Ernest Swinton

3.1. Second Boer War and Early Publications

After his commissioning, Swinton served in India, where he was promoted to lieutenant on 17 February 1891, and subsequently to captain on 17 February 1899. He later served as a captain during the Second Boer War, which spanned from 1899 to 1902, returning to England in September 1902, shortly after the conflict's conclusion. For his dedicated service during the war, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 29 November 1900. During his service in South Africa, while primarily engaged in railway construction, Swinton developed a profound interest in military tactics, fortifications, and evaluating the effectiveness of contemporary weaponry, particularly the newly introduced machine-gun. This period greatly influenced his subsequent literary work. Following the war, drawing on his experiences and observations, he authored The Defence of Duffer's Drift. This seminal work on small unit tactics quickly became a military classic, widely adopted by the Canadian Army, British Army, and US military for the training of their NCOs and officers.

3.2. Pre-First World War Activities

In the years leading up to the First World War, Swinton continued to advance in his military career. He served as a staff officer and was appointed as an official historian, notably covering the Russo-Japanese War. His expertise in military affairs and analysis was recognized, leading to his promotion to major in December 1906. These roles further honed his understanding of modern warfare and military technology, preparing him for the challenges of the impending global conflict.

4.1. War Correspondent Role

At the outset of the First World War, Lord Kitchener, the War Minister, appointed Swinton as the official British war correspondent on the Western Front. This was a challenging role, as journalists were generally not permitted at the front lines. Swinton's reports, while striving for even-handedness, were subject to censorship, resulting in accounts that were largely uncontroversial. During this period, in August 1914, he was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel.

4.2. Conception and Early Development of the Tank

The genesis of the tank concept for Swinton occurred on 19 October 1914, while he was driving in France, as he later recounted in his book Eyewitness. However, the idea's roots trace back earlier to July 1914, when he received a letter from Hugh F. Marriott, a mining engineer friend from his time in South Africa. Marriott's letter described an American-made Holt Caterpillar Tractor he had observed in Antwerp, suggesting its potential for military transport. Swinton initially passed this information to various military and political figures, viewing it primarily as a matter of transport efficiency with no immediate prospect of wartime application. The critical breakthrough, the idea of adapting a caterpillar track as the basis for a bullet-proof fighting vehicle, struck him specifically on the morning of 19 October as he drove from St. Omer to Calais.

Prior to Swinton's involvement, in Britain, engineer David Roberts of Richard Hornsby & Sons had attempted to interest British military officials in tracked vehicles as early as 1911, though without success. Benjamin Holt of the Holt Manufacturing Company later acquired the patents related to the "chain track" track-type tractor from Richard Hornsby & Sons in 1914 for 4.00 K GBP. With the advent of the First World War and the severe challenges of trench warfare and supply transport, the impressive pulling power of crawling-type tractors began to attract military attention. The British War Office conducted trials with Holt tractors at Aldershot, but initially considered them only suitable for towing heavy artillery.

In November 1914, Swinton, then a major and war correspondent, took the initiative to suggest to Sir Maurice Hankey, Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, the urgent need for a bullet-proof, tracked vehicle capable of destroying enemy machine guns, which were proving devastatingly effective against infantry advances. His persistent efforts gained traction. In July 1915, Swinton was given a prominent post in the War Office, where he became aware of the Landship Committee, which was under the control of the British Admiralty. He formed a crucial working friendship with its secretary, Albert Gerald Stern. Through his persuasive abilities, Swinton convinced the prime minister to convene an inter-departmental conference on 28 August 1915. This conference was vital in ensuring the army's cooperation with the Landship Committee's efforts, providing the necessary inter-service collaboration for the project. It was Swinton himself who meticulously drew up the detailed specifications for the performance characteristics that the army would require from this revolutionary new vehicle. The integration of the Holt tractor's technology was key to the tank's development, and by 1918, the War Office had acquired 2,100 Holt tractors.

