A white horse in the desert: The life of Dr Thomas Somerville (1887–1941)

Introduction

A recent editorial in the Journal of Medical Biography highlighted that 11 doctors received the nation’s highest award for gallantry, the Victoria Cross (VC), in the First World War. ¹ By contrast, none received this award during the Second World War, despite many performing remarkable acts of gallantry. One of the earliest to be nominated was a medical practitioner from Bournemouth who had qualified as both a veterinary surgeon and a doctor, and who had previously served with distinction in the First World War. Dr Thomas Somerville was a quiet man, of a retiring disposition, but who was noted both for his physical strength and gentle temperament. His service during two world wars clearly demonstrated that he was a man of actions, rather than words.

Early years

Thomas Victor Somerville was born on 18 March 1887 in Ceylon, the third son of William and Elizabeth Somerville. His father, born in 1842 in Carnworth Scotland, was schooled at Edinburgh Academy. In 1858, he sailed to Ceylon and established a thriving business in the coffee and tea trades. He was noted to be ‘a Christian gentleman, always meticulously dressed’ and a man who ‘demanded high standards from all’. ² In 1880 William married Elizabeth Yule, described as ‘charming, witty and liked by everyone’. They were to have a family of six children, namely Margaret (1881), William (1883), David (1885), Thomas (1887), Andrew (1889) and Elizabeth (1891) (Figure 1). OPEN IN VIEWER

After a childhood in Ceylon, Thomas lived in Winchmore Hill, North London and then, like his elder brothers, attended Framlingham College in Suffolk. Here, he developed ambitions to become a veterinary surgeon, and entered the Royal Veterinary College, London, in 1904, graduating as a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS) in December 1908. Whilst at college, he was a keen sportsman and was reported as ‘playing splendidly’ in the college hockey team’s 14-0 defeat of Redhill in November 1906. ⁴

Whilst a veterinary student, he decided that he wanted to work abroad and felt his prospects would be enhanced by gaining a medical qualification. Graduating MRCVS, he entered the London Hospital Medical College and gained MRCS, LRCP in the summer of 1914. After a short course at the London School of Tropical Medicine, he was appointed houseman at the Royal Sussex Hospital, Hastings. With the outbreak of war, he immediately resigned his position and joined the army, being commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) on 10 August 1914.

In Flanders Fields

Within a week of being commissioned, Somerville was sent to a Casualty Clearing Hospital in France. Here, he was never far from the front, tending the wounded, knowing that their best chances of survival lay with them receiving immediate medical attention. Later, he learnt that his eldest brother, William, had died on 23 April 1915, aged 32, whilst serving at Ypres, killed during the first gas attack of the war. Somerville’s own service was soon recognised; he was mentioned in despatches in October 1915, and awarded the Military Cross (MC) in January 1916 for ‘conspicuous gallantry in the field’ near Ypres.^5,6

In April 1917, Somerville was serving as Medical Officer to 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry at Arras, and his experiences are likely to have influenced his later actions. On 26 April, the battalion headquarters were established in an enemy gun-pit, filled with shells and cordite charges. They came under fire and many men were trapped at the bottom; help was needed urgently if they were not to be burnt alive. Captain RAF Whistler, aged 21, went forward; Somerville tried to dissuade him, pointing out that it meant almost certain death. Whistler replied that it was his duty. He was gravely wounded, dying the next day. Somerville later stated that ‘it was the bravest action he had either seen or heard of’. The actions of Captain Whistler would most certainly have earned him a posthumous Victoria Cross, had it not been that all the eye witnesses were either killed, wounded or scattered in subsequent actions. ⁷

In 1918, Somerville was awarded a bar to the Military Cross for his actions at Bapaume. The citation read:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When his battalion was about to withdraw and the wounded could not be brought to his aid post in time, he went up to the firing line and stayed there attending to the wounded till all the troops had withdrawn. His gallant conduct saved many lives. ⁸

War in the North

After the armistice, Somerville was sent to Murmansk in Northern Russia in March 1919, where he served with the British forces supporting the ‘White’ Russians in their fight against the Bolsheviks. Somerville acted as medical superintendent of ambulance trains transporting the sick, both military and civilian, to and from Murmansk. In doing so, he had to endure extremes of climate, with up to 70° of frost being recorded. ⁹ After seven months in Russia, he returned home, his service being recognised by the award of the OBE (Military) in 1920 ¹⁰ (Figure 2). OPEN IN VIEWER

