World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. A native of Ireland, he received the award from British King George V on October 14, 1915 at Buckingham Palace in London, England for his actions as a sergeant in the 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers of the British Army on 1-2 July 1915 at Gallipoli, Turkey during World War I. Born in Belturbet, County Cavan, Ireland, he joined the Special Reserve of the Royal Munster Fusiliers in January 1913. Following the outbreak of World War I in July 1914, he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and was sent to the Western Front in France and participated in the Great Retreat from Mons in Belgium in August 1914, was severely wounded, and was evacuated for treatment and recovery. In 1915 he was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and was sent to the Middle East where he saw combat action in the Gallipoli Campaign, during which he won the Victoria Cross for gallantry. In April 1917 he transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps and returned to the Western Front. In the Spring of 1918 his health deteriorated and he was returned to his home in Ireland where he died at the age of 24, due probably to the his exposure to poison gas while serving in France. His Victoria Cross citation reads: "For most conspicuous bravery on the night of the 1st-2nd July 1915, in the southern zone of the Gallipoli Peninsula, when, owing to hostile bombing, some of our troops had retired from a sap, Sergeant Somers remained alone there until a party brought up bombs. He then climbed over into the Turkish trench and bombed the Turks with great effect. Later on, he advanced into the open under heavy fire and held back the enemy by throwing bombs into their flank until a barricade had been established. During this period, he frequently ran to and from his trenches to obtain fresh supplies of bombs. By his great gallantry and coolness Sergeant Somers was largely instrumental in effecting the recapture of a portion of our trench which had been lost."