In April 1918, during a tour of the United States, Swinton traveled to Stockton, California, to publicly honor Benjamin Holt and his company. He conveyed Britain's profound gratitude for their significant contribution to the war effort, acknowledging Holt's invention as foundational to the new war machine. Benjamin Holt received public recognition from Swinton at a meeting held in Stockton.

4.3. Training and Tactical Doctrines for Armoured Warfare

Recognizing the unique nature of the new weapon, in 1916 Swinton was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned the crucial responsibility of training the first tank units. Beyond mere instruction, he took the initiative to create the inaugural tactical instructions for armoured warfare, effectively laying the groundwork for how these new vehicles would be deployed on the battlefield. His pioneering work in developing these doctrines was fundamental to the effective use of tanks in combat. Following the war, while the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors officially recognized Sir William Tritton, managing director of Fosters, and Major Walter Gordon Wilson as the primary inventors of the tank, Swinton was nonetheless awarded 1.00 K GBP for his significant contributions, a testament to his indispensable role in the tank's journey from concept to combat.

5.1. Civilian and Academic Engagements

In 1919, Swinton retired from the British Army with the rank of major general. His post-military career saw him transition into various influential roles. He initially served in the Civil Aviation department at the Air Ministry, contributing to the early development of aviation policy. In 1922, he entered the private sector, joining Citroën, the prominent French automobile manufacturer, as a director. Demonstrating his broad intellectual capabilities and continued interest in military history, Swinton was appointed the Chichele Professor of Military History at the University of Oxford, a prestigious academic position he held from 1925 to 1939. During this period, he also became a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Concurrently, his expertise in armored warfare led him to serve as a Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Corps from 1934 to 1938, demonstrating his continued influence on the development of armored forces.

5.2. Literary and Editorial Works

Throughout his life, Swinton was a prolific author, often writing on military themes. He penned several notable books, some under the pseudonym "Lieutenant Backsight Forethought" and others as "Ole Luk-Oie." His works include:

• [https://archive.org/details/defenceofduffers0000swin/page/n3/mode/2up The Defence of Duffer's Drift] (1905), originally published in "The British Infantry Journal," a military classic on small unit tactics.
• [https://archive.org/details/truthaboutporta00swingoog/page/n7/mode/2up The Truth About Port Arthur] (1908), which he edited.
• [https://archive.org/details/russianarmyandj00swingoog/page/n12/mode/2up The Russian Army and the Japanese War, Vol. I] (1909), also edited by him.
• [https://archive.org/details/russianarmyandj01kurogoog/page/n12/mode/2up The Russian Army and the Japanese War, Vol. II] (1909), also edited by him.
• Two articles for [https://archive.org/details/McCluresMagazineV34n06191004/page/n7/mode/2up?q=tank McClure's Magazine] (1910) under the pseudonym "Ole Luk-Oie."
• [https://archive.org/details/greencurveothers0000swin/page/n3/mode/2up The Green Curve] (1914).
• [https://archive.org/details/greattabdopeothe00swiniala/page/n5/mode/2up The Great Tab Dope] (1916).
• [https://archive.org/details/tanksbyrequestwi00swin/page/n1/mode/2up Tanks] (1918), reprinted from "The Strand Magazine."
• The Study of War (1926).
• [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.210464 Eyewitness : Being Personal Reminiscences of Certain Phases of the Great War, Including the Genesis of the Tank] (1932), which offered his personal account of the tank's origins.
• An Eastern Odyssey: The Third Expedition of Haardt and Audion-Dubreuil (1935), a translation.
• Over My Shoulder (1951), published posthumously.

In 1938, he undertook significant editorial work for Twenty Years After: the Battlefields of 1914-18: then and Now, a publication by George Newnes Limited. Initially planned for 20 parts, this magazine-style series ultimately expanded to 42 parts, providing comparative images of the battlefields of France from the wartime period (1914-1918) and the present day (around 1938), offering a unique historical perspective.