Major Harold Fownes SOMERVILLE, DSO

[mf2701]

I have put up two pictures, ca. 1902, of HFS and his brother James aboard HMS Sturgeon - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&album=836

MF

[Khaki]

Hello LF,

It sure is 'sleigh bells in June' to be able to 'flesh out' someone that was previously lines in a history book, plus to be able communicate with a family member as well is surely 'icing on the xmas cake'.

regards

khaki

[Khaki]

Hello MF,

What a unique series of family images, certainly of great interest to all forum members,

thank again

khaki

[mf2701]

To complete and close the gallery, I have put up some pictures of HFS in domestic circumstances. The last picture, HFS in 1942, is how I remember him most. He smoked tipped cigarettes, the tips made crepe paper ( I know this because I used to dismantle them). I think they were Craven A. He spoke like a soldier did in those days, with clipped, efficient tones. You don't hear that voice nowadays. He was fond of dogs; his last one was Bill, a brindle bull terrier who was terrified of thunder, yet found protection under the dining room table. HFS liked surprises and would hide parcels arriving just prior to Christmas, including those containing urgent non festive medical necessities that the addressee would be startled to open on Christmas Day. He was quite domesticated for his time. He liked picnics and making the sandwiches for them. His conversation sometimes included little illustrative or fantasy dramas in which he would play two or more parts. I remember none of the subjects covered, but he was very convincing, using different voices and turning his head for each character. I do it myself sometimes, though whether by genes or example I know not.

I was at the Orchard with my Mother the day in April, 1942, that the telegram arrived announcing that their only son, Mark (Lt Mark Fownes Somerville DSC), was missing presumed killed in the Mediterranean. I have no memory of the events, but my Mother recalled them well. The telegram came in the afternoon. HFS was in bed with 'flu. Vera was very silent. Tea was made as a therapy. After tea, Vera said she was going for a walk. My Mother and Aunt Mary offered to go with here, but she declined. My Mother went to Mark's room and dismantled it, took down the pictures, moved the furniture around. She did this because she knew that Vera would otherwise turn the room into a shrine and to some degree become obsessed with it. Vera did not return as expected within the hour, or two hours. My Aunt Mary had to return to her unit at Bordon, bicycling back alone bearing the loss of her brother and the worry about her mother. After three hours there was considerable anxiety for it was now dark and cold. HFS feared, they all feared, that Vera, in her distress, might harm herself. She returned at about 2.00 am, unharmed and presumably in better state than when she left the house.

At least they all suffered for a cause they believed in.

MF

[Khaki]

Hello MF.

A very complete gallery, I enjoy seeing family images as I think that it completes the overall visual biography. I want to thank you again for your contributions I personally, enjoyed them and I am sure others did as well.

regards

khaki

[MBrockway]

Most enjoyable to see the full life of a Rifleman across the years. Many thanks for sharing this.

[Dublin3]

As I'm researching the 1916 Rising in the Clontarf/ North Dock area of Dublin I found this thread on Harold Fownes Somerville, who's important role in 1916 is rarely recognised today, particularly interesting, The Musketry School at Bull Island was located at the grounds of the Royal Dublin Golf Club commandeered by the War Office in September 1914. Not only was this one of the premier golf-links in Ireland but the island itself was a hugely popular bathing spot for residents in Clontarf, an upmarket suburb of Dublin. The partially reclaimed sloblands of Fairview intended for a suburban park (now Fairview Park), were taken over by the Local Government Board as an experimental farm using unemployed labourers, so over a short period many of the local amenities were "taken" from local residents for a War which no longer looked like it would be over by Christmas.

Harold Fownes Somerville arrived at the Musketry School in 1915 and immediately went on a charm offensive which suggests he might have had a future as a diplomat if he hadn't entered the army. He began feeding stories on the state of the Golf course to local sports journalists to allay the fears of members and by late 1915 reopened an 8 hole course when the musketry School was closed at the weekend. He also issued permits to Clontarf residents for bathing at parts of the island twice a week. He developed a close relationship with companies of the local Boys Brigade, in particular those of the working class North Strand Church whom he inspected and lectured on a regular basis. In a speech he gave to them in 1916 he noted that all had a father, brother, or uncle, at the front, and the information that he had been wounded at 1st Ypres probably helped endear him to the company and develop what appears to have been quite a close bond.

