The Story of the Summers Brothers

Five sons of the Summers family served in World War 1. Although most of the children were born in the Wairarapa, the family was living in Lower Hutt when war broke out. Tom and William (Bill) trained at Tauherenikau Camp in late 1915, while Albert, Charlie and Harry all trained at Featherston Camp.

Tom was in the Otago Mounted Rifles and served in France. He was wounded in May 1918 and returned to New Zealand in August 1918. He was a rehabilitation farmer at Ngahape, east of Masterton, and died in 1953. William went overseas with the NZ Rifle Brigade but was posted to 2nd Battalion Wellington Infantry Regiment in December 1916. He served on the Western Front until returning in 1919. A bootmaker, he died in 1959. Albert was also a bootmaker when he enlisted in the 19th Reinforcement in July 1916, training at Trentham and Featherston. He joined the 1st Wellington Battalion in June 1917 and served on the Western Front until war’s end. In quiet periods he mended the battalion’s footwear.

After the war Albert continued working as a bootmaker in Masterton, dying in 1966. Charlie was a storeman in Wellington when he joined the 33rd Reinforcement in 1917. It was 1918 when he joined the 1st Wellington Battalion – he served through the Second battle of the Somme and was killed on 31 August 1918 when the N.Z. Division captured Bapaume. Harry, a grocer, enlisted with his brother Charlie (they have consecutive service numbers) in the 33rd Reinforcement. In England he was posted to the NZ Rifle Brigade, went to France and in August joined the 1st Wellington Battalion. Soon after he was hospitalised with influenza and sent back to England. He was classified as medically unfit and returned to New Zealand in November 1918. Like brother Tom he was a rehabilitation farmer at Ngahape. He died in Masterton in 1985.