Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cyril was born in Mt Barker on the 9th April 1913 to Henry Thomas and Winnifred Watson Dainty Fleet. He was the oldest of two sons with siblings Mavis Doreen, Betty, Phyllis and Kenneth. The children grew up at Meningie, a farming area in the south-east of SA and on the shore of Lake Albert where paddle steamers used to operate. The children attended the small local school, and the family were active participants in local sporting and social events. Their father, Henry was Chairman of the Meningie Cricket Club, involved in the football Club, including initiating the collection of money to fund any possible accidents incurred by players. He was also the saddle cloth steward and clerk of scales for the Lake Albert Picnic Race Club and joint secretary for the Lake Albert Athletic Club. The children were involved in most of these with Cyril also adding golf to his interests.
Post school, Cyril found employment as a tractor driver. However, with the outbreak of WWII, 27-year-old Cyril enlisted on the 6th July 1940. He and Bryan Holmes were designated consecutive numbers with Cyril being SX8132 and Bryan SX8133 and both were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Their initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before they and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. Back home on pre-embarkation leave a huge farewell social was organised for those who enlisted with Cyril, although he was the only man in the 2/48th. The others were Corporal Harry W. Cuthbert SX1646 2/10th Privates Richard T. Battersby SX4741 2/27th, Claude W. Elliott 2/8th SX8532. K. R. Fletcher. R. T. Hann, John S. Knight SX2365, Albert J. N. Simpson SX4237. Leslie H. Wyman 27th Infantry SX5350 and Gunner Clive Young SX3136 2/7th. (Both Privates Les Wyman and Norman Simpson had also served in WWI.) The enlistees were marched onto the stage and heard an inspirational address from the President of the Strathalbyn Branch of the Returned Soldiers' League, also wishing the men good luck and a safe return. In further speeches reference was made to “the very fine reputation which the Australian Soldier held in the Great War of 1914/1018, the name Anzac Digger and Aussie being well-known throughout the world.” The men were then presented with an initialled wallet and a War Savings Certificate. Music, dancing and a lavish country supper followed.
Following pre-embarkation leave Cyril and his fellow 2/48th Battalion, boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and disembarked on the 17th December. His 2/48th Battalion completed a few months training in Cyrenaica before going to Tobruk at the start of April 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. Once there, they completed a few months training in Cyrenaica. Cyril was to become one of the now famed Rats of Tobruk in a battalion which was to be highly regarded and decorated. By the end of that year, Cyril was hospitalised with sandfly fever which he had contracted in the desert conditions.
The 22nd July ’42 was a date seared in the memory of those in the 2/48th who survived. At that stage, orders had been received to capture West Point of Tel el Eisa in a dawn attack. In late June ‘42 with Rommel crossing into Egypt, the 2/48th were in an offensive to capture Trig 33, which was achieved on the 10th July. In doing so, over 400 Italian prisoners were taken. The 2/48th battalion then advanced south, capturing the Tel el Eisa station and repelling numerous counter attacks. However, they were eventually forced to withdraw, having suffered over 100 casualties. It was during this attack that Private Stan Gurney was awarded the 2/48th Battalion’s first VC having captured two machine gun posts and bayonetting the gun crew firing on his company but was killed attempting to take a third. The 2/48th battalion suffered 215 casualties between the 7th July and 23rd October. Of that number, 64 men were killed and six, died of their wounds. 125 other men were wounded but survived. Cyril was one, as was Cecil Clark SX7725 from Langhorne Creek in a list of 34 published names.
In his book, ‘Tobruk to Tarakan’, John G. Glenn described the ferocious encounter;
‘When the troops were well forward of the start-line they came under terrific fire from shells and mortars from the front and left and suffered heavy casualties. With the slow deliberate movement of perfectly trained soldiers both companies continued the advance in perfect formation, over ground that trembled and erupted with vicious explosions. Through this, sometimes obscured by the smoke and dust, the men moved, and, as they advanced, the fire kept place with them, leaving behind the still shapes of fallen men among the camel bush and sand.’

Cyril had sustained a debilitating gunshot wound to his right elbow plus a broken arm and was evacuated to hospital. He was eventually described as being ‘temporarily unfit for service’, returning to Australia on a hospital ship and disembarking in Melbourne in October ’42. His fracture was described as a compound, affecting the radius, ulna and humerus.
The Advertiser throughout August carried a list of those who were wounded and those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice. 24 years old Wilf Wear, SX7156 was wounded in action in Egypt and died on the 22nd July ’42. He had become a close friend with Cyril with his death being announced in the same article as the announcement that ‘Mr. and Mrs H. Fleet, of Meningie, have been notified that their son, Pte. C. H. Fleet, 29, has been wounded in action in Egypt. Pte. Fleet enlisted in June 1940 and went overseas in November of that year. He spent seven months at Tobruk.’
Whilst Cyril returned to Wayville in ’43 and had extended leave, he was finally discharged as medically unfit for service because of the damage to his arm. Just prior to his discharge on the 6th July ’43, a hugely popular dance was held at the Langhorne Creek Memorial Hall, attracting a record attendance with people coming from the nearby towns of Strathalbyn, Milang, Belvidere, Hartley, and Bletchley. Traditional old-time games were enjoyed. The Southern Argus reported that the locals ‘also welcomed home Pte. Cyril Fleet, who spent seven months in Tobruk and received severe arm injuries in the battle of El Alamein.’ Cyril thanked those present for his welcome, before the inevitable singing of 'For They are Jolly Good Fellows' preceded supper and the finale of the National Anthem.
In the ensuing years fellow soldiers remembered those with whom they had served and who had paid the ultimate price. Cyril, despite his horrific injuries, also recognised how fortunate he was not to have been killed. He placed tributes in the Advertiser ‘Heroes of the Empire’ section.
Advertiser Friday 23 July 1943, In memory of the boys, killed In action, July 22, 1942.—C. H. Fleet (Pluto) returned.
Advertiser Saturday 22 July 1944, In memory of the men of D Coy. 2/48th Batt. killed El Alamein July 22. 1942. —C. H. Fleet (A.I.F., ret.)

In March ’44 Cyril and Jessica Winn, daughter of Daisy Agnes Winn and the late Alfred Walter of Blackwood announced their engagement. They married later that year on December 9th at the Holy Trinity Church on North Terrace in an evening ceremony.

Cyril’s younger brother, Kenneth William enlisted on his 21st Birthday on the 25th October ‘44 and served with the 1 Port Maintenance Company as SX38596. He was eventually discharged in May ’46, moving to live in Blackwood where he successfully ran a delicatessen. Coincidentally, Bryan Holmes who enlisted with Cyril also chose to live in the same Blackwood area, having seen it on the way home to Adelaide on the train from Melbourne.
By 1950 Cyril had received his medals, the 1939/45 Star, African Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and Australian Service Medal.
He died on the 25th August 1994 and is buried in Centennial Park as is his younger brother Kenneth.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion