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SUMMERS, Clifford Emmanuel T M (1898-1977) – Worcestershire Regiment/Machine Gun Corps/Army Ordnance Corps

PS-SUMMERS%20Clifford.jpgPrivate Clifford Emmanuel T M Summers (1898-1977) moved to Wickhamford after his period of service in the war.  Clifford and his twin brother, Gilbert, were born in Fladbury, the eldest of seven children of a carpenter, Emmanuel Summers and his wife, Annie.  In 1901 the family were in Fladbury and in 1911 they were in Pershore.

No service or pension records survive, but the medal record of ‘Clifford E. Summers’ does.   He served in the Worcestershire Regiment (No 3956), Machine Gun Corps (No 106666) and Army Ordnance Corps (No 047616) and was awarded the Victory and British War medals.  The Times casualty list of 17th October 1916 recorded that he had been wounded a few days before.  He appears in the 1919 Absent Voters’ List as from the parish of Pershore St Andrew.

Clifford married Edith A Surman in 1920 and they had nine children.  They moved to Wickhamford from Pershore in May 1927 when their eldest son, Ernest, enrolled at Badsey School.  Clifford worked as a farm labourer and milked cows for Edward Carter of Field Farm, until dermatitis stopped the latter work.  He was then the last man to operate Wickhamford Mill, in the 1930s.   He was also the groundsman for Wickhamford F.C. and lived in the Council Houses on Pitcher’s Hill.  His second son, Gilbert Summers, whilst a pupil at Badsey Council School, wrote a letter in 1933 describing life in a market gardening community.

Clifford is buried in Wickhamford Cemetery.