25 Facts About James Somerville

James Somerville served in the First World War as fleet wireless officer for the Mediterranean Fleet where he was involved in providing naval support for the Gallipoli Campaign.

James Somerville served in the Second World War as commander of the newly formed Force H: after the French armistice with Germany, Winston Churchill gave Somerville and Force H the task of neutralizing the main element of the French battle fleet, then at Mers El Kebir in Algeria.

However, in spring 1944, with reinforcements, James Somerville was able to go on the offensive in a series of aggressive air strikes in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies.

James Somerville spent the remainder of the war in charge of the British naval delegation in Washington, DC.

James Somerville's father had studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, was called to the bar as a barrister in 1875 and had then become a Recorder of Wells, Somerset in 1916 and had served as President of the Somerset Archaeological Society.

In 1913, James Somerville married Mary Main; they had a daughter and a son.

The news reader Julia James Somerville is one of their granddaughters.

James Somerville was promoted to commander on 31 December 1915, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Mentioned in Despatches on 14 March 1916.

James Somerville was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1935.

James Somerville became Flag Officer Destroyers in the Mediterranean Fleet in March 1936 and during the Spanish Civil War commanded an international force in the area of Majorca when Palma was threatened with bombardment by Republican forces.

James Somerville retired with suspected tuberculosis in early 1939 but was still advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 8 June 1939.

In May 1940, James Somerville served under Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, helping organize the Dunkirk evacuation.

James Somerville's forces inflicted severe damage on their erstwhile allies, most notably sinking the battleship Bretagne with heavy loss of life.

James Somerville was Mentioned in Despatches on 16 August 1940.

James Somerville was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his service with Force H on 21 October 1941.

James Somerville became Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet with his flag in the battleship HMS Warspite in March 1942 and was promoted to full admiral on 6 April 1942.

James Somerville avoided a direct confrontation with the Imperial Japanese Navy, preserving the Eastern Fleet's two fleet carriers and one battleship.

For most of the rest of 1942, James Somerville's fleet avoided any major operations against the Japanese, barring a brief sortie into the Bay of Bengal in late July and early August 1942 during which he turned back after being spotted by a Japanese flying boat on 2 August 1942.

In Spring 1944, with reinforcements, James Somerville was able to go on the offensive in a series of aggressive air strikes in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies: these included attacks on Sabang in April and May 1944 and on Surabaya in May 1944.

James Somerville was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 22 August 1944.

James Somerville became Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset on 8 November 1944, was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 8 May 1945 and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1946.

James Somerville was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Netherlands government and a Commander of the Legion of Merit by the United States.

In retirement James Somerville became Lord Lieutenant of Somerset in August 1946 and was appointed a Knight of the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem on 23 December 1946.

James Somerville lived at the family seat of Dinder House in Somerset where he died of coronary thrombosis on 19 March 1949.

James Somerville's body was buried in the churchyard of St Michael and All Angels Church at Dinder.