528 Sergeant George Davidson Sommerville – Lakes Entrance Killed in Action 8 May 1915

….. “killed” written across the envelope

George Sommerville (sometimes spelt Somerville) was born in Lakes Entrance to Jonathan and Margaret Somerville on 27 December 1895 and on leaving school was appointed junior teacher at Footscray. He is recorded as being a smart young teacher with good disciplinary powers. He enlisted on 17 August 1914 and embarked with the 7 th  Battalion in October on the Hororata and was promoted to Corporal while they were at sea on 22 October.  He trained in Egypt before sailing for the Dardenelles on Galeka and promoted again to Lance-Corporal on 23 April, two days before the landing. A week later he was promoted to Sergeant and was wounded and missing on 8 May 1915. In these confusing times his family received a letter from the Department the following June advising he was wounded, not serious while in November a family friend had correspondence returned with “killed” written across the envelope. Letters and cables followed but it was not until after a court of enquiry held in France in June 1916 that he was declared killed in action. It was stated at that enquiry that another soldier who was beside him, saw him receive a bullet to the stomach and drop to the ground. As there was no stopping that day he felt it unlikely he was taken prisoner. His body was never recovered and he is remembered on the Helles memorial. George Sommerville was 20 years old.