Pre-war, George Somerwill had been a Veterinary student and married Jill in 1940. Jill Somerwill is mentioned several times in his diary.
In 1940, Lieutenant George Somerwill served in 366 Battery, having swapped from his previous position in ‘D’ Troop, 367 Battery (to which I believe my father Gunner Eric West was attached) just before the German invasion of Belgium. George Somerwill is mentioned in Graham Brooks’ book Grand Party and was nicknamed “Slim”.
After Dunkirk, in the re-organisation of the Regiment, Somerwill was transferred to a different unit, 14th Super Heavy Battery (a single, enormous railway-mounted gun). By mid-1942 he had been promoted to Captain.
He kept a detailed diary of his time in 140 Regiment in 1939-40 which I’ve reporduced in the following pages.