Oliver Swann

Schwann joined the Royal Navy in 1892,[1] and was a lieutenant when in July 1902 he was posted as junior staff to HMS Vernon, naval torpedo school ship at Chatham dockyard.[2]

In 1910 Schwann was selected to assist Captain Murray Sueter who was conducting pioneering naval aviation work with airships.[3] Later, Schwann bought an Avro Type D landplane (at his own expense with support from friends) for £700 and fitted floats to it.[3] Despite not having qualified as a pilot, Schwann managed to fly it off the water.[3] Although Schwann crashed the aircraft, this was the first aircraft take off by a British pilot from salt water.[3]

In November 1912, after Schwann had qualified as a pilot, he was appointed assistant director of the Air Department at the Admiralty,[4] making him deputy to Murray Sueter.[3] Over the next two years Sueter and Schwann worked to establish the Royal Naval Air Service.[3]

In 1914, just prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Schwann was promoted to captain and assigned to port duties.[4] The following year he was appointed captain of the aircraft carrier HMS Campania, a former Cunard liner that had been converted to carry a dozen aircraft.[4] Later in the war, Schwann served as Officer Commanding the Orkneys Division.[4] In 1917 Oliver Schwann anglicized the spelling of his name to Swann.[4] With the establishment of the Royal Air Force in early 1918, Swann was transferred to the new service.[4] He served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff during the last months of the war and into 1919.[4]

In April 1919 Swann was appointed Air Officer Commanding the Mediterranean District and the following year his command was redesignated as the Mediterranean Group.[4] On 1 June 1920, Swann was posted to become Air Officer Commanding Egyptian Group.[4] On his return to Great Britain in early 1923, Swann became Director of Personnel.[4] Later that year his post was retitled Air Member for Personnel when Swann became a member of the Air Council with responsibility for personnel matters.[4] Swann did not spend long at home. On 27 November 1923 Swann was appointed Air Officer Commanding RAF Middle East.[4] He held this post until late 1926 and he retired from the RAF in 1929.[4]

During the Second World War, Swann was recalled to service as the Commandant of No. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Halton.[4] He retired from the RAF for the second time in July 1940 and afterwards worked as the Air Liaison Officer for the North Midland Region.[4] Swann died only three years after the end of the Second World War on 7 March 1948 at his home in Littleton, Guildford.[3]