 He was enrolled in the RAF, and travelled to France after the Invasion of Normandy, but was stationed well behind the front line and did not see combat.This did not prevent risk to his life, however, as in 1944 a Dakota on which he was a passenger was involved in a near miss.Several members of Swift's family attended the February 2008 Manchester derby, played in the week of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.