Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William the son of George SUMMERTON & Ellen Frances BOUGHEN and was born on the 12th of November 1889 in Boolcunda, SA.

George and Ellen had married on the 20th of February 1879 in the Primitive Methodist Church, Redhill, SA.

His father was the son of George SUMMERTON & Elizabeth SKEARS and was born on the 3rd of December 1859 in Auburn, SA.

His mother was the daughter of William & Frances BOUGHEN and was born in 1860 in Pekina, SA.

William was the fifth child born into this family of 8 children; 4 boys and 4 girls.

William’s father was a farmer and they lived at Castle Springs, Willochra, SA (Boolcunda Creek), about 30 kilometres NE of Quorn.

William and his siblings attended the Boolcunda West Public School.

In 1904 his sister Phillis decided to become a teacher and went to Adelaide to attend the Provisional Teachers examination that was to be held on the 12th of March. She wasn’t feeling very well and had become quite ill by the time she had reached Terowie. By the time she reached Adelaide a Dr admitted her into a private hospital where she died of Pneumonia on the 20th of March 1904.

His father sold the farm in 1908 and the family moved into Quorn and his father became a contractor in Quorn.

After leaving school William became a labourer in Quorn.

On the 27th of July 1915, his brother Ernest enlisted into the 11th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement and was allotted the service number 3975. 

He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A24 Benalla on the 27th of October 1915 and was later taken on strength with the 11th Battalion and allotted to D Company.

William tried to enlist into the AIF but was first rejected because of his teeth and chest measurement.

At the age of 25 William successfully enlisted into the AIF on the 11th of February 1916 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 918 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.

Two days later William was admitted into the Keswick Military Hospital suffering from Appendicitis and remained here until the 6th of March. On the 9th of March he was posted to the newly raised 43rd Battalion, D Company at Morphettville Camp.

William embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 9th of June 1916, disembarking in Marseilles. He proceeded to England on the 23rd of July to continue training at Lark Hill.

He was then transferred to the 52nd Battalion as Reinforcement on the 9th of September.

Whilst he was here his sister Ivy died at the family home in Quorn on the 13th of October 1916 and then, tragically, just over 3 weeks later, his mother died on the 10th of November in the family home.

William proceeded to France on the 28th of November, but suffered from Appendicitis once again and was hospitalised from this on several occasions.

During his leave in England William took the opportunity of visiting Scotland, and in his travels saw wonderful sights and had greater experience than many of them would ever have.

His brother was admitted into the 4th London General Hospital on the 6th of August 1917, suffering from Tuberculosis.

William embarked, invalided, for Australia on the 26th of September 1917 on board HT Borda, disembarking in Melbourne on the 21st of November and was entrained to Adelaide and granted 6 months leave.

The following month his brother returned from Invalided from England and was immediately admitted into the Bedford Park Sanatorium.

William wasted no time returning to his home town of Quorn on Friday the 23rd of November and the following evening a large crowd assembled in front of the Quorn Town Hall and extend a welcome home to William. The Quorn brass band opened the proceedings by playing a well rendered selection.

The Mayor, in extending the welcome, remarked that in June, 1916, William left the Australian shores to do his bit for King and Country, and, although he did not partake in any of the great battles he spent six months in France, when he was overtaken by illness and returned to England.

William was discharged, medically unfit from the AIF on the 4th of January 1918.

His father then remarried to Alice Jane STAFFORD on the 9th of March 1918 at Mr Frank’s residence, Alexandra Street, Prospect.

William gained employment with the South Australian Railways and he married Emma Evelyn BAHR on the 20th of February 1919 in Adelaide, SA.

Emma was the daughter of George Frederick BAHR & Adeline Mowbray BANDT and was born on the 23rd of July 1894 in Quorn, SA.

In October 1919 they were living in Dudley Avenue, Prospect with his sister Mary.

Ernest died on the 14th of October 1919 in Parkwynd Private hospital in Adelaide and the family buried him in the West Terrace Cemetery the following day; Road 1 South, Path 16, Aspect E-2nd, Plot 23, with his sister Phillis.

In April 1924 they purchased a home at 53 Bosanquet Avenue, Prospect

William died on the 7th of September 1926 at their residence, 53 Bosanquet Avenue, Prospect and was buried in the North Road Cemetery; Path 35 South, Plot 4956.

William’s grave has never been marked and the site is still current.

After William’s death Emma remarried to Doric Dudley BRADBURY MM on the 10th of November 1934 in Prospect. He had served with the 6th Field Artillery Brigade, 18th Battery in WW1 (8361) and received the Military Medal for gallantry at Zillebeke on the 14th of September 1917.

Emma died on the 22nd of September 1970.

Military Service

William tried to enlist into the AIF but was first rejected because of his teeth and chest measurement.

At the age of 25 William successfully enlisted into the AIF on the 11th of February 1916 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 918 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.

He listed his mother, of Quorn, as his next of kin.

Two days later William was admitted into the Keswick Military Hospital suffering from Appendicitis and remained here until the 6th of March.

On the 9th of March he was posted to the newly raised 43rd Battalion, D Company at Morphettville Camp. The Battalion consisted of men who had recently enlisted and were practically raw recruits.

They commenced elementary training and then in April musketry was commenced throughout the Battalion. They underwent 10 days progressive instruction in the art of handling their rifles, with the course being completed by the firing of an application and the grouping practice on the miniature rifle range in the dry bed of the Sturt River.

An open range was then prepared in the sand hills between Glenelg and Henley, where for 2 days they were engaged with the service rifle, but the working of these targets proved so slow and tedious that arrangements were made to secure the use of the butts at Pt Adelaide.

