tony swift wo2 - The Royal Green Jackets Association Contacts Board

Date: Jan 28, 2010

tony swift wo2

Date: May 10, 2010

Hi Pete,

I've tried to e-mail you but your address doesn't work for some reason so I'll post her in the hope you look in again. Sadly, as you've already heard, Tony is deceased. He was serving in Oman as a Captain in the Small Arms School Corps attached to the SOAF. Apparently he was test-firing a new type of Rifle Grenade and unfortunately it exploded as it was fired and mortally wounded Tony. He died shortly afterwards. He left a wife, Debbie, and I think two two children.
He was a few years ahead of me in service and I first knew him when I joined 2RGJ in Catterick in 1974.He was a Cpl. in C Coy at the time and had sustained a Gunshot Wound from an IRA sniper in Derry whilst serving there with the Bn, in 1971-1973. He made a full recovery though and I remember he attended the very first JNCO'S Tactics Course at Brecon in 1975. I believe he then did the SAA Instructors course before being posted to the Rifle Depot at Winchester as an instructor. I think it was sometime after that that he transferred to the SASC and the next time I saw him he was a WO2 with the Corps.

I never saw him again after that I'm sorry to say. He had a younger brother who also served in the RGJ, 3rd Bn in fact, and I was amazed at how similar they looked.
Anyway, hope this was of use to you.

Regards.

Date: Dec 21, 2013

Hi I have been trying to make contact with Cpl Tony Swift who I met while he was stationed at Catterick around 1972 to 1973. He was a lovely lad, however at the time was a little older than me, we stopped seeing each other. I wish I still had his letters all these years later. I am sure he was Rifleman Swift, of The Royal Green Jackets. I apologise if I do not have the correct title. He was fair haired, stocky and very kind natured. I wonder if he is the man you speak about. Regards K

Date: Mar 22, 2017

My mum was very good friends with both tony swift and his brother pat swift tony was killed in a training accident in around 1993 and his brother pat died around 2014/15 in a fire in his home town Wigan. Pat has a son called Shaun whom also joined the green jackets in around 1997 and still serves to thus day.

Date: Mar 18, 2019

Hello Pete,

I am the son of Tony Swift. He was a great Dad and I miss him dearly. He lost his life in Oman in 1994 and we moved back to fleet for a while. I am in London with my wife Liz, and my 3 children, my first born's middle name is Anthony.

It would be great to meet for a drink and talk about him for an afternoon if you ever have time. joe@mcdonaldarchitects.co.uk

Regards,

Joe

Date: Dec 28, 2020

I was on Sniper concentration in Thetford Capt Swift was The OC i found out in 1995 that he had lost his life in Oman, I had nothing but total Respect for him, i am sure his Brother was on the concentration as well.

Date: Aug 14, 2021

I was a contract officer in Oman and my office was just along the corridor from Tonys in the RAO HQ at Muaskar al Murtafaa.

I was alerted to the accident with the rifle grenade very quickly via contacts in the Armed Forces Hospital at Al Khoudh. Realizing that the British Loan Service network had not been informed, I advised a Loan Service officer (SO2 (Armour)) who was better placed to disseminate the news through the Loan Service community.

Tony had been on the ranges at SAF Training Regiment at Ghalla, about 15 minutes drive from MAM. He was with an Omani Ameed (Brigadier) who held the appointment of Director Ops and Training plus a British contract major who was then 2i/c of Kateebat as Sahra (Desert Regiment) at Ibra.

I was told that when Tony fell to the ground, he just muttered , Oh Sayidi to the Ameed who came to his aid.

Tony was rushed to AFH in the Ameeds Landcruiser, but alas they were unable to revive him.