SOMMERS, John Archibald Douglas

Family name:

SOMMERS

Given names:

John Archibald Douglas

Gender:

Male

Religion:

Presbyterian

Date of birth:

12 June 1877

Place of birth:

Birth

100 Stanley St.

, Melbourne, Victoria

, Australia

Military service:

WW1

Regimental number:

538

Rank:

Private

Military units:

Ist Divisional Train

Place of death:

Death

Prince of Wales Hospital

, Randwick, New South Wales

, Australia

Decorations and medallions:

Star Medal 1914-1915

Decorations and medallions:

British War Medal

Decorations and medallions:

Victory Medal

Biographical notes:

Registration Number 538
Enlisted on 22nd August 1914 at Kensington, NSW, joining No 2 Company Australian Expeditionary Force aged 36 years and 10 months being 5 feet 7 1/2 ins tall with brown hair
Occupation - Artist
Next of kin was his wife Flora Vivienne who resided at Brunswick, Jolimont and Hawthorn during John's period of service
Embarked on the HMAT HYMETTUS to Egypt
April 1st 1916, embarked at Alexandria to disembark at Marseilles
Whilst in Egypt and in France, John was admitted to various hospitals with influenza and other ailments.
departed for England on the H.S. CAMBRIA on 5th July 1916
hospitalized with trench fever
embarked for Australia on the HMAT BALMORAL CASTLE on 29th March 1918 and was discharged from the AIF on 2nd May 1918 with "medical unfitness".
John (Jack) Sommers was the son of well known artist, John Sommers, Drawing Master to the Ballarat District and lecturer on Applied Mechanics and Technical Drawing at the Ballarat School of Mines. He was born on 9 November, 1877, at 100 Stanley St. Sth Melbourne, but grew up in Ballarat. After school, he studied art and was described in the Melbourne Herald (10/1201918 p.8) as 'a leading painting student at the Melbourne Gallery School, as an exhibiting member of the Melbourne Artisits Society and pre-eminent exponent of black and white illustrative work.' He enlisted 22 August 1914, and served at Gallipoli, in Egypt and in Flanders. According to the Melbourne Herald of 10 December, 1918, he served also in Tripoli and 'took part in the final action.' In France, he contracted trench fever. In 1918, on his return from the war, he had an exhibition of war paintings at the Arts and Crafts Society, 182 Collins St, Melbourne. He had married Flora Vivienne Francis in November 1907, but was divorced for infidelity by his wife in 1920. According to Flora's statement, he was flagrantly unfaithful: 'On one occasion, before his enlistment in 1914, her husband remained away from home for two days and two nights ... he told her that he had beeen to a house of ill-repute and asked her to meet the keeper of the house, remarking that she was a fine woman.'' She accused him of 'repeated acts of misconduct coupled with desertion' and stated that owing to Sommer's 'drunken habits', they were asked to leave several boarding houses.' The divorce was recorded in The Adelaide Advertiser and The Melbourne Argus (11/11/1920).
In 1922, Jack married Eirene Pardoe Annersley Brown, the mother of his daughter,Tess. Eirene left Jack around 1926, leaving him to bring up then five year old Tess alone. There was no divorce, but Jack had a common law wife, who bore him two children, Peter von Sommers and John - also known as Raymond - von Sommers. In 1930, while living in Yaarbat Avenue, Balwyn, the 82 year old John Sommers was killed in a car accident. Jack was the driver and admitted to the magistrate that he did not have a driver's licence.
In the post-war years, Jack was recognised as a distinguished artist, particularly in black and white and exhibited widely. He also illustrated a book Written by Rowan Ellis. By 1930, his career had stalled, with the Norther Miner (Charters Towers, Q'LD) reporting on 18/1/1930 that 'jack Sommers made the money fly while it lasted, but later drifted to Melbourne, where he painted the interiors of movie theatres and other buildings.' However, health problems from the war persisted and in 1931, he was diagnosed with TB. He then bought a horse caravan and he and his family went on the road, travleeing in country areas until his death in 1934. He died from Tuberculosis in the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick and is buried in Rookwood Cemeter, Lidcombe, Sydney. In reality John had a very limited connection to East Melbourne.

Acknowledgments:

Christine Hutton: email 14 Jul 2019

Adelaide Advertiser 11/11/1920 p.9, Melbourne Argus 11/111920, p.4 Divorce

Melbourne Herald 10/12/1918, p.8 War record

Argus 29/7/1930 p.12 Car Accident

Northern Miner (Charters Towers Q'ld) 18/1/1930, p.3

East Melbourne Historical Society

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