Special trains conveyed the Battalion to and from the butts.

William and his Battalion were granted 4 days leave on the 19th of April and embraced the Easter Holidays. This was their last granted leave prior to their embarkation.

In May they attended a number of functions and ceremonies, chief among which were the presentation of their colours at Glenelg, the Military Tattoo on the Jubilee Oval and the farewell dinner provided in the Exhibition Hall by the Cheer up Society.

William suffered from Influenza and was admitted into No.6 Infectious disease hospital, North Adelaide on the 2nd of June until the 7th. He returned to his Battalion for the final preparations prior to their embarkation.

Dawn of June 9th was breaking behind the Mt Lofty Ranges when reveille sounded, rousing the whole camp to the activities of final preparation for departure, including the handing in of camp equipment and stores.

At 9:40am the first train left Morphettville Station for Outer Harbour with HQ and A & B Companies on board and then William left 30 minutes later with C & D Company.

On reaching Pt Adelaide the train proceeded by the old route down St Vincent Street, where a large and enthusiastic crowd had assembled to bid farewell to them, before arriving at Outer Harbour an hour later.

They were allotted their equipment and were then free to go on deck to receive the farewell greetings of friends and relatives, who had gathered on the wharf.

Never in the history of the state had so large a crowd assembled to witness the departure of a boat. Hundreds of coloured streamers soon linked up the soldiers on board with the crowd on the wharf.

At 2pm on the 9th of June 1916, William embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric 

And with his fellow soldiers now realised that this was the commencement of the long, long trail, the end of which no one could fortell.

The journey through the Bight was cold and rough, causing sickness to 70 per cent of the soldiers. They finally sighted land on the morning of the 13th of June and after passing through King George Sound, they anchored in Albany Harbour at 11:30am, where re coaling immediately commenced.

The next day they drew alongside the wharf and were allowed ashore for a few hours, before resuming their journey at noon, and soon the shores of their homeland receded from view.

With calmer weather they were able to conduct training on board, consisting of musketry, physical exercise, bayonet fighting and boat drill. As the tropics approached permission to sleep on deck was granted and by day a minimal amount of clothing was worn.

On the morning of the 26th of June they sight Ceylon and anchored in the harbour of Colombo. Coal barged drew alongside and the natives conducted the re coaling operation.

William and his Battalion were allowed ashore and marched to the military barracks in Colombo where a wet canteen was placed for their disposal and the native vendors offered fruits and goods.

They resumed their journey to Suez the following morning and during their time in the Red Sea they experienced extreme heat and this caused several of the stokers to become ill with exhaustion. Whilst these men were recovering, volunteers from the Battalion undertook their work for them.

They arrived in Suez on the 11th of July and completed the preparation for disembarkation. Orders were, however, received from the military authorities that the journey was to be continued through the Mediterranean. At 4pm they made their entrance into the Canal, the interesting surroundings of which attracted their attention for the next sixteen hours.

All along the bank were encamped Australian and English troops, who formed a portion of the Canal Garrison.

They re coaled the following day in Pt Said before being escorted out on the 13th by HM destroyer Telmar. They passed by Malta and reached Marseilles on the evening of the 19th of July, but did not enter the harbour until the following day.

They disembarked the following day and moved to Arran Point Station were they were entrained for Havre through Southern France. They reached Havre on the 22nd and detrained and marched to a rest camp, where they spent a cold night on the cobbles.

The following afternoon embarkation for England took place and at dusk the channel transport commenced its six hour journey, reaching Southampton at daybreak.

After two hours waiting on the wharf they were entrained and arrived at Amesbury Station on the Salisbury Plains where they detrained. They reached Lark Hill after an hours march and spent the rest of the afternoon settling into No.12 Camp, which was to be their training area prior to embarking for the front.

This camp was very well set out and even had hot and cold showers and the 41st, 42nd, and 44th Battalions were all close by.

On the 9th of September William was transferred to the 52nd Battalion as Reinforcement as the 52nd Battalion had just fought their first major battle at Mouquet Farm on the 3rd of September. They had had a key assaulting role and suffered heavy casualties, 50 per cent of its fighting strength was lost.

William proceeded to France on the 28th of November 1916 on board SS Prince Henrietta and was taken on strength with the Battalion on the 16th of December and entrained to the Battalion, who were at their billets in Vignacourt.

The following day William became ill, suffering from Mumps and was admitted into the 4th Australian Field Ambulance, before being transferred and admitted into the 25th Stationary Hospital in Rouen on Christmas Day.

He was discharged from hospital on the 16th of January 1917 and posted to the 4th Australian Divisional Base in Havre.

Two weeks later, on the 1st of February, William was admitted to 26th General Hospital in Etaples, suffering from Appendicitis.

He embarked for England from Calais on the 8th of February and admitted into the Norfolk War Hospital where his Appendix was finally removed.

He remained here for four weeks and was then transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 5th of March.

William was granted two weeks leave on his discharge and then marched into the No.2 Command Depot on the 26th of March.

On the 10th of June he proceeded back to the 4th Australian Divisional Base in Etaples.

William then suffered from Pyrexia (fever), on the 1st of July and was admitted into No.2 General Hospital in Havre. After a week he had been diagnosed with Bronchitis and was then discharged to No.4 Convalescent Depot in Havre.

He was then transferred to England as a Permanent base man, on the 21st of August and posted to No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs and classified C3 (only fit for home service). He was then posted to No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth, ten days later, awaiting invalided embarkation home to Australia.

William embarked for Australia on the 26th of September 1917 on board HT Borda, disembarking in Melbourne on the 21st of November and was entrained to Adelaide.

William was discharged, medically unfit from the AIF on the 4th of January 1918.