James Fownes Somerville

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.

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

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

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

Somerville was appointed in command of Benbow on 20 August, 1922, but Kenelm Everard Lane Creighton was superseded him as a temporary captain in November, 1923.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 He would be superseded in her when she was recommissioned.

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

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

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

World War II

Somerville was promoted to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 6 April, 1942. [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

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Dudley R. S. de Chair	Captain of H.M. T.B. 95 early 1904 – 16 May, 1904	Succeeded by Albert G. Baggs
Preceded by Arthur E. F. Bedford	Captain of H.M.S. Benbow 20 Aug, 1922 – 31 Oct, 1924	Succeeded by Kenelm E. L. Creighton
Preceded by Joseph C. W. Henley	Captain of H.M.S. Barham 6 May, 1927 – Dec, 1927	Succeeded by Hubert S. Monroe
Preceded by Hubert S. Monroe	Captain of H.M.S. Warspite Dec, 1927 – 1 Sep, 1928	Succeeded by John W. Carrington
Preceded by George R. B. Blount	Captain of H.M.S. Barham 1 Sep, 1928 – Apr, 1929	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	Succeeded by H. Evelyn C. Blagrove
Preceded by Hubert E. Dannreuther	Commodore-in-Command, Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth 14 Oct, 1932 – 4 May, 1934	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 – Apr, 1938	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 – 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