The inter-war years

In October 1919, 1 week after returning from Russia, Somerville was demobilised from military service. Now a husband and a father – he had married Dorothy (neé Lethbridge) in 1915, who gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1916 – he opted for a career in medicine, rather than veterinary medicine. ¹¹ Initially, he worked as civilian surgeon in Baghdad for about a year, before returning home to England. He entered general practice in Monkseaton, near Whitley Bay but in 1928 moved to Bournemouth. Somerville established a practice with Dr JWF Sandison, MC, OBE, who had also served with the RAMC in France ¹² and Russia. ⁹ The practice was based in Norton Road, Winton, and Somerville established a family home in nearby Talbot Avenue. He became a well-liked and well-respected member of the community, and was held in high regard by his patients. Noted to be a charming man, with a gentle manner, he could also be most determined in getting what he wanted. ¹³ Aside from his work as a doctor, he was an accomplished sportsman, captaining Bournemouth Cricket Club.

A return to the colours

When war was declared in September 1939 Somerville, now aged 52, immediately volunteered for military service, believing that his skills and experience would be in demand. Although initially perceived to be too old, he persisted and was commissioned in October 1939, in the rank of lieutenant and posted as Medical Officer to the 3rd (The King’s Own) Hussars. This was a recently mechanised cavalry regiment, equipped with Mark VI light tanks. These were fast and mobile, but only lightly armoured and were nicknamed ‘the armoured perambulator’. On October 19, Lieutenant Somerville joined the regiment at Tidworth. ¹⁴ In early 1940, he was promoted to Temporary Captain and in April orders were received that he was to be Commanding Officer of the military section of Horton Mental Hospital, Epsom. ¹⁵ This was not what he had envisaged when joining the RAMC, and he ensured that he avoided this posting.

In the summer of 1940, the regiment received notice of deployment abroad. On 19 August, they embarked at Liverpool in SS Duchess of Bedfordshire and sailed; destination unknown. ¹⁶ They journeyed south, via Freetown and Cape Town before heading north, past East Africa. They learnt that Italian troops had invaded Egypt but sailed unhindered past the Italian-controlled Horn of Africa; some on board felt this gave a first indication that the Italians might prove ‘easy meat’. ¹⁶ The regiment disembarked at Port Said, subsequently moving to Almaza, just outside Cairo. They were to serve with 7th Armoured Division, later to be known as the Desert Rats.

With the Desert Rats

The organisation of the Army Medical Services in 1940 had changed little from that which Somerville had encountered in the First World War. Recent conflicts, including the Fall of France, highlighted that field units were cumbersome, non-mobile and that poor communications and transport within them contributed to delays in casualty treatment. It was precisely these issues, which led to the formation of the Hartgill Committee in October 1941 to review the nature and deployment of medical field units. ¹⁷

On arrival in Egypt, Somerville commenced developments which would, later, through the Hartgill Committee, find deployment in many operational theatres. He predicted that once fighting started, he would need to be mobile to treat the injured swiftly and recognised the importance of a rapid, and reliable mobile operating facility. Over the coming weeks, he developed a vehicle in which surgical procedures could be undertaken close to the fighting. Somerville acquired a captured Italian ambulance, and with the help of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers workshops converted it into a Medical Assistance Vehicle (MAV), a mobile surgical unit, allowing him to treat casualties on the battlefield.

For the MAV to work, he needed a driver capable of navigating the battlefield, servicing the vehicle and nursing casualties; experience and maturity were a must. Somerville was recommended an ambulance driver, Corporal Frederick Marlow who had joined the army in 1925 and had served in Egypt and India. At interview, he explained about the role, and Marlow, whilst listening, remembered catching sight of Somerville’s row of medal ribbons, spotting a Military Cross and bar. ‘The man was obviously a hero, but probably someone who would have little concern for his own safety; bloody lunatic,’ Marlow concluded. Having told Marlow about his plan, Somerville asked ‘So, Corporal Marlow, what do you think?’ Marlow was straightforward in his response, ‘the whole idea sounds crazy, Sir’, but still he volunteered. Somerville shook Marlow’s hand and said, ‘Good man corporal. Training starts 07.00 tomorrow’. ¹⁸

The MAV was lightly armoured and armed, it could not display a Red Cross, instead a white ‘Horse of Hanover’ was painted on its side. ¹⁹ They trained hard for several weeks alongside a number of men described as ‘strange and scruffy’. These were members of the fledgling Long Range Desert Group, forerunners to the Special Air Service. After several weeks, Somerville felt that it was time to put theory into practice and deploy the MAV to the battlefield.

