Edwin (Ted) Essery Swales was born in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, to a farming family from the Heatonville District, on 3 July 1915. After the death of his father during the influenza epidemic of 1918 to 1919, the family moved to Durban. Upon leaving school, Swales found employment with Barclays Bank.
He also joined the Natal Mounted Rifles, a citizen force regiment, and rose to the rank of sergeant major.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Swales went up north with his regiment and saw action in Kenya, Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and in the North African desert.
In January 1942, he was accepted into the South African Air Force, and trained at Kimberley.
In August 1943, Swales was seconded to the Royal Air Force (RAF), while retaining his South African Air Force uniform and rank. Following a successful period of training in England at RAF Little Rissington in Gloucestershire, he was assigned to fly heavy bombers.
His flying ability was of such a high standard that he was posted to the elite Pathfinder Group attached to 582 Squadron and based at Little Staughton in Bedfordshire.
On bombing raids, the Pathfinders went in first to light up the target with flares, giving the main force a precise point to aim at and so increasing their accuracy. Some Pathfinder squadrons were equipped with the fast, unarmed, twin-engine De Havilland Mosquito. Others, like the one Swales joined, flew four-engine Avro Lancasters.
The Pathfinders usually accepted only experienced pilots who had completed a full tour of operations on bombers. Swales had never spent any time as a bomber pilot; he went straight into the Pathfinders, a very rare occurrence indeed.
COLOGNE
Denne historien er fra September 20, 2019-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra September 20, 2019-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
