Henry Swanzy began his career in the civil service after his education at Wellington College and New College, Oxford. He initially worked at the Colonial Office from 1937 to 1940 as Assistant Principal in various geographical departments and then in 1940 at the Dominions Office as Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State. In 1941, Swanzy joined the BBC as News Talks Assistant, Empire Department, Overseas Division in 1941, and, apart from a period when he was seconded to the Gold Coast (later Ghana) Broadcasting Service as Head Of Programmes between 1954 and 1958, remained with the BBC until his retirement in 1975. At this point he had risen to the position of scriptwriter in the Central Talks and Features section of the External Services.
Reference: The University of Birmingham, Research Libraries Bulletin (Number 6 Autumn 1998).
From the guide to the Swanzy Papers, 1945-1956, (University of Birmingham Information Services, Special Collections Department)
