34 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 joined the training ship HMS Britannia as a cadet on 15 January 1897 and served as midshipman in the cruiser HMS Royal Arthur in the Channel Fleet and then in the cruiser HMS Warspite on the Pacific Station.

James Somerville was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 December 1901 and to lieutenant on 15 March 1904 before joining the armoured cruiser HMS Sutlej on the China Station.

James Somerville attended the torpedo school HMS Vernon in 1907 and then remained there to work on the development of wireless telegraphy.

James Somerville served in the Royal Navy in the First World War, initially as a wireless officer in the battleship HMS Marlborough in the Grand Fleet and then as fleet wireless officer for the Mediterranean Fleet serving in the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth, then the battlecruiser HMS Inflexible and then the cruiser HMS Chatham.

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 transferred to the battleship HMS King George V in the Grand Fleet in January 1917 and then joined the signals school at Portsmouth at the end of the year.

James Somerville stayed in the service after the war, becoming Executive Officer in the battleship HMS Ajax in the Mediterranean Fleet in March 1920 and then Executive Officer in the battleship HMS Emperor of India in the Mediterranean Fleet.

James Somerville returned to the Admiralty as Director of Signals in February 1925 before becoming Flag Captain to Sir John Kelly in his new role as Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron in early 1927, first in the battleship HMS Warspite and then, after the Warspite struck a rock, in the battleship HMS Barham.

James Somerville joined the directing staff at the Imperial Defence College in 1929 and became commanding officer of the cruiser HMS Norfolk in the Home Fleet in December 1931.

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 transferred his flag to the battleship HMS Nelson in August 1941 and played a major role in protecting Malta from enemy attack in autumn 1941.

James Somerville transferred his flag to the battleship HMS Rodney and then to the battleship HMS Malaya.

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 fast battleship.

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.