Erven Charles Somerville was born on June 17, 1909, in Maynard, Ohio. He was married to Thelma McCabe. He graduated from the United States Military Academy on June 10, 1932. From 1932 to 1939, Erven served at several posts: Fort Barrancas, Florida (including eight months with the CCC in Alabama), Fort Shafter, Oahu, and the Harbor Defenses of Portland at Fort Preble, Maine. At Fort Preble, as a First Lieutenant in the 8th Coast Artillery, he held multiple roles: Adjutant, Mine Property Officer, Mine Commander, Battery Commander, and Athletic Officer. In June 1939, Somerville left his regiment to attend the Coast Artillery School’s Battery Officers Course, which he completed in 1940. He was then assigned to Fort Mills, Corregidor, Philippines, arriving in July 1940.

When war broke out, he endured the bombardment and eventual surrender of Corregidor, was taken prisoner by the Japanese, and after great suffering, died as a POW at Fukuoka POW #3 (Yawata) No. Kyushu Island on February 11, 1945. Maj Somerville is now buried in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery, West Point, Orange County, New York, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, alumni.westpointaog.org