Source: Sarnia War and Remembrance PDF.
Family Search: When Private Ira William Sumner was born on 10 September 1893, in London, Canada West, British North America, his father, Ira Austin Wells Sumner, was 33 and his mother, Mary Ann Beasley, was 22. He lived in Middlesex, Ontario, Canada in 1901 and London, Ontario, Canada in 1911. He registered for military service in 1915. In 1915, at the age of 22, his occupation is listed as clerk accountant, london life insurance co. in London, Ontario, Canada. He died on 25 November 1915, in Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium, at the age of 22, and was buried in Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium.
London Advertiser. December 7, 1915. Page 1.
Son of Ira and Minnie Sumner, of 99, Princess Avenue, London, Ontario.
Additional details from The War Remembrance Project – City of Sarnia
SUMNER, Ira William
54320
B: Sep 10, 1893 D: Nov 25, 1915
Age: 22
Army: Canadian Infantry (Western
Ontario Regiment) “D” Coy.
18th Battalion – Private
Ridge Wood Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Grave II.J.12.
Died of wounds.
Son of Ira and Minnie Sumner, of London, Ont.
Grandson of Mrs. William Beasley, of Point Edward.
Enlisted Apr 10, 1915, in London, Ont.
Inscribed on Sarnia cenotaph as Summers, M.J.
Source: Operation Picture Me via the 18th Battalion Facebook Group. London Free Press. Circa November 1915.
This is a transcription of the newspaper article from The Windsor Star, dated November 10, 1915.
18TH. IN HOT FIGHT, SAYS SOLDIER
PTE. IRA SUMNER, OF LONDON, TELLS OF BEING UNDER HEAVY BOMBARDMENT.
London, Ont., Nov. 10.—A letter received by Mr. Ira Sumner, from his son, Pte. Ira Sumner, of the 18th Battalion, tells of that regiment being in hot fighting of late, being called upon to make a “sham attack” at one time in order to cover the advance of a regiment of their flank. Judging by Pte. Sumner’s description, the experience was one they will not soon forget.
The Canadian trenches were heavily bombarded by the German guns, many exploding just overhead and others just skimming the tops of the trenches, each one making a noise like an express train as it passed. The Canadians in return threw over smoke bombs.
“Take it from me, those trenches put fear into a man,” writes Pte. Sumner. “When they started whizzing within a couple of feet of my head and exploding right on top of the trench, I suddenly decided to rest myself on the bottom of the trench, which was about three inches deep in mud. I stayed there about two hours and had quite a bit of company in my lowly position. Our infantry, in the meantime knocked the German trenches all to pieces and they must have suffered much more than we did.”
In the fighting thus described, Pte. Sumner speaks of one position known as “suicide corner,” where eight or 10 of the Canadians were killed or wounded.
“Eats are the things we want most out here,” is the conclusion of Pte. Sumner’s letter in detailing some of the things that he would like sent him.
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 
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