Former military pilots who learned to fly on Tiger Moths were taught to hand swing the prop from the front of the aircraft never the rear where the leading edge of the wing could knock you into the prop if the aircraft happened to jump the chocks, or the chocks slide on wet grass.
Extract from the Royal Air Force Flying Training Manual Air Publication 129 Revised November 1937. Reprinted June 1938. Part1 - Landplanes
Chapter 2 Hand swinging. Para 41 (i) "A qualified officer or airman is to occupy the pilot's seat, another officer or airman trained in hand swinging, is to stand in front of the aircraft.
It was clear all those years ago that the RAF knew what was dangerous when it came to hand swinging and this is what was published at Para 24 Chapter 2 of AP 129 in 1937. Maybe readers might laugh at these words now but this is what was the Truth.
General The following regulations have been laid down so that aero engines may be started with minimum danger to all concerned. The neglect of these regulations has caused many very serious accidents.
The methods of starting. It is usually impossible to start a modern high powered engine by hand swinging. The following mechanical means are employed:-
1..Compressed gas starters.
2. Compressed air starters.
3. Hand cranking gear.
4. Inertia starters.
5. Electric starters.
6. Hucks starters.
A description of these mechanical methods is given in paras48 to 54 and the standard drill for all methods of starting is laid down in paras. 44 to 47. Hand starting is not to be attempted when one of the above mentioned methods is available
Seems the Royal Air Force of 1937 paid much greater respect to the dangers of hand starting than the current generation of general aviation pilots in Australia?