Fleming, John

No.984 – Private John Fleming – 11^th Light Trench Mortar Battery

John Fleming was born in Edinburgh Scotland in 1893 to Thomas and Barbara Fleming. He was educated at Leith Walk School in Edinburgh and after leaving took up work as a Carter. In 1910 when he was 17 years old John travelled to Australia and set up residence in Fremantle. His sisters had also came out to Fremantle but it is unknown if they came at the same time or earlier than John. He took up work as a Horse Driver and was residing at 226 South Terrace Fremantle.

On the 25^th January 1916 John went to the Perth Drill Hall to enlist in the AIF. He was accepted for service and passed as fit with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 6 inches tall; weight of 140lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was Baptist. On the 7^th February 1916 John was assigned to “C” Company of the 44^th Battalion AIF with the regimental no.984. He trained with his unit, mainly at Claremont Camp for the next few months. On the 6^th June 1916 the 44^th Battalion received their orders to depart and they boarded the H.M.A.T. “Suevic” in Fremantle Harbour. The long sea voyage to England took around seven weeks and they arrived in Plymouth Harbour on the 21^st July 1916. During the voyage John had gone absent without leave for a day when they had pulled into Colombo. As a punishment he was fined 2 days pay. After arriving in England the men were marched into the 3^rd Division Training Camp on the Salisbury Plains.

On the 23^rd August 1916 John was transferred to the newly forming 11^th Light Trench Mortar Battery and he trained with them for the rest of his time in England. Leave was also given to the 3^rd Division men so it is quite possible that he went to visit his mother in Edinburgh during this time. On the 23^rd November John arrived at Southampton with his unit and they were shipped across to France. The 3^rd Australian Division took up their first positions on the Western Front in the vicinity of Armentieres where they would spend December 1916 and the first few months of 1917.

On the 11^th February 1917 John was wounded in action, suffering abrasions to his chest. He was taken back to the 9^th Field Ambulance and then transferred back to the 1^st Australian Casualty Clearing Station. By the 16^th February John was in the 14^th General Hospital at Wimereux. He was soon classed as fit and spent a further few weeks at the 3^rd Australian Division Base Depot. He rejoined the 11^th Light Trench Mortar Battery on the 25^th March 1917. On the 2^nd April he attended Gas School for a few days though soon returned to his unit, who were now in the Ploegsteert sector of Belgium.

On the 9^th May John was evacuated to 11^th Field Ambulance with a bad knee. It was assessed and he was sent further back to the 10^th Stationary Hospital at St. Omer. It eventually improved with treatment and he returned to his unit on the 23^rd May 1917. The next month would prove very busy for the 11^th LTMB as the Battle of Messines was about to begin on June 7^th. They provided fire support for the infantry during this period but suffered from the Germans counter bombardment. On the 23^rd June 1917 John was killed in action though the records do not specify how he was killed.

He was buried in Queensland Cemetery which was 1 mile east south east of Messines though after the war was over he was exhumed and buried at Messines Ridge British Cemetery in plot I.E.8

His sisters continued to reside in East Fremantle while the rest of the family remained in Scotland.