79th Memorial Anniversary – Flying Officer Flemington

Born in 1911 at New Brunswick Canada, Flemington was the son of Reverend Charles Flemington and Heartie M.B Flemington (née Bate). Flemington graduated from Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, Canada with further studies in French at Paris, the capital of France.

In 1938, Flemington was called to do missionary work in Trinidad where he began serving in 1939 as a Professor of both French and English at Naparima College. He also devoted his full time at the schools’ chapel (now St. Andrew’s Theological College) and at the Susamachar Presbyterian Church in San Fernando where he was an active participant in the Church’s choir and the Path Finders Club.

With the German invasion of Poland in 1939 triggering World War II, Flemington as a true patriot left Trinidad to fight against the evils of Nazism which threatened the West including his homeland of Canada. He joined the 407 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force earning the rank of Flight Officer – service number J/7788. On the morning of April 29th 1943, Flemington and five other squadron members were on patrol off the south coast of England when their Vickers Wellington MP618 aircraft encountered engine trouble. After an hour, contact was lost where the aircraft was witnessed to crash in Morte Bay off the south coast of England. All squadron members lost their lives, Flemington was just 31 years young.

In his honor, the school’s house “Flemington” designated with the color Gold was institutionalized at the College at or about 1956. In a response letter to Frank Bascoe Styles Flemington, Allen’s twin brother from Revered Lawrence Purdy, then Chaplain of Naparima College and himself a former member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Purdy stated in 1961:

“From what I have learned since coming to Trinidad, Allen probably did more in his short years here than many men would accomplish in a lifetime. Even those of us who never knew him personally, are in his debt. The boys of Flemington House will be proud to view Allen’s picture before them on the Student Center.”

Professor Flemington represents all that is noble about our hallowed institution. He was a living testament to the dedication and sacrifice on which this institution was built and he lives on as a symbol of our humanity and our history.

Sources: The Olympian, Naparima.org, veterans.gc.ca, presbyterianchurchtt.org