In return for this much of the area took the Musketry School to their hearts, organizing various forms of entertainments for troops based there with the Methodist Hall in Fairvew organizing weekly concerts for upwards of 200. HFS seems to have been quite enthusiastic about these no doubt motivated by his interest in amateur dramatics.

[Khaki]

Hello Dublin3,

An interesting supplement to the thread, thank you.

khaki

[pobhil]

Vera Somerville was my great grandfather (colonel Henry Broadmead)'s cousin.His son Philip Broadmead (KRRC)was awarded the MC in 1917 and would have served under major Somerville.I cannot seem to access the family photos which are of course of great interest to me.

Any info on Capt Philip Broadmead would be welcome

Thanks

pobhil

[MBrockway]

T/Capt Philip Mainwaring BROADMEAD - MC gazetted 04 Jun 1917 according to KRRC Chronicle.

He served in 12/KRRC and went out with the battalion as part of the original embarkation establishment in July 1915.

The KRRC Chronicle states: "In the Birthday Honours Captain P.M. Broadmead was awarded the Military Cross". No mention of any specific action. I failed to find any other mention of him in the Chronicle and haven't checked theWar Diary as yet.

His MIC has a correspondence address of 1 Prince's Row, Buckingham Place Road, London SW1 - this corresponds to the NW end of present day Bressenden Place near Victoria Station.

[pobhil]

Many many thanks.i will delve back in some of my family archives.do you have any idea if there are photographs of his regiment at this time .I know they weren't exactly 'on parade' .

Is the war diary freely available?

[mf2701]

Vera Somerville was my great grandfather (colonel Henry Broadmead)'s cousin.His son Philip Broadmead (KRRC)was awarded the MC in 1917 and would have served under major Somerville.I cannot seem to access the family photos which are of course of great interest to me.

Any info on Capt Philip Broadmead would be welcome

Thanks

pobhil

Sir Philip Broadmead KCMG MC (1893-1977) was a cousin of my mother's - and me for that matter - and I knew him quite well. He was in fact a diplomat, his last post being the British Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. The whole detail is as follows:

BROADMEAD, Philip Mainwaring, M.C.

1st Commission, 29th Sept. 1914.

Joined the KRRC

Lieutenant, Feb. 191 5.

.

Captain, 16th Sept. 1916.

Adjutant, Sept. 19 16 to Jan. 1917.

Mentioned in Despatches, 23rd Dec. 1918.

Awarded the Military Cross, 3rd June, 1917.

Croix de Guerre, Feb. 1919.

Holds 1914-1915 Star.

Only son of Colonel Henry Broadmead, and his wife Edith Melville

[Mainwaring].

Educated at Wellington College and Royal Military College,

Sandhurst.

Landed in France, 22nd July, 1915 ; attached to H.Q 60th Infantry

Brigade, Jan. 1917 to Jan. 1918 ; Staff Captain 3rd Infantry Brigade, Jan.

1918 to May 1919.

Actions : Loos, 1915 ; Somme, 1916 ; German Retreat, March 1917 ;

Ypres, Aug.—Sept. 1917 ; Cambrai, Nov. 1917 ; Festubert, March 1918 ;

Arras, Sept. 1918 ; Vermand to Sambre-Oise Canal, Sept.— 4th Nov, 1918.

British War Medal and Victory Medal.

So far as I know, he came through all that without a scratch. He never spoke of his experiences in the War and I never asked him.

His Foreign Office career was as follows:

Third Secretary in Diplomatic Service, 1920; 2nd Secretary 1923; 1st Secretary 1929; Counsellor of Embassy, 1940. Ambassador to Colombia, 1945–47; Minister at Damascus, 1947–50; Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, 1950–53. Whilst he was Ambassador in Prague my Father was the Military Attaché at the Embassy.

He lived quite close to the Albert Hall and had a devoted house keeper whose name was, I think, Mrs Slowly. He was a very smart dresser, his jackets were very long and lined with a dark red silk. There was a single vent at the back that seemed to go up to his shoulder blades. His cigarette case had Virginian on one side and Turkish in the other.

His father, Colonel Henry Broadmead was known in his regiment as Bread and Butter Broadmead because he was something of a ladies man and always served bread and butter when they came to tea ( I guess his fellow officers went straight to the cake).

