Goya Dmytryshchak
He flew a Lancaster bomber over Dresden in WW2, but the father of Williamstown world boxing champion Barry Michael is now facing an invisible enemy.
Leonard Swettenham last week celebrated his 97th birthday in a nursing home with his son able to visit in personal protective equipment.
Michael spoke to Star Weekly about the constant threat of COVID-19, which thankfully had not entered his father’s facility, Westgate Aged Care in Newport.
“It’s been a tough fight, it’s been a tough battle,” Michael said.
“It was extremely hard on dad for a long time. It took him a long time to accept what was going on because he’s 97 and trying to explain to him coronavirus and what’s going on; he just couldn’t get it.
“I used to take him out every second day … and I couldn’t do that anymore.
“Hard times for everyone one. I feel so sorry for people who have had serious mental issues.”
Michael said he and his wife Sue had previously been visiting his father through a window every second day, but were able to finally able to hug him on his birthday.
“He was rapt because we were allowed to see him face-to-face and hug him for the first time in four months,” Michael said.
“We took a nice chocolate cake in and I got him a new watch and he was over the moon.
“Dad was in the Lancaster bombers. He did 29 trips over Germany. He bombed Dresden when they wiped Dresden off the face of the earth – he still breaks down and cries about that, what they did to Dresden.
“His nickname was Butch for butcher because he used to drop the bombs.
“Back in those days, 30 trips was what was called a tour and you could walk away and there was about a one in three chance of completing a tour.
“He was coming up for his 30th trip and the war was over – he’d be pretty friggin happy I reckon.
“My dad’s tough as hell.”
