LIEUT.-COL. LAWRENCE JULIUS LE FLEMING, EAST SURREY REGT. O.C. 9TH BATTN. KILLED IN ACTION AT VILLECHOLLES, NEAR VERMAND, MARCH 21ST, 1918. AGED 38. At the School 1892—96 (Day Boy). Lieut.-Colonel L. J. Le Fleming was the sixth and youngest son of the late Rev. John le Fleming and Mrs. Le Fleming, of Leelands, Tonbridge, and married in December, 1914, Frances, eldest daughter of Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Frend, of Rosario, Argentine Republic. Mrs. L. J. Le Fleming, whose three brothers, all of whom were at Tonbridge and gained great distinction at the R.M.A., the two eldest being in turn Senior Under Officer there and gaining the King's Sword of Honour, whilst the youngest was also an Under-Officer, died in July, 1917, leaving two infant daughters, just after her husband had returned to the Front. Her eldest brother was killed on January 17th, 1917. Both of her other brothers served with distinction and won the M.C., and one of them—Will Frend—the Croix de Guerre. Many generations of Old Tonbridgians were interested to learn that " The Preceptor," Mr. John Le Fleming, of Eton House and then of Leelands, was ordained in his 77th year on Whit Sunday, 1918, and preached in School Chapel on June 30th of that year. He died on November 16th, 1921. Though not himself an O.T., he had been intimately connected with the School as a near neighbour, as the father and grandfather of boys who have played a big part in the life of the School, and as the friend of the Masters and boys of the School for over fifty years. He was one of the first four " Honorary " members of the O.T. Society, being elected, together with three Masters, in 1899. All the Rev. John Le Fleming's six sons were at the School. The eldest, "Jack" Le Fleming, of Eton House, Tonbridge (D.B. 1878—84: XL, 1882—84, Capt. 1884; XV., 1882-—83 ; winner of Athl. Points Cup, 1883 and 1884; Clare Coll., Camb.; Camb. Univ. XV., 1884—87 ; winner of Hurdle Race, Inter-Univ. Sports, 1887 and 1888; English XV. v. Wales, 1887 ; Amateur Hurdle Champion, 1887; has played cricket for Kent), took a commission in the Kent Cyclists dated May 15th, 1915, and being rapidly promoted was Temporary Lieut.-Col. O.C. the 3/lst Kent Cyclist Battn. from November 5th, 1915, till they were absorbed in the 1st in the summer of 1916. Then, after being Temp. Capt. in the West Kent Yeomanry, he transferred to the Royal West Kent Regiment and became Acting Major inthe 4th Battn., was awarded for his services the Brevet of Major on promotion to Captain and was gazetted Lieut.- Colonel in the T.F. Reserves, retiring in 1921 with rank of Lieut.-Colonel, whilst his second son, R. E. Le Fleming (P.H. 1908—13 ; XV., 1912 ; XI., 1913), is a Captain in the 102nd K.E.O. Grenadiers, I.A., served in France, was twice wounded in Mesopotamia, won the M.C. in Palestine and was mentioned in Despatches for his services in Somaliland. The second son, Henry Mortimer Le Fleming (D.B. 1879—85 ; XI., 1885, XV., 1884—85), was a Captain in the R. Def. C.; whilst his son, Capt. M. R. Le Fleming, Q.O. (R.W. Kent R.) (T.F.), seconded to the M.G.C. (D.B. 1909—13), was wounded at Suvla Bay and also mentioned in Despatches for services in Palestine 1917—18. The third, E. R. Le Fleming (D.B. 1885—86) is in Cairo. The fourth, Rev. Hugh Le Fleming (D.B. and P.H. 1882— 89; Athletic Points Cap, 1889; Clare Coll. Gamb. ; Pres. of C.U.A.C.; winner of High Jump and Hurdle, Inter-Univ. Sports, 1891 and 1892), is Vicar of Ryde, but served at the Front as a C.F. The fifth. Dr. E. Kaye Le Fleming (D.B. 1885—91 ; XL, 1891 ; Clare Coll., Camb. ; played golf for Camb. Univ. ; St. George's Hospital, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., 1898 ; M.B., B.C., Camb., 1899), served as Hon. Lieutenant, R.A.M.C. His elder son, Hugh M. Le Fleming (P.H. 191.5—20) went up to Clare College, Cambridge, in 1920. Lieut.-Col. " Lawrie " Le Fleming was the sixth son, and like his elder brothers was at Tonbridge Castle School under Mr. C. J. M. Wanton. Entering the School in September, 1892, he was in the XL in his last year and left from the Army Class at Christmas, 1896. As a cricketer and as a scratch golfer he was very well known in India, and when in England played much for the Bluemantles, B.B.'s and Free Foresters and had also played for Kent. On the day of the declaration of the Boer War he was gazetted to the 2nd Battn. of the East Surrey Regiment and almost immediately followed the Battalion to South Africa. Being present at the Relief of Ladysmith and the Battles of Colenso and Spion Kop, and taking part in the subsequent operations in the Transvaal, in the Orange River Colony and in Cape Colony, he received the Queen's Medal with five clasps and the King's Medal with two clasps. