Remembering Private Sydney Garfield Swain—KIA September 25, 1918

Sydney Garfield Swain was born at Grosvenor, Antigonish County, on June 11, 1898, the oldest of Harriet Amelia “Hattie” (Fitt) and Charles Swain’s 10 children. Charles was a native of Steep Creek, Guysborough County, the son of William and Margaret Swain, while Hattie was born at Little Tracadie, Antigonish County, the daughter of Stephen and Sarah M. (Kinney) Fitt. Following their July 21 1896 marriage, the couple took up residence in the Fitt family’s Grosvenor home.

Private Sydney Garfield Swain

On December 7, 1915, Sydney attested with the 106th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles) at Antigonish. Six months shy of his eighteenth birthday at the time, Sydney reported his birth year as 1897 at the time of his enlistment. The 106th departed for England aboard SS Empress of Britain on July 16, 1916, but was disbanded shortly after its overseas arrival.

Sydney was part of a large group of 106th soldiers transferred to the 26th Battalion (New Brunswick) on September 27, 1916. Two weeks later, he joined the unit’s ranks near Bouzincourt, France and served in sectors near Lens, France, throughout the winter of 1916-17. Sydney was temporarily attached to a Canadian Engineers unit while his 26th comrades participated in the Canadian Corps’ April 9, 1917 capture of Vimy Ridge. He rejoined the unit two months later and was “in the line” on August 15, 1917, as the 26th participated in the successful capture of Hill 70, near Lens. Two months later, Sydney travelled to Ypres, Belgium with the battalion and took part in the final stage of the Canadian Corps’ assault on Passchendaele Ridge.

During the November 6, 1917 advance, a piece of shrapnel struck Sydney in the back and shoulder. Evacuated to a casualty clearing station, Sydney was invalided to England at mid-month with a severe wound to his left scapula. He spent almost six months in various medical facilities before reporting to the Canadian Corps Depot, Camp Bramshott, on May 8, 1918. Assigned to the 13th Reserve Battalion in late June, Sydney finally returned to France on September 5 and rejoined the 26th’s ranks at Hendecourt-lès-Cagnicourt five days later.

Much had transpired during Sydney’s absence. The 26th had recently participated in two major attacks near Amiens and Arras that marked the start of a major Allied counter-offensive. On September 12—two days after Sydney’s return—the unit entered support positions near Cagnicourt. One week later, personnel returned to the front trenches east of Inchy-en-Artois.

While no major combat took place during the ensuing tour, the 26th’s war diary reported daily casualties as German rifle grenades and trench mortars struck its positions and soldiers on both sides wrestled for control of No Man’s Land. The fighting followed a consistent pattern, the Canadians establishing forward posts that were promptly subjected to German attack.

Determined to establish and maintain an advance post, a platoon of the 26th’s soldiers “pushed forward” on the night of September 24, established a fortified position, and were immediately subjected to fierce enemy fire. At dawn September 25, 1918, German soldiers launched a counter-attack on the location, forcing its occupants to withdraw to a second position that they managed to maintain, despite heavy bombardment.

As the day passed, the platoon endured consistent rifle grenade and mortar fire, and held out against a second counter-attack in late morning. Determined the capture the post, German soldiers launched a third attack at mid-afternoon and drove the 26th’s platoon back to shell-holes behind the location. Undeterred, the New Brunswickers organized a counter-attack and re-captured the position later that evening.

While a handful of its soldiers remained at the advance post, the 26th withdrew from the line later that night. In the aftermath of the September 25 fighting, Private Sydney Garfield Swain was among the soldiers listed as “missing after [the] action.” His remains were subsequently recovered from the battlefield and identified by the “Burial Officer, Canadian Corps.” Sydney was laid to rest in Ontario Cemetery, Sains-les-Marquion Nord, France.

Sydney’s story is one of 64 profiles contained in Bantry Publishing’s First World War Honour Roll of Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Volume II: 1918 - 1937, available for purchase online at bantrypublishing.ca .