Joseph August Fleck: Monday 3rd May 1915

Joseph became Rifleman 1543 in “C” Company, London Regiment (Queen’s Westminster Rifles).  He was killed in action and is buried in Houplines Communal Cemetery Extension.  Probate was granted to his father, then a wine merchant for £146 2s 6d.

Joseph was born in Clapham and his parents were Augustus Philip and Agnes Fleck, living at 33 Baskerville Road.  The family had lived there since at least 1901 when Augustus was a licensed victualler.  Joseph was one of 5 children, in 1911 they were Agnes Dorothy, aged 20, a Civil Servant, Reginald  Augustus, aged 19, a clerk, Joseph, aged 17, also a clerk, Audrey, aged 14, and Muriel, aged 10.  Agnes married Francis Herbert Brand on 4 July 1914 at SMM.  The family had a live-in servant.

After Joseph’s death, his parents donated electrification for the Church organ in his memory.  There is a brass plaque to commemorate this. In December 1918 the parish magazine recorded this:- “Electric apparatus for the organ by great generosity of Mr & Mrs Fleck has now been installed and is actually in use.  This is not only a very great convenience since the action can be switched on in four or five seconds from the keyboard, but its freedom from the jerkiness and unevenness of pressure inseparable from hand blowing will add considerably to the life of the organ.  And of course, it will prove economical in other ways.”