As for the suggestion that Philip Broadmead (KRRC) served 'under Harold Somerville (Rifle Brigade) at Ypres, I am not sure that it follows. They certainly knew each other socially as the Broadmeads and the Somervilles were both important Somerset landowners, Enmore and Dinder respectively. I must have a picture of Philip Broadmead somewhere but all I can find is a press photograph of this wedding at St Margaret's Westminster to Anne Keppel in 1931 (that union was annulled). And I now I recall he gave me £50 as a wedding present.

Reverting to Dublin3's remarks, I might add that Harold & Vera Somerville rented Clontarf Castle from the Vernons.

MF

[MBrockway]

Vera Somerville was my great grandfather (colonel Henry Broadmead)'s cousin.His son Philip Broadmead (KRRC)was awarded the MC in 1917 and would have served under major Somerville.

pobhil

T/Capt Philip Mainwaring BROADMEAD - MC gazetted 04 Jun 1917 according to KRRC Chronicle.

He served in 12/KRRC and went out with the battalion as part of the original embarkation establishment in July 1915.

The KRRC Chronicle states: "In the Birthday Honours Captain P.M. Broadmead was awarded the Military Cross". No mention of any specific action. I failed to find any other mention of him in the Chronicle and haven't checked theWar Diary as yet.

Landed in France, 22nd July, 1915 ; attached to H.Q 60th Infantry Brigade, Jan. 1917 to Jan. 1918 ; Staff Captain 3rd Infantry Brigade, Jan. 1918 to May 1919.

As for the suggestion that Philip Broadmead (KRRC) served 'under Harold Somerville (Rifle Brigade) at Ypres, I am not sure that it follows. They certainly knew each other socially as the Broadmeads and the Somerville were both important Somerset landowners, Enmore and Dinder respectively.

MF

12/KRRC were in 60th Brigade, so Broadmead's brigade appointment there would be logical.

As far as serving 'under Major Somerville', like MF, I can find no military connection between the two soldiers. 3rd Brigade had no KRRC nor RB battalions. The KRR's and the Rifle Brigade are occasionally mistakenly assumed to be a single regiment. Perhaps this is what's happened here.

[Rowena H]

On 07/07/2014 at 20:55, mf2701 said:

To complete and close the gallery, I have put up some pictures of HFS in domestic circumstances. The last picture, HFS in 1942, is how I remember him most. He smoked tipped cigarettes, the tips made crepe paper ( I know this because I used to dismantle them). I think they were Craven A. He spoke like a soldier did in those days, with clipped, efficient tones. You don't hear that voice nowadays. He was fond of dogs; his last one was Bill, a brindle bull terrier who was terrified of thunder, yet found protection under the dining room table. HFS liked surprises and would hide parcels arriving just prior to Christmas, including those containing urgent non festive medical necessities that the addressee would be startled to open on Christmas Day. He was quite domesticated for his time. He liked picnics and making the sandwiches for them. His conversation sometimes included little illustrative or fantasy dramas in which he would play two or more parts. I remember none of the subjects covered, but he was very convincing, using different voices and turning his head for each character. I do it myself sometimes, though whether by genes or example I know not.

I was at the Orchard with my Mother the day in April, 1942, that the telegram arrived announcing that their only son, Mark (Lt Mark Fownes Somerville DSC), was missing presumed killed in the Mediterranean. I have no memory of the events, but my Mother recalled them well. The telegram came in the afternoon. HFS was in bed with 'flu. Vera was very silent. Tea was made as a therapy. After tea, Vera said she was going for a walk. My Mother and Aunt Mary offered to go with here, but she declined. My Mother went to Mark's room and dismantled it, took down the pictures, moved the furniture around. She did this because she knew that Vera would otherwise turn the room into a shrine and to some degree become obsessed with it. Vera did not return as expected within the hour, or two hours. My Aunt Mary had to return to her unit at Bordon, bicycling back alone bearing the loss of her brother and the worry about her mother. After three hours there was considerable anxiety for it was now dark and cold. HFS feared, they all feared, that Vera, in her distress, might harm herself. She returned at about 2.00 am, unharmed and presumably in better state than when she left the house.

At least they all suffered for a cause they believed in.

MF

 

Hi MF2701, hoping you are still active on this site as I am interested in the Somerville family - Harold and James.  Rowena H

[Michelle Young]

Welcome to the forum. @mf2701 last visited the forum in 2017. My tag may alert them to your post.