SOMERS, Francis Patrick
| Service Numbers: | 239, 1953 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 September 1914, Enlisted at Rosebery Park Camp. |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Tenterfield,, New South Wales, Australia, 29 October 1886 |
| Home Town: | Redfern, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner, Railway labourer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 25 April 1918, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
Adelaide Cemetery Villers-Bretonneux, France III C 4 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 239, Field Company Engineers, Enlisted at Rosebery Park Camp. | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1953, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlisted in Melbourne. This was his second enlistment and he enlisted as Patrick Summers. | |
| 18 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 1953, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Bee embarkation_ship_number: A48 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 1953, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Seang Bee, Fremantle | |
| 10 Sep 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Promoted at Plymouth (England) the day after his troop ship arrived. | |
| 1 Jan 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Driver, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Francis Patrick SOMERS, (Service Numbers 1953, 231 and 718) was born on 29th October 1886 at Tenterfield.
When Somers enlisted in the AIF the first time in September 1914 he used his correct name – Frank Somers. This service ended prematurely, and in some disgrace, when he was returned to Australia, to Melbourne, in July 1915 with venereal disease.
As Patrick Summers he re-enlisted on 23rd September 1915 in Melbourne. He was allotted to the 51st Battalion, though the identity of the two men was realised only after the war, and the records overwritten as Francis Patrick Somers.
The Australian War Memorial records him on the Roll of Honour as ‘Francis Patrick Somers, also known as Francis Patrick Summers’.
Railway Career
Somers began work as a temporary labourer at Eveleigh from 19th January 1914. In February his job description was upgraded to fitters’ labourer. On 4th September he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
First Enlistment
Frank Somers enlisted at Rosebery Park Camp on 15th September 1914. He stated his age as 27 years and 11 months and this is consistent with the date of birth shown in his railway records. He was born at Tenterfield and gave as his calling that he was a miner. He gave as his next of kin at first his father living at 121 Abercrombie Street, Redfern, but this was changed to his mother Mary at the same address. He was allotted to the 1st Reinforcements to the 1st Field Company of Engineers and given the service numbers 239, 718 and 231. He embarked from Australia onboard HMAT ‘Berrima’ on 22nd December 1914. According to his mother he landed at Gallipoli on the first day,
For some reason he was returned to Alexandria and was Absent Without Leave from 9.30 p.m. 4/6/15 to 4.30 a.m. 5/6/15, and was punished with seven days close confinement.
On 13th June 1915 he was admitted to the 15th General Hospital and then the Divisional Base Hospital at Abbassia with ‘Venereal’, and then on 5th July sent ‘To Australia, He embarked at Suez on ‘Ballarat’ for Australia for discharge suffering from venereal.’ ‘For discharge’ is ruled through. He reached Australia on 6th August 1915 and was struck off the strength of the AIF from 27th August 1915. He had been due to report for duty at Broadmeadows Camp.
Second Enlistment
Except for his name, Somers gave the same details on his second enlistment in Melbourne on 23rd September 1915. He gave his mother as next if kin and she was now living c/o Mrs Newham, Macquarie Street, Liverpool. He answered ‘no’ to the question as to whether he had ever been discharged from the military. He was allotted to the 10th Reinforcements to the 22nd Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Wiltshire’ at Melbourne 7th March 1916 but failed to re-embark when the ship stopped in Fremantle. He boarded a subsequent troop ship, HMAT ‘Seang Bee’, on 18th July 1916. He was now allotted to the 3rd Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion. The ship reached Plymouth (England), travelling around the Cape of Good Hope, on 9th September 1916. The day before Somers had been promoted to Lance Corporal.
On 28 November he proceeded overseas to France and was taken on strength of the 51st Battalion on 14th December. On 10th February 1917 he was congratulated on excellent results obtained at the 10th Course, 1st Anzac Corps School. Iin September 1917 he had leave in the UK for two weeks. In January 1918 he was appointed to the rank of Driver.
Somers was killed in action on 25th April 1918 at the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. At first Somers was buried in a makeshift grave, but after the war the remains were exhumed and re-interred at the Adelaide Military Cemetery, 2½ miles S of Corbie.
It was not until after the war that the dual enlistment became apparent. It caused the military immense volumes of paperwork to sort out, as well as dealing with the Railways to help them sort out their pay obligations. The only person who seems to have understood it all was his mother, Mary. She carefully set out the facts in many hand-written letters.
Mary Somers had three sons who served in the AIF.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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