Valentine Fleming

Valentine Fleming
source
Name	Valentine Fleming
Birth date	17 February 1882
Birth place	Newport-on-Tay, Fife, Scotland
Death date	20 May 1917 (aged 35)
Death place	Picardy, France
Nationality	British
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford
Occupation	Soldier, Politician
Spouse	Evelyn St. Croix Rose (m. 1906)
Children	Peter Fleming, Ian Fleming
Parents	Robert Fleming, Kate Fraser
Office	Member of Parliament for Henley
Term start	1910
Term end	1917
Party	Conservative
Branch	British Army
Serviceyears	1914–1917
Rank	Major
Unit	Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars, 4th Queen's Own Hussars
Battles	First World War, Western Front
Awards	Distinguished Service Order

Valentine Fleming was a British soldier, Conservative politician, and the father of the renowned author Ian Fleming. Born into a prominent Scottish financial family, he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford before embarking on a career in finance and politics. He served as the Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 until his death in 1917, having volunteered for service with the British Army at the outbreak of the First World War. His death in action on the Western Front prompted a notable tribute from his friend and parliamentary colleague, Winston Churchill, published in The Times.

Early life and family

Valentine Fleming was born on 17 February 1882 in Newport-on-Tay, Fife, the second son of the influential Scottish financier Robert Fleming and his wife, Kate Fraser. He was educated at the prestigious Eton College before proceeding to Christ Church, Oxford, where he read History and was a keen sportsman. The Fleming family was part of the wealthy Scottish establishment, with extensive interests in banking and investment, including the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co.. In 1906, he married Evelyn St. Croix Rose, daughter of a surgeon from Mayfair, with whom he had four sons, including the future travel writer Peter Fleming and the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming.

Military service

Upon the declaration of the First World War in August 1914, Fleming, then a sitting MP, immediately volunteered for service. He was commissioned into his local yeomanry regiment, the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars, part of the Territorial Force. He later transferred to the regular cavalry, joining the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, and saw extensive action on the Western Front. Promoted to the rank of Major, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his gallantry and leadership. His service was part of the broader and costly involvement of the British cavalry in the static trench warfare that characterized the conflict in France and Flanders.

Political career

Fleming entered politics as a member of the Conservative Party, successfully contesting the Henley division of Oxfordshire in the January 1910 general election. He retained his seat in the subsequent December 1910 United Kingdom general election and served as a backbench MP during a tumultuous period in British politics, which included the Parliament Act 1911 and the escalating crisis in Europe that led to war. His political career was cut short by his military service and death, but he was well-regarded within the House of Commons and formed a close friendship with fellow MP Winston Churchill.

Personal life and death

Fleming was known as a man of considerable charm, wealth, and social standing, with interests in country pursuits and a strong sense of public duty. His marriage to Evelyn St. Croix Rose connected him to the professional classes of London. On 20 May 1917, while leading his squadron near the French village of Péronne in the Somme region, he was killed by German shellfire. His death was reported widely, and his friend Winston Churchill wrote a moving eulogy published in The Times, describing him as "a charming companion, a man of high honour and ability, and one of the most popular figures in the House of Commons."

Legacy and memorials

Valentine Fleming is primarily remembered as the father of Ian Fleming, whose famous literary creation, James Bond, is thought by some biographers to have been indirectly influenced by the daring and patriotic image of the father he lost at age eight. His name is inscribed on the Memorial to the Missing at Arras at the Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery, which commemorates Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave from the battles in Arras. He is also commemorated on the war memorial in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire, and in the Parliamentary War Memorial in Westminster Hall. His posthumous legacy is intrinsically linked to the fame of his sons and the enduring cultural icon of James Bond.

Category:1882 births Category:1917 deaths Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Category:Old Etonians Category:People from Fife Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Order Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Henley