Name
Oliver Summers (DCM)
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/07/1916
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
1678
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1st/8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 9 A 9 B and 10 B.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the London Colney memorials, Studley War Memorial, Birmingham Roll of Honour
Pre War
Oliver SUMMERS was born in Studley Warwickshire, in 1892, son of Oliver Summers a Carpenter and Joiner and Sarah Summers (nee cook). He was one of their eight children. His parents were married on 9th September 1884, in Studley, Warwick.
Oliver Jr. was Baptised on 1st May 1892, in the Parish of Studley, Warwick.
1901 Census records Oliver Jr. aged 9, living with his parents, two brothers and three sisters in Watts Lane, Studley, Warwick.
1911 census, Oliver Jr. (19), in employed as an Elementary School Teacher in London Colney, Herts, and is a boarder with Spencer and Harriett Homewood in White Lion Lane, London Colney, Herts.
Oliver Jr. enlisted in the Territorial Force, at Saltley, Birmingham, into the 1st/8th (TF) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment and issued with the service No. 1678. His service number indicates he enlisted at the end of 1912, and would have been in” B” Company, which recruited men from Saltley.
Wartime Service
We believe Oliver Jr. was still serving with the Territorial Force at the outbreak of war. The Royal Warwickshire Regiment had just departed for their annual summer camp when war was declared in August 1914, they were recalled and mobilised for war service and moved to Chelmsford and commenced their training. They sailed from Southampton for Le Havre, France on 22nd March 1915.
Oliver Jr. was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in June 1916, “For Conspicuous Gallantry when bringing in a wounded Sergeant under heavy fire”.
Oliver Jr. was Killed in Action on 1st July 1916, aged 25, during the assault on the Quadrilateral, the first day of the Battel of the Somme (Battle of the Somme 1st July to 18th November 1916), he has no known grave he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, to the missing. Pier and Face 9A, 9B and 10B.
Additional Information
His effects of £26-12s-11d, pay owing and his war gratuity of £11-10s-00d, went to his father Oliver Summers.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
