Honoured with the OBE in the New Years Honours List on Monday, Mr AB Swayne headmaster of the Royal School for Deaf Children , Margate, is one of the comparatively few people among those named in the complete list who have actually met Her Majesty the Queen.

Mr AB Swayne welcomed the Queen to the school in 1952, when she was Princess Elizabeth. MP>The OBE comes to Mr Swayne within a few months of his coming retirement in July, after 23 years as headmaster of the school. Mr and Mrs Swayne plam to stay in Margarte after he retires.

Born in Surrey, Mr Swayne was a village schoolmaster in Bedfordshire when he applied for a post as assistant master at the Edinburgh School for the Deaf in 1912.

Two years later he had been only a few months at the Swansea School for the Deaf before joining the Army at the outbreak of World War 1. He was seriously wounded at Passchendaele in 1917, and it was not until May, 1919, that he was able to return to the teaching profession, this time at the East Anglian School for the Blind and Deaf at Gorleston-on-Sea.

In 1924 he was appointed headmaster of the School for the Blind and Deaf at Leeds, coming to Margate as headmaster in 1933.

During a lifetime of work with deaf children, Mr Swayne has been closely associated with the National College for Teachers of Deaf Children in Manchester. In 1943 he won its Braidwood Medal, for his thesis on an aspect of teaching deaf children.

The East Kent Times and Mail, 6/1/1956 (Newspapers,com)

WORKING NOTES

Born 27/5/1889, Merrow, Surrey. Parents - Williams James & Mary Eliza

Bapt 28 Jul 1889, St John, Merrow, Surrey. dad occ-Baker

1891 - Mayor House, Merrow. 1yo. W parents (dad Baker & Grocer) & 5 sibs

1901 - 70 Merrow Rd, Merrow, Surrey. 11yo. W parents (dad Baker & Grocer) & 5 sibs

Teacher Training - Goldsmiths College, New Cross.

1910-1912 - Council Schools, Woburn Sands, Beds

1911 - Hardwicke Road, Woburn Sands, Beds. 21yo. Occ-Assistant Teacher, Country Council. Boarder

RI for Deaf, Edinburgh, 1912-1914, RI for Deaf, Swansea 1914, 1914-1918, Military Service, Snr Asst Master, EA Inst for Blind & Deaf children, Gorleston 1919-1924

1914 - Descr (in enl papers) - 5ft 7.75, Fair complexion, Grey eyes, Light Brown hair

1920 - Joined Masons, 15/11/20, St Andrews Lodge, Gorleston. Prof-Schoolmaster.

1921 - East Anglian Institution for Blind & Deaf Children, Church Rd, Gorleston, Gt Yarmouth. 32y1m. Occ-Teacher.

1921 - Married Nora Middleditch, St Gabriel, Warwick Sq, Pimlico. 26/7/1921. Occ-School Teacher, East Anglian School, Gorleston-on-Sea.

Hd Mast, sch for Blind & Deaf, Leeds, 1924-1928, Hd Master & Superintendant, same sch 1928-1932 , Hd Master, R Sch for Deaf & Dumb Children, Margate, 1933-

1939 - Royal School for Deaf & Dumb Margate Victoria Rd, Margate, Kent. DOB 27/5/1889. Occ-Head Teacher. W Nora living at the school

1958 - Died 28 Jan 1958, 41 George V Ave, Margate. Survived by Nora

SR

Enl 15 Sep 1914, Swansea

25/3/1915 - CDL Howitzers Paper Chase - Fifty Runners Take Part in Keen Contest: .... The three hares were allowed ten minutes start, and only one, Bombadier AB Swayne, escaped capture...

to 2/1 Bde, 6/2/15, a/Bdr 13/2/15, 2/1st Bty 27/3/5, a/Cpl 16/4/15, 2/2 Bty 26/6/15, a/sgt 10/7/15, 2/1 30/10/15, then 340,

To BEF Base - 11/9/16

FR 11/9/1916 - 11/11/17

1917 - Adm 53 Gen Hosp 9/17, GSW Legs (sev). Amputated left leg

East Kent Times 29/1/1958 - During his service with the Royal Field Artillery, he sustained severe leg wounds in the Battle of Paschendale, and had his left leg amputated.

Disch 4/9/18 as 168201, Sgt, Add-Rakehill Rake, Liss, Hants

Final Unit 81st Bty, 5th Army Brigade. Character 'He is very thorough & has never failed in anything he has intention to do'.

Recd Pension