SUMMERS, Alexander Forrest
| Service Numbers: | 23044, 122026 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1917, at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Leading Aircraftman |
| Last Unit: | 1st Australian Wireless Squadron |
| Born: | Terowie, South Australia, Australia, 11 September 1893 |
| Home Town: | Thebarton (Southwark), City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | 13 November 1968, aged 75 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Hawthorn Victory Lodge Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 23044, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 1918: | Involvement Sapper, 23044, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Port Darwin embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 14 Sep 1918: | Embarked Sapper, 23044, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, SS Port Darwin, Sydney | |
| 29 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sapper, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron |
World War 2 Service
| 13 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman, 122026 | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Adelaide, SA | |
| 10 May 1946: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman, 122026 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide High School
Alexander Forrest Summers was born on the 11th September 1893 in Terowie, South Australia to William Summers and Elizabeth Jane Summers (née Richard). He was the youngest of three siblings. His brothers were John Chestnut (Chestnute) Summers and Robert George Summers. Alexander Forrest Summers’ brother, John Chestnut (Chestnute) Summers fought in the Boer War under the service number 144 and died in 1912 of an unknown cause.
Summers worked as a clerk and was married to Anetta Summers when he enlisted to join the War on the 18th August 1917 at the age of 23 years and 11 months. At the time of enlistment, Summers had passed the physical test and was 5 feet and 3 1/4 inches tall.
Summers attended Wireless Training School for 20 weeks after enlistment, learning a variety of skills; including marching, physical training, visual fatigues, and wireless circuits. He was very eager to learn as many comments from the lieutenant were positive, he was keen, reliable, efficient, and attentive.
Alexander Forrest Summers' Unit was 1st Australian Wireless Signal Squadron- Special Reinforcements. The unit was a special unit and majority of the soldiers were Sappers, combat engineers in the war. Their jobs consisted of bridge building, clearing/laying mines, digging trenches among other duties. Each sapper in the unit received 6 shillings a day. Alexander Forrest Summers allocated 3 shillings to his family. During the war, there are no records of Summers receiving medical attention from the hospital during his service with the AIF in World War 1. Summers embarked from Australia on 14th September 1918 and sailed to Basra (in what is now Iraq) via India. He reached his unit after the end of the war and saw no action.
After a total of 255 days of service to the war, the war ended, and Summers was discharged in Adelaide on the 29th of April 1919. Alexander Forrest Summers received the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his contribution to the war.
Summers later on served in the RAAF as Leading Aircraftman in World War 2 under the service number 122026.
Sadly, Alexander Forrest Summers died at the age of 75 in 1968 although reasons of death are not known. He is buried at Centennial Park in Pasadena, South Australia. It is unknown whether he had children or not.
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