Walter Ronald Swale: – [Headmaster 1946–1971]
Unfortunately, we do not have a formal obituary for this most notable Headmaster of Heath Grammar School — possibly because the Association was going through something of a hiatus at the time of his death or possibly because no-one has felt up to the task!.
However, as a rather lame substitute, we have a short summary of his life from the November 1998 Newsletter and the the order of service for the Service of Thanksgiving for his life held at Heath United Reformed Church on :
Walter Ronald Swale was born in London but grew up and was educated in Tonbridge, Kent. In 1929 he married Lucy Vera Stroud in Bedford. They had three sons. Mrs Swale died in 1968.
He joined the Territorial Army in 1939 as a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps and was commissioned later that year. As an RASC staff officer he held posts at various formation headquarters and at the War Office before the Normandy landings, where he was Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at Caen and afterwards in Antwerp. Towards the end of his career he transferred to the Army Educational Corps where his duties included helping to rebuild the German education service.
He was appointed Headmaster of Heath Grammar School in 1946 and retired in July 1971. He had previously been senior English master at King Edward VI Grammar School, Birmingham.
In Halifax he was a former president of the Round Table and former Chairman of the Halifax Royal Infirmary House Committee. He helped set up and became chairman of the Halifax Marriage Guidance Council. In 1962 he was the first teachers’ representative to be elected to the Halifax Education Committee, a position he held for several years.
which can also be viewed or downloaded in PDF format.
Among the memorabilia kindly given to us by Jerry Fearnley [Heath 1962–1970] are letters sent by an old boy and a former teacher to Alan Swale following the death of W.R. Swale.
Both can be viewed or downloaded in PDF format though the letter from Brian Evans has faded in places:
Updated