Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Valentine Flemming, Val, was born on the 17th February 1895 at Petersham NSW.  He was the 2nd eldest son and 5th eldest of 7 children born to his parents Edward and Julia Flemming.  His older siblings were Dorothy, Richard, Elsie and Doris and the younger siblings were Kathleen and Geoffrey.  His father died in 1905 and when his mother remarried he gained 4 half siblings…Edward, William, Arthur and Monica.  Val was educated at Smithfield Public School NSW and his occupation was a motor driver.  Val was a member of the Cadets and when WW1 broke out he had been serving with the 21st Infantry Sydney Battalion for 2 years.  The family were living at Waverley NSW when WW1 broke out in 1914.                                                                    

Val, aged 19, was one of the first to enlist for WW1 on the 16th August 1914 with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) at Victoria Barracks, Paddington NSW just 6 days after it was raised on the 10th August 1914.  It was a small volunteer force of almost 2,000 men whose mission was to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guinea.  It comprised of one battalion of infantry of 1,000 men known as the 1st Battalion plus 500 naval reservists and ex-sailors who served as marines.  There were 8 companies of infantry designated “A” through to “H” drawn from NSW along with 6 companies of the Naval Reserve drawn from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.  Val was assigned to A Company of the 1st Battalion with the rank of Bugler and his service number was 104.  The force had a short period of training at the nearby Sydney Showgrounds, Moore Park, then marched through the streets of Sydney on the 18th August 1914 on their way to Fort Macquarie where they were ferried to Cockatoo Island.  They embarked from there the next day on HMAS Berrima and anchored off Palm Island near Townsville QLD on the 24th August.  There they undertook 2 weeks of training in the rugged hills, dense jungle and mangrove swamps to develop skills in preparation for their tasks in German New Guinea.  They embarked from Palm Island on the 2nd September and the infantry troops disembarked at Rabaul on the 12th September.  During his time at Rabaul Val took possession of a bugle which his mother Julia donated, along with the accompanying side drum, to the Australian War Memorial on 23rd December 1925 in honour of her son.  After completing their mission in PNG the ANMEF embarked from Rabaul on the 9th January 1915 and disembarked at Sydney a week later.  They once again marched through the streets of Sydney on their way to Victoria Barracks.  Val was discharged from the ANMEF on 4th March 1915.   

Val didn’t rest on his laurels for long…10 weeks later on the 15th May 1915 he enlisted with the AIF at Liverpool Military Camp NSW.  His service number was 2262, his rank was Private and he was assigned to the 2nd Infantry Battalion 6th Reinforcements.  He’s described as being 6ft 2ins tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. 

Meanwhile, Val’s oldest brother Richard, aged 25 and married, enlisted with the AIF on the 18th August 1914…2 days after Val had enlisted with the ANEMF.  Richard served with the 2nd Infantry Battalion.  Three weeks after Val’s arrival back home from PNG on the 9th February 1915 his youngest brother Geoff, aged 16, enlisted in the AIF but gave his age as 18.  He was of  a similar appearance to the oldest brother Richard so the authorities would not have suspected that he was underage.  Geoff was initially assigned to the 18th Infantry Battalion but he asked to be transferred to the 2nd Infantry Battalion so he could serve with Richard and that was granted.  He arrived at Gallipoli on the 26th May to find that Richard had been wounded on 10th May.  Richard returned to duty 2 days before Geoff arrived at Gallipoli but due to a spinal compression Richard was evacuated from Gallipoli on the 7th June so they only got to serve together for 12 days.  Richard recovered and survived the war but Geoff was killed in action on the 16th June 1915, 12 days after Richard had been evacuated.  Geoff was 16. 

After completing his training Val embarked from Sydney NSW on HMAT Karoola on the 16th June 1915, the same day that his brother Geoff was killed in action at Gallipoli.  He disembarked at Alexandria Egypt on 21st July 1915 and joined his unit at Gallipoli on the 4th August 1915.  Just 2 days later on the 6th August, Val was killed in action during the Battle of Lone Pine.  He was aged 20.  Val’s name is on panel 22 of the Lone Pine Memorial which commemorates the 3,268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who died in the campaign and have no known grave.  Geoff was originally buried in Brown’s Dip Cemetery but was reinterred at Lone Pine Cemetery.  So they both lie at rest at Gallipoli and both are remembered at the Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial. 

After the war Val’s mother received a Memorial Scroll, Plaque and Royal Letter from the King for both Val and Geoff.  These were presented to the next of kin of those who died while serving in the Australian Imperial Force in WW1, acknowledging the soldier’s service and their loss as a family. 

Val is commemorated on panel 40 of the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT, the City of Fairfield WW1 Roll of Honour NSW and the Smithfield WW1 Roll of Honour although his initial is missing and his surname is spelt incorrectly.  However, there is a cross beside his surname which indicates that soldier died and his brother Geoff’s misspelt surname is immediately below with a cross beside his name.  Val is also commemorated on the Waverley Soldiers’ War Memorial along with his 2 brothers Richard and Geoff.          

Valentine Flemming was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.  

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 19th October 2023.

Sources

“The Lost Boys” written by Paul Byrnes (Book)

https://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/australian-naval-and-military-expeditionary-force-first-fight-1914

http://anzaccentenary.archive.vic.gov.au/remembrance/anmef/index.html

https://www.maritimeprofessional.com/news/since-departure-australian-expeditionary-force-254774