Grantley James Summerhill
Memorial: Downend - Christ Church
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Battalion Quartermaster Serjeant 83630
Parents: Joseph and Mary Jane Elizabeth Summerhill (nee Harris)
Marital status: Single
Home address: Dial House, Downend, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Carman
Date of birth: 1891
Place of birth: Downend, Bristol
Date of death: 26/09/1916
Buried/Commemorated at: Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, Somme, France
Age: 25
Further information:
Grantley Summerhill was one of nine children born to parents Joseph and Mary Summerhill. He was baptised on 18th February 1891 at Christ Church, Downend and later served in "B" Battery, 47th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, landing in France on 21st May 1915. On 26th September 1916 the 47th Brigade were positioned at Bazentin-Le Grand Wood on the Somme, with the German artillery being more active than usual early in the morning. At 4:00 p.m. a party of the enemy infantry were seen advancing towards the British front line with a section of "D" Battery then turning its attention onto them with rapid fire, firing 109 rounds in 8 minutes and quickly dispersing the Germans. From this it appears that Grantley Summerhill was killed during the early morning shelling of their position although the Battery's war diary makes no mention of them losing any of its men that day. The Register of Soldier's Effects shows that Grantley Summerhill possessed £15.4s.9d which was sent to his father on 19th March 1917 with a War Gratuity of £14.0s.0d also being sent to him on 14th October 1919. This is indicative of Grantley enlisting in the month from 15th September 1914.
Commemorated on the Christ Church Downend Memorial and the Staple Hill (Page Park) Memorial.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
Forces War Records, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Register of Soldiers Effects, Soldiers Died In The Great War, FreeBMD, UK Censuses. Medals Index Card, David Blackmore – Mangotsfield Residents Association