COLONEL SOMERVILLE DEAD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 219, 24 December 1910, Page 5

COLONEL SOMERVILLE DEAD

AN INTERESTING MILITARY CAREER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Last Night. Colonel J. R. Sommerville passed away late on Thursday night. The deceased was born in Ireland in 1843. At an early age he came to New Zealand with hie father, who was in the Imperial Army, and whose regiment was ordered to this country on account of the Maori war. His boyhood was spent at Turakina, and he then removed to No. 2 line, about five miles from Wanganui, where he resided to the time of his death. Colonel Sommerville lived a very busy life, and always spared time from his farm pursuits to render service to the public. For over thirty years he was a prominent figure on the local bodies, and served on the Wanganui County Council, of which he was chairman for several years, Wanganui Harbor Board, Wanganui Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and Puma Road Board. He was also a Justice of the Peace.

During the troubles with the natives on this coast, he entered the old Wanganui Cavalry, and later the Alexandra Cavalry (now the Alexandra Mounted Rifles). He rose step by step through all the grades till he obtained the captaincy of the corps, a post he held for several years. He was then promoted to major, toy which time he had earned > the volunteer officers' decoration (the' V.D.), and was appointed to the command of the Ist Wellington battalion df Mounted Rifles. He was later promoted to be lieut.-colonel, and on the outbreak' of the Boer war he volunteered for service in South Africa, where for a time he commanded the fifth New Zealand contingent, receiving the Queen's medal and being promoted to full colonel in the New Zealand militia for his services. In nothing was Colonel Sommerville better known that in connection with the New Zealand Rifle Association. An enthusiastic rifle shot, he quickly became prominent in the affairs of the Association, and was-soon given a place on its executive, afterwards becoming chairman. He kept the Association alive till the Government took it over. Colonel Sommerville is to be accorded a military funeral.