In the middle of September 1940, Italian forces advanced east, along the northern coast of Egypt, to establish a base at Sidi Barrani. The allied response came in December 1940, through ‘Operation Compass’, the first offensive action by the British of the war. In preparation, the 3rd Hussars moved to the desert in October. Although there were minor skirmishes with the enemy Somerville was not over-stretched by either casualties or routine regimental work and, being fluent in Arabic, started treating local Senussi nomads. They had little medical care or knowledge and would treat wounds with camel dung, often with lethal outcomes. News of his skills travelled widely and soon Arabs arrived from all around to seek his care. Being so well regarded, he was allowed to treat the Arab women. He was remembered by Lieutenant Heseltine at the time as a man who was superbly professional and ultra-brave, ‘the most bellicose non-combatant of all time’. He would often discuss the day’s events with Heseltine and finished by saying, ‘These Wops are a piece of cake; just wait until you get the Boche, and then you’ll know what it’s all about’. ¹⁶

‘Operation Compass’ commenced on 8 December with an attack on Italian forces at Sidi Barrani by the 7th Armoured Division. Initially, the 3rd Hussars were held in reserve but, following the Italian withdrawal, were detailed to intercept them, and prevent arrival of reinforcements. The coastal town of Ras El Saida lies to the west of Sidi Barrani, and it was here that Somerville distinguished himself under fire. In the morning of 11 December, the regiment advanced towards the town. Having made good progress, a number of tanks headed north, attempting to pass over a salt lake, covered with a surface crust. Before long several tanks became stuck and a ferocious Italian artillery barrage opened up, hitting many of the beleaguered vehicles. ²⁰

Quickly Somerville moved into action, providing frontline medical support to the wounded. He set off in his ‘Dingo’ scout car, with Marlow following in the MAV. As they joined the rest of the regiment, Marlow described how ‘all hell broke loose’. Somerville instructed him to lay up the MAV nearby and get ready for casualties. As the artillery barrage continued, Somerville drove forward in his Dingo amongst the tanks. Driving alongside one tank commander, about 300 yards from the enemy, Somerville was heard to say quite casually, that it was ‘as good a barrage as he had seen at anytime in the last war’. Trapped in the sand, 10 out of 12 tanks were hit. Somerville drove amongst them, with no protection from the shells that were flying around him. ²¹ A tank commander later recalled:

Ours was the first tank he came to. I was wounded in the right arm and the gunner was unconscious, but the driver was all right. We went on until the tracks came off. The driver and I crawled out and Captain Somerville spotted us and brought his Dingo right alongside. He was sitting on top with shells bursting all around and machine gun bullets whistling past. Why he wasn’t killed I don’t know. He took four of us into the Dingo although it was only made for two and took us to a bit of dead ground, 300 yards back, which he had made into the regimental aid post. After he dressed our wounds he said, ‘I’m off now to look at the other tanks’. ²¹

Marlow remembered how Somerville brought in casualties and said, ‘Fix them up Fred’ and was off again. Tank drivers argued with Somerville, saying they would go out and bring in the wounded, but he was non-receptive to their offers and continued to drive alone in his Dingo. He went back and forth, ignoring the heavy fire, one man commenting that ‘he seemed to have a charmed life’. ²¹

One of the many treated by Somerville described how:

We were in the leading group of tanks and cut around the side to get to their flank but the ground wouldn’t take the weight of the tanks and we got stuck. We were in a mess, no mistake. As soon as the Ities [sic] tanks realized we couldn’t get out they let us have it. Our tank took a hit into the tracks and I saw a couple of the lads get out the side. I was trying to get out of the turret when we got hit again. The tank was on fire. I couldn’t get out ‘cause my foot or leg was caught up. I thought I was going to die there. Suddenly this officer appeared from nowhere. I didn’t know who he was. He tried to pull me out but he couldn’t. High explosive shells were coming in at a terrific rate. I told him to get away before we got hit again but he just dived into the turret head first, just his legs sticking out. He came out and pulled at me again. This time I popped out and he dragged me down the side of the tank onto the ground. I was nearly passing out but he sat me up and told me I was going to lose my leg but I could make it if I could hang on. I didn’t know much about it but I learned after that he was Captain Somerville and he took my leg off in that vehicle and saved my life. ¹⁸

By the end of the battle 9 men had been killed and Somerville had treated 16 casualties, whose injuries ranged from burns and chest wounds to broken limbs and head injuries. ²⁰ He operated on several men in the MAV and, once finished, ensured ‘continuity of care’, commandeering an Italian lorry and taking all the wounded to a captured Italian field hospital. Here, he worked throughout the night, tending to the wounded and arranging their transfer to the railhead and onwards to the base hospital. ²¹

Somerville’s remarkable actions were recognised by his Commanding Officer, in a citation:

