Victory Medal : Lance Sergeant J Swanston, 15 Battalion, AIF

Victory Medal. Impressed reverse with recipient's details.

Awarded to 3439 Lance Sergeant John Swanston for his service in the First World War. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Swanston was a 31 year old 'machinery expert' working at Warwick, Qld, when he enlisted in the AIF at Brisbane on 21 July 1915. He was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements to 15 Battalion. After initial training Swanston sailed for overseas service aboard HMAT Seang Bee on 21 October 1915. After further training in Egypt he joined his battalion in March 1916 shortly before it transferred to France for service on the Western Front. In April 1916 he was promoted to lance corporal, in August to temporary corporal, then to lance sergeant. At the end of the year he transferred to 1st Base Motor Transport at Rouen. In March 1917 he was evacuated to England suffering from trench fever. Swanston did not return to his unit until October 1917, when he also reverted to the rank of corporal at his own request. He served with 4 Motor Transport Company from March 1918 and was still with this unit after the end of the war, when he contracted influenza in March 1919. After hospital treatment Swanston returned to Australia on 1 June 1919.