Mr C. W. Swanberg, Boer Wor Vef-erasi

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1948, Page 6

Mr C. W. Swanberg, Boer Wor Vef-erasi

The death occurred at his residence, First Avenue, Whangarei, yesterday, of Mr Charles William Swanberg, in his 69th year.

A well-known resident and a former businessman of Whangarei, Mr Swanberg was at the time of his death hospital visitor for the RSA and the South African War Veterans’ Association.

Mr Swanberg was a member of the guard at the first peace conference held at Clerksdorf, South Africa. He left New Zealand in the troopship Surrey as a member of the Bth Contingent and arrived in Durban, from where his unit was sent to the Newcastle area, later being moved to the Fort Conningberg vicinity. A period was then spent by the Bth patrolling in the mountains but later preparations were made for a trek of the unit across the Ngabute Plains. BOER GENERALS WATCHED This trek was uneventful and, on the Transvaal being reached a certain number of the contingent’s men were sent out into the surrounding countryside searching for, and finding, the stragglers from De Laval’s men. During the time that the peace talks were being conducted a soldier’s life was pretty grim and slow. To offset this a football match was arranged with teams representing Auckland and Wellington. Training and preparations for this event occupied several days, and while it was in progress a party of Boer generals, who had been attending the conference, stopped and watched play. “If that is the way you soldiers play then it is no wonder that you all fight so hard,” was the remark of one of the generals. Lack of replacement for their well-worn clothing had the New Zealanders worried for a time, but they encountered a party of Canadians who were just preparing to go into the battle area. BAKERY BUSINESS The Canadians, were anxious to look like seasoned soldiers so they readily agreed to exchange their battle attire, which was new, with many of the battle-worn New Zealand outfits. Engaged in his father’s bakery business in Norfolk Street, Whangarei, for a number of years Mr Swanberg took over control of this on his father’s death in 1914. He operated this business until his retirement few years ago. A keen all-round sportsman, Mr Swanberg played senior football for the old City club .while he was still attending primary school in Whangarei. A keen and successful runner and boxer, Mr Swanberg operated a gymnasium for the younger people of Whangarei for a time. HOSPITAL VISITING Despite the fact that he had been in indifferent health for the past six months Mr Swanberg had carried on with his hospital visiting, and it is certain that those soldiers he visited in hospital- did not know that their visitor, with his cheery disposition, was a- sick man himself. Mr Swanberg is survived by his wife, two sons, Messrs F. Swanberg (Mount Albert) and A. Swanberg (Mt Eden), four daughters, Mesdames T. Spencer (Grey Lynn),. L. Sirl (Whangarei), J. Rive (Hamilton) and M. Strong (Pt Chevalier). There are three stepdaughters, Mesdames R. Buck (Opua), D. Ward (Mt Eden) and H. Pallant (Eden Terrace). There are 23 grandchildren. Last year the Whangarei branch of the Returned Services Association conferred on him life membership of the association.

This was done in recognition of the services he had given to members of the association in general, and those in the Whangarei Hospital in particular. Acting on his own initiative and at his own expense he visited sick exservicemen in the hospital and gave them cigarettes and chocolates which he had bought, or, in the inimitable way he had from service days, “obtained.”

For many years Mr Swanberg had acted in an unofficial capacity but he was later appointed official RSA visitor.

OBITUARY. ..