Allegiance United Kingdom Commands held London District Service/branch British Army Name John of | Years of service 1944 - 1979 Role Commanding officer Rank Major-General | |
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Born 21 April 1925 (age 98) ( 1925-04-21 ) Battles/wars Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Spouse Judith Balfour (m. 1954–2012) Children Tilda Swinton, James Christopher Swinton, Alexander Harold Swinton, William Henry Swinton Parents Alan Henry Campbell Swinton, Mariora Beatrice Evelyn Rochfort Alers-Hankey Awards Royal Victorian Order, Order of the British Empire Similar People Tilda Swinton, John Byrne, Sandro Kopp, Quentin Tarantino | ||
Grandchildren Honor Byrne, Xavier Byrne | ||
Major General Sir John Swinton of Kimmerghame, (born 21 April 1925) is a retired senior British Army officer who served as Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District from 1976 until his retirement in 1979.
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Family and military background
Swinton is the son of Brigadier Alan Henry Campbell Swinton of Kimmerghame, MC (born 15 March 1896) and wife, Mariora Beatrice Evelyn Rochfort Alers-Hankey (born 1900). His paternal grandfather was Scottish politician and officer-of-arms George Swinton. The Swinton family is an ancient Anglo-Scots family that can trace its lineage to the High Middle Ages.
Military career
Swinton was commissioned into the Scots Guards on 24 March 1944, and was twice wounded towards the end of the Second World War. He was promoted to lieutenant on 8 November 1947. He served in Malaya during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and was mentioned in despatches. Swinton was promoted to captain on 21 April 1952.
He was successively promoted to major on 21 April 1959, to lieutenant colonel on 1 April 1966, to colonel on 30 June 1970 and to brigadier on 31 December 1971. He was promoted to major general and made Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District in 1976. He retired in 1979.
In 1980, he became a Deputy Lieutenant for Berwickshire: he went on to be Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1989 to 2000 and escorted the Stone of Scone back to Scotland in 1996.
Family
He married the Australian-born Judith Balfour Killen (1929–2012) on 26 August 1954; they had three sons – James Christopher Swinton, Alexander Harold Swinton and Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Swinton – and one daughter – the actress Tilda Swinton.
As the Laird of Kimmerghame, Swinton lives at Kimmerghame House in Duns in Berwickshire.