubl%c eet%n. &el+ %n Stocton4

Post-war4e+%t

n 1!1! S#%nton ret%re+ a$ a Major General e $ub$euentl $er*e+ %n t&e C%*%l

'*%at%on +eartent at t&e'%r M%n%$tr e t&erea)ter jo%ne+ C%tron%n 1!22 a$ a

+%rector e #a$ C&%c&ele 9ro)e$$or o) M%l%tar %$torat OF)or+ 7n%*er$%tan+

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a/ello#o)'ll Soul$ Colle.e, OF)or+ )ro 1!25 to 1!=! &e #a$ al$o Colonel

Coan+ant o) t&e oal >an Cor$)ro 1!=@ to 1!=8 n 1!=8, &e

e+%te+Twenty Years After: the Battlefields of 191418: then and Nowa

ubl%cat%on o) Geor.e &e a.aH%ne-$tle ubl%cat%on conta%ne+

#art%e an+ re$ent-+a (ca 1!=8" %a.e$ o) /rance48

Family life4e+%t

S#%nton arr%e+ Grace :ou%$e Claton %n 18! an+ t&e &a+ t#o $on$ an+ a

+au.&ter %$ +au.&ter +%e+ %n a roa+ acc%+ent +ur%n. t&e Secon+ 0orl+ 0ar

4!S#%nton +%e+ %n OF)or+ on 15 Januar 1!514!

Honours and awards4e+%t

DSOI Coan%on o) t&e D%$t%n.u%$&e+ Ser*%ce Or+er(DSO" 9

No!e"#er 19$$ %n reco.n%t%on o) $er*%ce$ +ur%n. oerat%on$ %n Sout& ')r%ca41

C I Coan%on o) t&e Or+er o) t&e Bat&(CB" 1 %e#ruary 191& %n

reco.n%t%on o) $er*%ce$ +ur%n. t&e #ar4!41;

!EI Kn%.&t Coan+er o) t&e Or+er o) t&e Br%t%$& E%re une

19( %n t&e K%n.?$ B%rt&+a onour$4!411

Cro%F +e C&e*al%er o) t&e :e.%on o) onour 191) %n reco.n%t%on o)

+%$t%n.u%$&e+ $er*%ce +ur%n. t&e caa%.n4

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxbridge_Fellowhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls_College,_Oxfordhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Tank_Corpshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-8https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton&action=edit&section=5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World_Warhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton&action=edit&section=6https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Service_Orderhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-LG27359-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Bathhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-10https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empirehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-11https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_of_Honourhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-12https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxbridge_Fellowhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls_College,_Oxfordhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Tank_Corpshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-8https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton&action=edit&section=5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World_Warhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton&action=edit&section=6https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Service_Orderhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-LG27359-1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Bathhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-10https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empirehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-obit-9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-11https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_of_Honourhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Dunlop_Swinton#cite_note-12