2nd Lieutenant Alfred James Terence FLEMING-SANDES VC
2nd Battalion East Surrey Regiment

Date of birth: 24th June 1894
Date of death: 24th May 1961

Died aged 66
Commemorated at Torquay Crematorium
He was born at his parents' house, Northstead Road, Tulse Hill Park on the 24th of June 1894 the son of Alfred Fleming-Sandes, merchant, and Grace Fleming-Sandes.

He was educated at Dulwich College Preparatory School and at the King's School Canterbury from September 1907 to February 1913 where he was in Mr Evans' House. While at the school he won a Junior Scholarship in July 1910 and a Senior Scholarship in June 1912. He was appointed as a school monitor in September 1912 and played for the Rugby XV in the 1912/13 season. He was awarded his Sports and Gym colours in 1912 and was appointed as a Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps in September 1912. He rowed as stroke for the 2nd IV in 1912 and was awarded his 2nd IV colours the same year. He won the school prizes for Modern Languages in 1912 for both French and German.

He was training as a civil servant when war broke out and he enlisted as Private 1482 in the 1/28th Battalion London Regiment (Artists Rifles) on the 5th of August 1914, disembarking in France on the 28th of October with the battalion.

He returned for officer training and was commissioned as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant on the 9th of May 1915 in the 2nd Battalion East Surrey Regiment and joined them in Belgium.

The Battle of Loos began on the 25th of September 1915 and the 2nd Battalion East Surrey Regiment took no part in the opening attack. Instead they were at Bethune on the night of the 26th. At 9am on the 27th they marched off under orders to take over trenches to the east of Vermelles. After a seven mile march they arrives at the western end of the town , the officers having been briefed on the situation by Lieutenant Colonel Montague-Bates during a halt en route. According to the latest reports the enemy still held part of the Hohenzollern Redoubt and in particular a trench known as 'Little Willie'. This area was allotted to the East Surreys. Before the battalion moved off again at 2.30pm their orders were changed and instead they were to attack 'Little Willie'. A supply of bombs (hand grenades) was drawn from the Brigade Reserve and the march resumed. After a long halt at the crossroads in Vermelles they entered the communication trench known as "Central Boyau" and moved forward under shell fire. They were given no guides and suffered 6 men killed with 26 being wounded before they arrived at the front line. By 1.30am on the morning of the 28th of September the battalion were in position opposite the Redoubt and the target of their attack, 'Little Willie'.

During the morning of the 28th, A Company under Lieutenant G.H. Lewis managed to move forward and infiltrate an unoccupied section of trench but came under close range rifle fire and grenade attack. When Lewis was killed his place was taken by Lieutenant C Mead as Company Commander until he too was killed in the late morning. His place was taken by Captain Dowler who moved the company into the Hohenzollern Redoubt itself. Having exhausted their supply of bombs as early as 9am it was decided that any further forward movement should wait for fresh supplies so Dowler set his men digging fire steps in the trenches and improving their positions for an attack the following day. With most of German shell fire falling on the positions behind them they were able to hold their ground through a comparatively quiet night.

Towards dawn on the morning of the 29th it began to rain hard and at 7am a few more bombs arrived with the rations. The supply of bombs proved to be inadequate for the attack the Germans launched at 8.30am. German artillery fire strengthened and it became clear that a major attack was imminent. Despite heavy casualties A Company held its ground with Captain Dowler being conspicuous in his leadership. At 11am the Germans brought up a machine gun which pinned down the East Surrey's bombers. This was put out of action by a machine gun borrowed from the neighbouring Royal Fusiliers and at about the same time Dowler shot the German officer leading the German bombing attack.

At 1pm Dowler was very severely wounded by a bomb and the Surrey's supply of bombs was running short, many also being rendered useless due to having wet fuses caused by the heavy rain. The Germans realised they had an advantage and managed to get into the trench driving the remaining Surrey men before them by throwing bombs down the trench at them. Led by 2nd Lieutenant Jannson the retreating British tried to hold the enemy at a barrier which had been built across the trench but this too was overwhelmed. Jannson and his men fell back to the shelter of a disused communication trench and were able to pour rifle fire onto the advancing Germans and check their advance. Again they took casualties, including Jannson who fell wounded, but they held their ground.