On Dec 11th 1940, at Ras El Saida, when A Sqn tanks were bogged within 400 yards of a strong enemy position and under heavy and accurate fire from more than 20 guns and many machine guns at that range, Capt. Somerville went out among the tanks attending to the wounded regardless of his personal safety. He continued to attend to and bring in the wounded until all were under cover from the main enemy position, and thereafter he dressed them in a position where they were still unavoidably under fire from snipers. His cool gallantry was an inspiration to others who assisted him, and the means of saving many lives. I consider that in view of the shattering fire of the enemy Capt. Somerville has earned the highest decoration for valour. ¹⁵

Somerville was recommended for the Victoria Cross and this was confirmed at Brigade, Divisional and Corps level. The recommendation was received by General Wavell, Commander-in-Chief who, on 26 February 1941, annotated the citation, crossing through the recommendation for the Victoria Cross, replacing it with ‘Award of DSO approved’. ¹⁵

The Italian forces were soon in full retreat, and tried to deprive allied forces of the use of water wells by pouring salt or fuel into them. Water was soon in short supply, men of the 3rd Hussars were not allowed to shave or drink before midday. A radio message was received indicating a clean well had been found, men started to make their way towards it. No sooner had they set off than a second message was received, ‘Cancel last message, donkey down well’. At this point, Somerville intervened and, perhaps using some of his veterinary knowledge, advised that if the water level was over a certain depth the donkey would not putrefy and the water should be potable. He went to the well and, never doubting a good doctor, the men filled up with water, there being enough even for washing. No harm came to anyone. ¹⁶

On 8 March 1941, gallantry awards following the battle at Ras El Saida were announced; Somerville was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).^22,23 On the same day, he left the regiment on sick leave. However, it was not until May that Somerville’s award was reported in the British press. ²⁴ Under the headline ‘Rode into Battle in Baby Car, DSO for Bournemouth Doctor’, it was reported how Somerville had achieved worldwide fame for a particularly gallant act, and how he drove ‘into the thick of the battle in his baby two-seater car, sitting on the top regardless of his personal safety and carried four wounded men back to a safer position after which he returned for more casualties. Beside a tank he amputated a man’s leg and then took him back to safety’. ²⁴

By March 1941, the allied forces were forced to retreat from the Western Desert, the campaign having changed with the arrival of German forces, commanded by Rommel. At the end of March, the 3rd Hussars passed through Msus, some 60 miles southeast of Benghazi. Here, they came under attack by German aircraft, with several tanks being hit. Just when the first casualties were being taken, Somerville arrived back from sick leave driving a captured Italian ambulance, with the ‘Horse of Hanover’ on its side. His arrival was described as the ‘best fillip to morale’ for the men. ²⁵ Back with his regiment, Somerville made his way east to the coastal town of Derna, where they came under heavy attack. On 6 April, Somerville’s ambulance was moving across an airfield at night when it received a direct hit from two shells; those watching thought he had been killed. Both Somerville and Marlow escaped unharmed, walking out of the wreckage and took refuge in a wadi for 3 days. They found an officer with a pick-up truck and were then joined by a number of other soldiers. Somerville led them through the encircling Germans, escaping from a number of tanks, before continuing east. They arrived at Sollum where they met other elements of the 3rd Hussars, who described how they ‘found their great-hearted medical officer waiting for them. His presence among them was a tonic in those unhappy days’. ²⁵

The battle for Crete

Having made his way back to the comparative safety of Cairo, Somerville soon found himself deployed to another theatre of operation. Following the short-lived allied defence of Greece in early 1941, the focus soon turned to the reinforcement of Crete. By May, C Squadron 3rd Hussars, with Somerville attached, was at Alexandria, preparing to sail to Crete. They arrived at Suda Bay on 14 May. ²³

Once ashore Somerville was attached to a force sent west to Canea to provide support at Maleme airfield. They arrived early on Monday 19 and proceeded to ‘dig in’ in an area of olive trees. Somerville established his regimental aid post (RAP) in the local YMCA building. It was just after 8.00 on the following morning that the German invasion started. Men of 3rd Hussars were woken by the sound of aircraft attacking the area and German parachutists descending. Before long the Germans had captured both a general hospital and a field ambulance. Somerville was kept busy throughout the morning treating casualties, and in the afternoon, most of the squadron was ordered to retreat. Somerville was ordered to remain in position, the regimental diary recording that he was ‘doing very valuable work in his RAP not only with our own men but also with any wounded we could find’. ²³

Two days later, the 3rd Hussars supported a counterattack by New Zealand troops to recapture Maleme airfield. Somerville established his RAP in an olive grove just off the main road leading towards the airfield. Aided by Marlow, he was kept busy throughout the day, since most of the New Zealand battalions had lost their medical officers. Again, it was recorded that he did ‘invaluable work’. ²³ However, the counterattack proved fruitless and the Germans maintained control of the airfield.

