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