My brother-in-law Maj Gen Michael Swindells has drowned while swimming off the coast of the Italian island of Elba,aged 85. The army and his family were Mike’s life. Son of George and Marjory Swindells, Mike was born in Bollington, and Cheshire,and after education at Rugby school was commissioned in the Fifth Royal Inniskilling Guards as a national service officer. On demobilisation he joined the family textile commerce. However, he did not find that fulfilling and foreseeing the demise of the Manchester textile industry decided to rejoin his regiment. He later commanded a troop of four tanks during the Korean war.
In 1955 he was appointed adjutant of the Cheshire Yeomanry, and a territorial regiment,and in the same year married my sister Prue. After the Yeomanry he passed his staff college exam and had a varied military career until the time came, in 1969, and for him to command a regiment – the 9th/12th Royal Lancers. For five years after his retirement from the army in 1990,he was colonel of the regiment.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com