Home People Accidents Swinton Soldier, 17, killed – Armoured Car Plunges 50 feet

Swinton Soldier, 17, killed – Armoured Car Plunges 50 feet

February 1957

South Yorkshire Times February 9, 1957

Swinton Soldier, 17, killed
Armoured Car Plunges 50 feet

Military Service has now robbed Mr and Mrs William Ferry, of 63 Brookfield Avenue, Swinton of both their sons.

It was during the heavy fighting in Burma in the last war that their elder son Thomas, then 21, was killed in action against the Japanese.

And on Friday, their 17 years old soldier son Robert – a trooper in the Royal Armoured Corps – was killed instantly when the armoured car in which he was travelling with a sergeant instructor and two other learner drivers from the Carlisle R.A.C. camp skidded off the icebound Edinburgh – Carlisle road and plunged 50 feet into the flooded river Esk.

When rescuers reached the men they found three trapped in the car the most of which was under 5 feet of water. The fourth had been thrown clear, but there were no survivors.

The vehicle was one of a convoy of four armoured cars taking part in a training exercise from Carlisle 20 miles away.

Robert joined the army only two months ago at the age of 17 ½, after leaving his job at Baker and Bessemer steelworks, Kilnhurst. He enlisted in the three years engagement, and was training to be a driver. He was former pupil of Mexborough Adwick Road Modern School.

News of the tragedy first reached dispense by telegram on Friday – the day of the axing, and a more detailed letter of sympathy from the boy’s commanding officer at Carlisle followed on Saturday.

“He joined up as soon as he was old enough” his father told us this week. “He always wants to be a soldier in spite of what happened to his brother.

Hanging on the wall of the living room at their home is a sword given to Thomas by a Japanese officer, captured in the war. The sword was presented to Mr William Ferry by Lt General Sir Oliver Leese.

Beside the sword is a first aid certificate, one by Robert, who was a member of the Baker and Bessemer steelworks ambulance group.