Charles Swanson

Not much is known of Charles Swanson and the circumstances by which he disappeared on the 1 January in 1943.

He was born on the 31 October 1885, in Åmål, Sweden. He arrived in Bunbury from Gothenburg on the 10 August 1910 and had spent time living in Geraldton, Bunbury and Fremantle.

He applied for Naturalisation in 1913, and at that time was listed as a “labourer” residing in Fremantle and working in Merredin.

The Geraldton Guardian published this article on Wednesday 13 January 1943, page 3;

FISHERMAN’S FATE
DROWNING PRESUMED
MISSING FROM PORT DENISON

A Swedish fisherman, named Charles Swanson, aged 57 years, has been missing from Port Denison since January 1st, when he was last seen alive on the beach about 9 o’clock at night.

Since then systemic searches have been made but no trace of him has been found and it is presumed he has been drowned.

It would appear that Swanson had spent New Year’s Day in Dongara and returned to the beach at about 8.20 p.m. He was last seen on the sands in the vicinity of the jetty at about 9 o’clock. During the past eight months Swanson had lived on his fishing boat which was moored about eighty yards from the beach in approximately eight feet of water, and he travelled to and from the shore to his boat in an eight-foot dinghy.

On the morning of January 2nd several fishermen noticed that Swanson’s dinghy was not moored to his boat or pulled upon the beach, but it was presumed that he might have gone into Dongara and have hired his craft to one of the many holidaymakers at the beach.

Late in the afternoon as both Swanson and the dinghy were still missing, a report on the matter was made to Constable Tully at Dongara and an immediate search was instituted for the missing man.

A strong breeze was blowing the previous night and it was feared that Swanson had either fallen from his dinghy or that he had lost the oar with which he skulled his craft, which was then swept out to sea. The search for the missing man was resumed on the morning of January 3rd and about five miles from the jetty where Swanson was last seen alive his dinghy was recovered. It was high and dry on the beach and on an even keel, but there was no trace of the missing man.

Although the search has since been continued and residents in the vicinity of the beach have been requested to keep a lookout no trace of Swanson has yet been found.