SUMMERFIELD, Gilbert
(Service number 52662)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 8 December 1896 | Place of Birth | Temuka (or Ashburton) |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 25 January 1915 | Age | 18 years 1 month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Hilton, Canterbury | ||
| Occupation | Farmer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | Senior Cadets | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | William SUMMERFIELD (father), Hilton, Canterbury | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Reinforcements, G Company (part) | ||
| Date | 12 June 1917 | ||
| Transport | Tahiti or Maunganui | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Otago Infantry Regiment | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Western European | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 8 July 1979 | Age | 82 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Burwood Hospital, Christchurch | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Rangiora Lawn Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Gilbert Summerfield was born on 8 December 1896 at Temuka (or Ashburton), the eldest of William and Mary Elizabeth (née Grainger) Summerfield. He was educated at Kakahu or Hilton School. G. Summerfield, a farmer, of Hilton, had been previously rejected for service but re-enlisted in January 1917. Farming at Hilton with his father, single and Anglican, he named his father as next-of-kin – William Summerfield, Hilton, Canterbury. The 28th Reinforcements were farewelled at the Drill Hall, Geraldine, in April 1917, each being presented with a wristlet watch and given a parcel of comforts. Rifleman G. Summerfield embarked with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, departing on 12 June 1917. It was at the beginning of November 1917 that his father received advice that Private Summerfield had been admitted to hospital on 13 October, suffering from wounds. On 18 October he was transferred to the Military Hospital at Tooting, severely wounded.
Gilbert Summerfield was discharged on 21 January 1919, no longer physically fit for War Service on account of wounds received in Action. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Gilbert married Isabella Margaret Donella McKinnon in 1935. He and Donella had three sons (Ian, Ron and John) and one daughter (Shirley). Gilbert Summerfield died on 8 July 1979 at Burwood Hospital, Christchurch, aged 82 years. He was buried in the Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, alongside Isabella Margaret Donella Summerfield who had died 14 months before. Members of the Rangiora RSA attended at the Rangiora Funeral Chapel. G. Summerfield was remembered on the Hilton School Memorial and the Hilton Public Memorial, as also served.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [15 September 2024]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [15 September 2024]; Temuka Leader, 25 January 1917, 11 November 1919, Timaru Herald, 12 April 1917, 3 & 21 November 1917, Press, 9 & 10 July 1979 (Papers Past) [21 September 2024]; Headstone images & burial records (Waimakariri District Council) [22 September 2024]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.