SUMMERSON, James Clifton
| Service Number: | 1610 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Woonona, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Hillgrove, Armidale Dumaresq, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Killed in action, France, 5 May 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier Plot IV, Row C, Grave no. 25. IN ANSWER TO HIS COUNTRY'S CALL HE GAVE HIS BEST HIS LIFE, HIS ALL |
| Memorials: | Armidale Memorial Fountain, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hillgrove Methodist Church Pictorial Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 5 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Corporal, 1610, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 1915: | Involvement Corporal, 1610, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Jun 1915: | Embarked Corporal, 1610, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Sydney | |
| 5 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 1610, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1610 awm_unit: 20 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-05-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
James Clifton Summerson was the son of John Thompson and Ada Clara Summerson, of Helensburgh, New South Wales.
He was known as ‘Cliff’ to his family and friends. He lived with his parents at Hillgrove in until he was about 20 years of age.
When work became very short at Hillgrove, he left his home and went to Jamisontown to his grandparents, near Penrith, NSW, in quest of work, which he found no difficulty in obtaining at a stone-crusher at Emu. When a steam brick works started at Jamisontown he left the stone-crusher and obtained work in the brickyard, where he laboured until the works closed down. He then went back to Hillgrove, where, shortly after the war broke out, he decided to enlist.
In April, 1915, he left Sydney with a large contingent of the 1st Reinforcements, 20th Battalion, for Egypt. On arrival there he put in a few more weeks at drill, when the Battalion were sent to Gallipoli, where for 22 weeks he was in the trenches without a break. After the evacuation of Gallipoli, the Australians reformed in Egypt, before they were sent to France.
Cliff was one the very earliest Australian casualties in France, and according to sparse details, he was killed by a bullet from the rifle of a sniper. In his last letter he said he hoped to meet his (then) only brother, Jack, on the field, but it was not to be, as Jack had only just arrived in Egypt when Cliff was killed.
His younger brother, 4252 Sergeant John Shepherd Summerson 19th Battalion AIF was awarded the MM and Bar for two outstanding acts of gallantry during 1917. He was twice wounded and returned to Australia in January 1918.
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