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1901 and Captain in 1905. After the South African War he was with his Battalion in India till 1909, when he was recalled to take up the Adjutancy of the Territorial Battalion of the Regiment at Wimbledon for three years. In 1912 he rejoined the 2nd Battn. in Burma, but returned in December, 1913, to take up an appointment as Instructor at the R.M.C., Sandhurst. At the outbreak of war he was still at Sandhurst, but in October, 1914, relinquished his appointment in order to join his Regiment with the B.E.F. in France, and was severely wounded, shot through the face, at Richebourg L'Avone, on October 31st, 1914, in the Battle of La Bassee. Returning to the Front early in 1915, he succeeded to the command of the 2nd Battn., which was serving in trenches east of Ypres, but was again severely wounded, this time in the foot, east of Zonnebeke, on April 9th, 1915. He was " mentioned" in the Despatch dated June 22nd, 1915, and his promotion to Major was dated September 1st, 1915. On recovering sufficiently from his second wound he was recalled to Sandhurst and, though he applied for permission to return to the Front, served there as a G.S.O., in command of a company of Gentlemen Cadets from October 19th, 1915, till April, 1917, when his wish was granted and he was released in order to return to active service. He published in 1917 a little pamphlet entitled " Notes for Infantry Officers." At the inspection held by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught at the R.M.C. in April, 1917, the Commandant's report contained the announcement that " the honour of being Champion Company fell to ' A ' Company, commanded by Major L. J. Le Fleming," and His Royal Highness sent for Major Le Fleming and, after remarking that he thought the Cadets better than he had ever known them, personally thanked him and congratulated him on the excellent results of his work. The ovation accorded to Major Le Fleming by the Cadets showed in what esteem and affection he was held by them, and an officer who was a cadet at that time, writing to Col. Le Fleming's old CO., said: " We all loved him at the K.M.C. He was such an all-round good fellow." His work at Sandhurst was further recognised by a " mention " in the Secretary of State for War's List of February 2nd, 1917, and by promotion to Brevet Lieut.-Colonel on June 3rd, 1917, both "for services rendered in connection with the war." In the summer of 1917 Major and Bt. Lieut.-Col. L. J. Le Fleming again went out to the Front, but early in July was summoned home owing to his wife's sudden illness, and arrived to find that she had already passed away. Shortly after his return he was gazetted Acting Lieut.- Colonel August 15th, 1917, whilst O.C. the 9th Battn. of the East Surreys, which he brought to a high state of efficiency. On March 21st the Battalion was in support, but was hastily sent forward when the enemy had broken through under cover of the mist. Col. Le Fleming, in order to guard against surprise, went forward, accompanied only by his second in command, to reconnoitre, as he had already done with another officer earlier in the day, and coming under the fire of an enemy machine-gun was killed instantaneously, shot through the head. An attempt at night-fall to recover and bury the Colonel's body failed, as the line had given way on the right and the Battalion had to withdraw. "So," wrote one of his officer's " the best CO. in the world gave his life for his Battalion." The Adjutant wrote:— " I cannot express in words the great loss the Battalion has .sustained in losing him. He was such a gallant gentleman, loved and respected by all ranks. He has made a great name for the Battalion. . . . His all was given to the Battalion and it shall not have been given in vain." One of his Subalterns :— " He was loved from the first moment he took over command of the Battalion both by the officers and men, so I cannot tell you 202 how heartbroken we were when he was killed. He was the very best CO. who ever commanded the Battalion, most efficient, very brave, very just, and above all a perfect gentleman. Everybody felt that they had a great leader and also a great friend, and although he was so nice and kind to everybody, the discipline was splendid. At a word from the dear old Colonel any one would have gone through hell to please him. . . . If the Colonel wanted volunteers for anything he would always get them for the asking. . . . He would never ask any one in the Battalion to go where he wouldn't go himself." The Chaplain's letter contained the following: " I know how all his officers loved and respected him, and his men as well. He gave us such confidence, and he was so wonderfully just and fair. To me, personally, he proved a true friend, and he helped me in my work in every way he could. I shall miss him tremendously. From the time when he took over the Battalion, with the shadow of a great loss still upon him, wo felt that the one thing he really wished was to make the Battalion the smartest and most efficient in the Division." That of the Colonel who commanded the 2nd Battn. in 1913 :— " I have known him all his twenty years of soldiering. . . . The best of sportsmen in the highest sense of the word and of a charming personality, he appealed to all ranks and had the best influence with all with whom he came in contact. It was with the best of results he guided the 2nd Battn. after I gave over the command. Since then and up to the end one of the younger Battalions has been the better and grander for his presence at its head." That of another East Surrey Colonel, the author of a History of the Regiment, who had known him since he first joined :— " He was in every respect the model of a British officer, and I am certain that he had not an enemy in the world. . . . His services at Ypres (in 1915), though unrewarded, were very fine." The Brigadier wrote :— "An excellent soldier, he was extremely popular throughout the whole Brigade, and we all had the greatest regard and admiration for him. He put his own spirit into his Battalion and made it as fine a Battalion as there is to be found in the whole Army."