Early Life and World War II
Sweeney was born in Blyth, Northumberland and educated at Douai School, Berkshire. He entered Douai Abbey as a novice monk. At the outbreak of the Second World War he enlisted in the Royal Army Pay Corps later volunteering to join the infantry. He was commissioned into the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and shortly afterwards transferred to the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry joining the 2nd (Airlanding) Battalion (the 52nd) in 1942.
In 1943 the battalion transferred from the 1st Airborne Division to 6th Airlanding Brigade, 6th Airborne Division. He was a platoon commander in Major John Howard's 'D' Company coup de main Operation Deadstick on D Day. The task was to seize Benouville bridge, now known as Pegasus Bridge, over the Caen canal and Ranville bridge, now known as Horsa Bridge, over the River Orne. Sweeney and his No 23 platoon's objective was, with two other platoons, to capture the Ranville bridge.
On D Day his platoon landed approximately 500 yards from Ranville bridge. On arrival at the bridge he left one section on the west bank and crossed the bridge with the other two sections. He met up with Lieutenant Dennis Fox on the far side of the bridge and found Fox's platoon in control of the bridge and surrounding area. By 00.26 hours on D Day both bridges had been secured. The operation to capture the bridges was portrayed in the film The Longest Day (film) (1962).
Sweeney was awarded the Military Cross for rescuing a wounded corporal of his platoon on 7 June 1944 while under heavy fire near Escoville. Sweeney was wounded in Normandy in July 1944 and evacuated to England. He rejoined the 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the 52nd) in October 1944. He served in the Ardennes and the Netherlands from December 1944 to February 1945. He served in Operation Varsity: the air assault landing over the Rhine on 24 March 1945. He took part in the advance across Germany to the Baltic sea. In October 1945 the 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the 52nd) was posted to Palestine.
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