James Fownes Somerville

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to navigationJump to search

Admiral of the Fleet SIR James Fownes Somerville, G.C.B., G.B.E., D.S.O., Royal Navy (17 July, 1882 – 19 March, 1949) was an officer of the Royal Navy who played an extensive role in helping the service adopt and exploit wireless signalling.

Early Life & Career

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 March, 1904.[1]

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 March, 1912.[2]

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1915.[3]

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1921.[4]

Somerville was appointed in command of Benbow on 20 August, 1922, but Kenelm Everard Lane Creighton was superseded him as a temporary captain in November, 1923.

He was appointed in command of the heavy cruiser Norfolk on 28 December, 1931. He would be superseded in her when she was recommissioned.[5]

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 12 October, 1933.[6]

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 11 September, 1937.[7]

Somerville was retired as medically unfit on 31 July, 1939.[8]

World War II

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 6 April, 1942.[9] [TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]

Bibliography

  • "Admiral of the Fleet Sir J. Somerville" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 21 March, 1949. Issue 51335, col E, pg. 7.
  • Macintyre, Captain Donald (1961). Fighting Admiral: The Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Somerville, G.C.B., G.B.E., D.S.O.. London: Evans Brothers Limited.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Dudley R. S. de Chair
Captain of H.M. T.B. 95
early 1904[10] – 16 May, 1904[11]
Succeeded by
Albert G. Baggs
Preceded by
Arthur E. F. Bedford
Captain of H.M.S. Benbow
20 Aug, 1922[12] – 31 Oct, 1924[13]
Succeeded by
Kenelm E. L. Creighton
Preceded by
Joseph C. W. Henley
Captain of H.M.S. Barham
6 May, 1927[14][15] – Dec, 1927[16]
Succeeded by
Hubert S. Monroe
Preceded by
Hubert S. Monroe
Captain of H.M.S. Warspite
Dec, 1927[17] – 1 Sep, 1928[18]
Succeeded by
John W. Carrington
Preceded by
George R. B. Blount
Captain of H.M.S. Barham
1 Sep, 1928[19] – Apr, 1929[20]
Succeeded by
John C. Hamilton
Preceded by
Formation Established
Flag Officer Commanding, Force H
1929 – 10 Jan, 1942
Succeeded by
Edward N. Syfret
Preceded by
Cecil B. Prickett
Captain of H.M.S. Norfolk
28 Dec, 1931[21]
Succeeded by
H. Evelyn C. Blagrove
Preceded by
Hubert E. Dannreuther
Commodore-in-Command, Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth
14 Oct, 1932[22][23] – 4 May, 1934[24]
Succeeded by
Geoffrey Layton
Preceded by
Andrew B. Cunningham
as Rear Admiral (D) Commanding Destroyer Flotillas, Mediterranean
Vice-Admiral (D) Commanding Destroyer Flotillas, Mediterranean
21 Mar, 1936[25] – Apr, 1938[26]
Succeeded by
John C. Tovey
as Rear Admiral (D) Commanding Destroyer Flotillas, Mediterranean
Preceded by
John G. Crace
as Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies
Jul, 1938 – Apr, 1939
Succeeded by
Sir Ralph Leatham
Preceded by
William J. Whitworth
Rear-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron
28 Jun, 1940[27] – 10 Aug, 1940[Citation needed]
Succeeded by
William J. Whitworth
Preceded by
Sir Tom S. V. Phillips
as Commander-in-Chief, China Station
Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet
Feb, 1942 – Aug, 1944
Succeeded by
Sir Bruce A. Fraser
as Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet

 

Footnotes

  1. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  2. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  3. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  4. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  5. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  6. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  7. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  8. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  9. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  10. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  11. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  12. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  13. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  14. The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 216.
  15. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  16. Inferred from successor. Monroe Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 403.
  17. Date inferred from his successor in Barham and Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  18. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  19. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  20. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  21. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.
  22. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 284.
  23. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  24. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47/87. f. 292.
  25. The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 242.
  26. Successor assumed command that month. Tovey Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 131.
  27. Somerville Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/47. f. 292.