On 25 May, an attempt was made to retake the village of Galatos. Lieutenant Farran of the 3rd Hussars led an attack, which came under heavy fire; he was hit twice in the legs, his gunner in the abdomen and his driver in the shoulder. Farran managed to help the two men out of the tank before struggling out himself. All three were rescued and taken to the RAP. Farran described how ‘Tom Somerville our doctor, gave us each a shot of morphia and conducted us up to the dressing station’. The dressing station was sited in a stable in what was effectively ‘no man’s land’, between allied and German forces. During the day, casualties from both sides were treated there until in the afternoon the Germans issued an ultimatum; either surrender or they would bomb the building. ²⁶ At this stage, Somerville, along with Marlow and those men who could walk, made their way south.

The aim was to travel south, to the port of Sfakia. By late on Thursday 29 May, Somerville was close to the beachhead and organising the embarkation of men. ²³ Embarkation did not take place until early on Saturday 31 May, when HMAS Napier entered the harbour. She departed just after midnight, arriving at Alexandria later that day. However, Somerville and Marlow were not on board.

The Cretan Runner

Somerville made the decision to stay and set up a first aid post near Sfakia to treat the injured. After the evacuation was complete, Somerville and Marlow moved up into the hills. Before long they were met by Johnny, a Greek man riding a donkey who said ‘Good morning boys’ in very clear English and led the pair to the village of Imbros, where they were fed. As it was not safe to stay, Johnny led them further up into the hills to his own house, where they remained for several days. Typical of Somerville, he provided medical care for a number of the local residents using his rather limited medical supplies. ¹⁸

In August, they were approached by a Greek lawyer who asked if there was anything he could do for them. Somerville replied, ‘Look, I want to get a boat away from here’. He offered Somerville a place, to which he replied, ‘No, I am not going without my batman,’ and despite some discussion, his mind was made up. Soon after this, Somerville’s health took a turn for the worse, and it was necessary to move him to another village. ¹⁸

The German invasion of Crete had led to the establishment of a large partisan network; men and women determined that the enemy be repelled from their island as quickly as possible. Amongst the youngest recruits was 21-year-old, George Psychoundakis, whose earliest role was as a runner for resistance members, but later worked with a number of high profile allied agents, including Patrick Leigh Fermor. ²⁷ The partisans played a critical role in the war on Crete; one allied soldier later wrote how ‘everything depended on their magnificent loyalty, without their help not a single one of us would have lasted more than 24 hours’.

In October, Psychoundakis was asked to help move Somerville to Yerakari, a mountain village in the east. By this time, Somerville was very ill, having developed pneumonia, and was moved dressed as an old woman, sitting on a donkey; Psychoundakis later wrote how Somerville ‘really looked like an old woman’. Somerville could not take any food, and was only able to drink milk; he shuddered all over as they made their way, and could only speak a few words, ‘Cold, I’m cold’. They arrived safely at the village and Somerville was entrusted to the care of the local schoolmaster. A few days later, they moved again, this time to the village of Ayia Paraskevi, where Somerville was nursed by a partisan and his family for almost 6 weeks. ²⁷

At 2.30 pm on Sunday 23 November 1941, Thomas Somerville died in Ayia Paraskevi, aged 54. The Bishop of Crete later wrote to his widow describing him as ‘a man of splendid character and distinction’ who had talked only of her and their daughter during his last days. ¹⁵ A public funeral was held in the village by the partisans, and he was buried nearby at Melambes. ²⁸

Just a few days before he died, Somerville penned the following lines, describing his feelings towards those who had looked after him:

With smiling faces and gracious manner they offer their simple gifts.

Marlow was later captured by the Germans, and held prisoner in Poland, being released in April 1945. Soon after he was able to give Somerville’s watch, pipe and tobacco pouch, along with a letter, his widow. She had the watch repaired and gave it to Marlow, the trusted batman of a most gallant doctor and veterinary surgeon. ¹⁸ Somerville’s body was re-interred at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Suda Bay, Crete on 12 October 1945. ²⁸ His headstone bears the motto of the RAMC; In Arduis Fidelis; ‘Faithful in Adversity’. He is commemorated on a number of war memorials including Framlingham College, The London Hospital, Bournemouth Cricket Club and the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s Roll of Honour; he has yet to be recognised by any veterinary institution.