Austin Lloyd Fleming


Austin Lloyd Fleming, MC was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was credited with eight aerial victories.

Early life

Austin Lloyd Fleming was born on 7 August 1894 in Toronto, Ontario. His parents were Lydia Jane Orford and Robert John Fleming. He was a stockbroker before the First World War.

First World War

After joining military service on 10 November 1916, Fleming transferred from the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to the General List of the Royal Flying Corps on 13 May 1917. He was appointed as a flying officer, with the rank of second lieutenant on probation on 16 May 1917, signifying that he had completed pilot's training. On 8 June 1917, he was assigned to No. 46 Squadron RFC. He was reassigned to No. 111 Squadron RFC in Palestine later that year, following a "friendly fire" incident in which an aircraft from No. 1 Squadron RFC was shot down and the pilot, Second Lieutenant Tom Littler, was killed.
Between 17 January and 12 April 1918, Fleming scored eight aerial victories. His exploits gained him the Military Cross, although the award citation did not recognize all his feats. The award was gazetted on 13 May 1918, reading:
On 11 September 1918, Fleming was injured.

List of aerial victories

Post-war

On 1 June 1919, Fleming was transferred to the unemployed list of the Royal Air Force, ending his service. He would subsequently spend some years in the United States before moving to Britain.
With the advent of the Second World War, Fleming returned to military service in the Royal Air Force. On 1 September 1939, he appointed as a flight lieutenant. He would serve until 1 August 1942, when he once again gave up his commission and once again left the RAF.
In 1959, Fleming presented No. 111 Squadron a souvenir machine gun taken from the reconnaissance craft he captured on 29 January 1918.
Austin Lloyd Fleming died in Málaga, Spain on 26 January 1969. He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, and was survived by his wife, Helen Hyde Fleming and twin children, Bob and Louis.