At this critical moment in the fighting, troops to their right who had also been fighting in the Redoubt, fell back. This unsettled the survivors of A Company but they were rallied by 2nd Lieutenant A.J.T. Fleming-Sandes who had been sent forward with a fresh supply of bombs. He rallied the men and jumping up onto the parapet, threw bombs at the advancing Germans who were, by now, only twenty yards away and forced them back. When he was shot in the right arm he threw with his left until he was shot in the face and collapsed. A counter attack on the right restored the British line and the day was saved. A Company were relieved that night with one officer and 75 men left from the 200 who had first occupied the trench the day before. Fleming-Sandes was evacuated to hospital and for his actions that day he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

When he returned to London he was honoured by the Borough of Lewisham by being asked to sign the Borough roll of honour which only had two other signatures on it at the time, being the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Sir John Knill bart, a former Lord Mayor of London.

He returned to King's on the 4th of December 1915, an occasion which was recorded in the Cantuarian:-

On Saturday, Dec. 4th, the School welcomed Lieut. A. J. T. Fleming-Sandes, V.C., the Corps started the day in uniform and paraded at 11.55. the Buffs brass band played us up to the East station to meet the hero; meanwhile the usual Canterbury downpour had begun and is made itself felt as the company waited in the road outside the station. He was met on the platform by the Headmaster and Mrs McDowall, the officers of the Contingent and Captain F. S. Emery, representing the Buffs. The train which was due to arrive at 12.32 was only a few minutes late and as Sandes came out of the station with the officers of the Contingent the band played "See the Conquering Hero Comes" and after that "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"
The Corps then formed fours---left and with Lieut. Sandes, Capt. Latter and Capt. Poole in front, marched back to the school by way of the High Street and Guildhall Street.
On arriving in the Mint Yard, the Contingent formed close column facing the arches, where a notable company was assembled. The Dean, then coming forward, congratulated Lieut. Sandes on his brave deed in the name of the school and read the official announcement of it. Lieut. Sandes replied by thanking the school for the reception with which he had met and modestly assured us that deeds, such as his, were being done every day at the front, and it was only a matter of being seen by a superior officer. Capt. Poole then called on the Contingent for three cheers which were given with great enthusiasm; the Corps fell out and Clayton, Galpin, Mead, Gibson and Gorringe advanced upon the hero, seized him low, and hoisted him upon their shoulders. In this manner he was paraded around Mint Yard and finally deposited at the Headmaster's door amid vociferous cheering on the part of the School and numerous camp followers who had thronged into the Mint Yard.
Lieut. Sandes, we thought, was looking rather pale and his left arm hung awkwardly at his side, but he seemed very cheerful nevertheless; we only wish he could have prolonged his visit.



He was decorated by King George V at Buckingham Palace on the 15th of January 1916. He was not passed fit for military service again until October 1918 when he re-joined his battalion at the front and was mentioned in despatches.


Following his demobilisation in 1919 he became a schoolmaster at Copthorne School in Sussex and later the same year he went to the Sudan and taught at Gordon College in Khartoum. He then joined the Sudan Civil Service and was seconded to the Sudan Political Service in 1924, becoming Assistant District Commissioner at El Nahud.
After achieving high grades in his bar examinations he was called to the Bar at Gray?s Inn in 1927. He was appointed as District Judge for the Red Sea Province in 1929 during which time he was responsible for the resettlement of the White Nile lands as part of the preparation for the Jebel Aulia Dam, registering lands and resolving disputes.

He was awarded Order of the Nile 4th Class on the 8th of June 1932.
He married Dorethea May (nee Weeks) on the 27th of August 1931 at Newchurch in the Isle of Wight.

From 1935 to 1944 he was Judge of the High Court, first in Gezira Province and then in Khartoum and, on occasion, was Acting Judge of Sudan. During the Second World War he was commissioned on the 23rd of July 1941 as a Bimbashi (Major) in the Sudan Auxiliary Defence Force (Sudanese Home Guard). From 1942 to 1944 he acted as Judge Advocate General of the Sudan Defence Force.

During his service in the Sudan the case containing his medals were stolen from his home. The case was recovered and the only medal remaining in the case was his Victoria Cross, the thief deeming the dull bronze cross of little value.

He retired in 1944, as he had reached the age limit for service, and on his return to England became chairman of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal for England and Wales until ill health forced him to retire in 1958.

He was on parade at the VC Centenary revue on the 26th of June 1956 and attended the first two dinners of the VC and GC Association at the Cafe Royal in London on the 24th of July 1958 and the 7th of July 1960.

He lived at 'Redway', Dawlish Road, Teignmouth in Devon and died suddenly of natural causes at 11.20pm on Wednesdy the 24th of May 1961 at the White Horse Hotel at Romsey in Hampshire. He was cremated at Torquay Crematorium at Lynton in Devon at 11am on the 30th of May.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment (Queens and Royal Hampshires) at Dover Castle.
Holme House

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