William van Someren

{{Short description|English cricketer and soldier (1876 – 1939)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = William van Someren

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = William Weymouth van Someren

| birth_date = 17 September 1876

| birth_place = Madras, Madras Presidency,
British India

| death_date = {{death date and age|1939|6|16|1876|9|17|df=yes}}

| death_place = British India

| nickname =

| family =

| batting = Unknown

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 = Europeans

| year1 = 1910/11

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 27

| bat avg1 = 27.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 27

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = –/–

| date = 31 December

| year = 2023

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/william-van-someren-35757 Cricinfo

}}

William Weymouth van Someren {{postnominal|DSO}} (17 September 1876 – 16 June 1939) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in the British Indian Army.

The son of the barrister Godlieb van Someren, he was born in British India at Madras in September 1876. He was educated in England at Clifton College,{{cite book|title=Annals and Register, 1862–1912|first=Frank|last=Borwick|date=1912|page=283|publisher=J. W. Arrowsmith Ltd|location=Bristol|url=https://archive.org/details/b28994553/page/283|language=en}} before attending the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He graduated from there in August 1896 as a second lieutenant, with a view to his appointment to the British Indian Army (BIA).{{London Gazette|issue=26764|date=4 August 1896|page=4445}} Shortly after his appointment to the BIA with the 36th Sikhs,{{London Gazette|issue=26954|date=5 April 1898|page=2183}} van Someren transferred to the 45th Rattray's Sikhs and served with them in the Tirah campaign, where he was present at several of the campaigns engagements.{{cite book|title=The V. C. and D. S. O.|first1=Edith M.|last1=Humphris|first2=Sir O'Moore|last2=Creagh|date=1924|page=75|volume=2|publisher=Standard Art Book Company Limited|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=quZ4cyvlAzoC|language=en}} He was made a Companion to the Distinguished Service Order for his actions during the campaign.{{London Gazette|city=Edinburgh|issue=10990|date=24 May 1898|page=517}} Following the campaign, he was promoted to lieutenant in July 1899,{{London Gazette|issue=27127|date=17 October 1899|page=6267}} with promotion to captain following in August 1905.{{London Gazette|issue=27845|date=17 October 1905|page=6935}}

Between 1903 and 1908, he was seconded to serve with the Burma Military Police. In September 1910, van Someren made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Hindus at Bombay in the 1910–11 Bombay Triangular Tournament.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14789/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by William van Someren|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 December 2023|url-access=subscription}} Batting once in the match, he was dismissed for 27 runs in the Europeans first innings by Palwankar Baloo.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8299.html|title=Europeans v Hindus, Bombay Triangular Tournament 1910/11 (Final)|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=31 December 2023|url-access=subscription}} van Someren served in the First World War with the 45th Sikhs, during which he was promoted to major in the opening weeks of the war.{{London Gazette|issue=28910|date=22 September 1914|page=7499}} He was wounded during the war,{{cite book|title=Debrett's Illustrated Baronetage, with the Knightage, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|first=John|last=Debrett|date=1931|page=2168|publisher=Dean & Son|location=London|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cTcaAQAAMAAJ|language=en}} and was placed on the half-pay list in December 1916.{{London Gazette|issue=29896|date=9 January 1917|page=391}} He would serve the remainder of the conflict with the War Office.{{London Gazette|issue=30819|date=26 July 1918|page=8987|supp=y}} van Someren died in India in June 1939.