Thomas SWAN, 1914-1956: Highland Light Infantry

Hello,
I’m researching my Great Uncles Military Service in Ww2 and the national archives are taking a while getting me any info about him so I took a chance on the hope of some help

his name was Thomas “Tommy” Swan Born in 1914 although apparently the birth date on his record was 1915 from Clydebank, according to oral history he served with distinction with the Highland Light Infantry in the Middle East and at some point served or was based at Aden, Yemen

I have some photographs which I will attach I hope someone can help me with my research and any information that you find or notice in the photos I would be most grateful

in the photo I have attached with the three men and dogs uncle Tommy is the man in the middle

and the second group photo he is back row 3rd from right

uncle Tommy shortly after the war was diagnosed with Skin Cancer as a result from heat exposure in the Middle East , and died in 1956, he never married and had so children

 

Dylan,

Welcome aboard. On the current details your great uncle has not appeared here before.

A small, important caveat: do you have any documentation, letters etc that confirms he was with the HLI? Sometimes upon receipt of a Service Record members discover inter-regiment / corps moves occurred, either voluntary or to meet the demands of the Army.

It might be worth checking if there is a local newspaper article about him. Most public libraries have access to the British Newspaper Archive when in the library, not online.

Wiki indicates the battalion was the 2nd HLI:

From: Highland Light Infantry - Wikipedia

Re Wiki stating:

This is confirmed in Post 42, that they were part of the Mersa Matruh Garrison: Egypt. 10th June 1940

Wiki misses that the 2nd HLI was part of 10th Brigade, 5th Indian was at the battle of Keren

The 5th Indian Division after El Alamein was withdrawn and transferred to Burma. See: 5th Infantry Division (India) - Wikipedia No id'd which formation they then served with.

The 2nd HLI may have been in Aden for the campaign in Abbysinia / Eritrea (now Ethiopia and Eritrea). Nothing readily found online for them. The British & Indian forces that attacked Keren attacked from Sudan, which might fit.

There are a number of threads for 2nd HLI using the 'tag' system: 2 highland light infantry (city of glasgow regiment) | WW2Talk

If you live near Edinburgh their official history, published 1946, is in the Edinburgh University library: https://discovered.ed.ac.uk/discovery/fulldisplay?vid=44UOE_INST:44UOE_VU2&tab=Everything&docid=alma9916618183502466&lang=en&context=L&query=sub,exact, Fairies

The only other UK copy is in The National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Their museum is in Glasgow, it is their successor unit's. See: The Royal Highland Fusiliers Museum Glasgow

A very short account of their time in Yugoslavia: HLI in the Adriatic

 

Info about my uncle is largely oral history from his niece who would’ve been about 20 when Tommy died, I was told that years ago there was a cap badge in the family but this seems to have been lost, only other info o have is that he joined up quite early in the war late 1939 early 1940

as for inter-regimental moves I’m not sure only the HLI has been passed down, we recently found a little old notebook which we believe had his service number which I can quote to you : 2937610

 

Using this facility: https://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org/tools/armynumber?query=2937610 His original formation on joining up was another Scottish infantry regiment, the Cameron Highlanders.

Their 2nd Battalion service is different:

The number has not appeared here before your post.

 

I thought the H.L.I. Wore a white over red hackle behind their cap badge, As the previous post, 2937610 is a Cameron number, approximately March 1940, My Fathers number 2934077 was February 2nd. 1940.

 

These are some other Camerons with near numbers

2928754 2nd Bn. awarded the General Service Medal with bar for Palestine 1936-39
2937603 posted missing Middle East 15.6.1941 2nd Battalion.
2937610
2937623 captured Middle East. Casualty list of 4/5th Sep 1942

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