Fleming John Le Image 1 Kent 1895

Description

Eton House, Tonbridge, Kent born John Le Fleming was was a fine all-round athlete, after being educated at Tonbridge School he went up to Clare College, Cambridge in the autumn of 1884. Whilst at Cambridge he played rugby for the University between 1884 and 1887, winning Blues in each season from 1884 to 1886. He competed in the hurdles in the Inter-University athletics competition from 1886 to 1888, winning in the last two years and gaining further Blues in each year, and was national amateur 120 yard hurdles champion in 1887. He also competed in the hammer competition. He did not play cricket for the University, but did play for his college on at least one occasion.

Le Fleming appeared for The Gentlemen of Kent amateur side in a tour match against The Gentlemen of Philadelphia towards the end of July 1889, playing alongside Lord Harris. He made his first class cricket debut a week later, playing for Kent against Surrey at Blackheath.

Between 1889 and 1899 Le Fleming played in a total of 40 first class matches for Kent. He played primarily as a batsman and was described in his Wisden obituary as showing “good style in defence and hitting” and being able to “drive and cut with effect” and “play a punishing game”. He was considered inconsistent however, and scored only one century, making a score of 134 made against Sussex in 1892. He also scored 4 half centuries, scoring 1,201 runs with the bat at an average of 19.06, He also took 3 wickets with his occasional bowling, with a best performance of 2-44, and he held 25 catches.

In club cricket Le Fleming played for Tonbridge for whom he made “many runs”, including a score of 228 against Southborough in 1889. He played his last first class match for Kent against Essex in July 1899, although he played occasionally for the Second XI. His younger brother Lawrence also played for the County, making 12 appearances for the First XI between 1897 and 1899.

Le Fleming played rugby as a three-quarter, with his speed considered an asset. He appeared altogether three times for Cambridge University against Oxford, the last two of these matches being won by the Light Blues. He played club rugby for Blackheath and was capped once for England, in the 1887 Home Nations Championship game against Wales at Llanelli, a match that finished in a 0-0 draw after a frozen pitch at Stradey Park had led to the match being played on the cricket pitch next to the ground. He played for The Barbarians. against Corinthians in 1892.

Le Fleming also took part in figure skating competitions, winning trophies at Davos Platz in 1893.

At the outbreak of the First World War Le Fleming was still working as an Army tutor at Tonbridge and served as a platoon commander with the Volunteer Training Corps in the first year of the War. At 49 years old he was beyond the age for frontline service, but volunteered to join the Territorial Force in early 1915, being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion in May 1915. He served in a variety of positions in the Territorial Force throughout the War, commanding the 3/1 Kent Cyclists with the rank of temporary Lieutenant-Colonel until they were reduced to a cadre in 1916 when he transferred to 3/1 West Kent Yeomanry.

He spent much of the War in training positions at Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells, reaching the rank of acting Major in the 4th Battalion the Royal West Kent Regiment, a reserve formation. He remained in the Territorial Force after the end of the War and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Territorial Reserve in November 1919. Both of his sons served during the Great War, his youngest son, Roger Le Fleming, was wounded twice, Mentioned in Dispatches and awarded the Military Cross, and having remained in the Army, served throughout the Second World War and eventually rose to the rank of Major-General. Four of Le Fleming’s five brothers also served in the military during the Great War, Lawrence being killed in action in France in March 1918.