 Somers-Smith was born at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, the son of Robert Vernon Somers-Smith and his wife Gertrude.His father ran for Oxford against Cambridge in 1868 and 1869 and was twice the AAA half-mile champion.Somers-Smith was educated at Eton College, where he was 'Captain of the Boats', and Magdalen College, Oxford University, where he rowed for his college.