Balclutha war memorial

Hello Ross,
I have found this site just now. My mother was Moss and Rhyls niece,Elza,daughter of Charles.
Frances recently made contact with me
Our Tauranga library made short film clips on first ww.relations of locals.for the archives and net viewable.its called Threads of memory. Frances saw my one on 3 great uncles.I am getting more info to her from brothers etc over the next month or so. I can be contacted via email at [email protected].I am interested in your branch of the family too having seen you mother in the family tree.
Regards, Phil Sinclair

Dear Ross - how great to read your post as I keep an eye on this site from time to time since my postings below in case a relative makes comments. Since the below I have done a lot of research on the family including have lots more information and photos of Mostyn and Rhyl. I would be very happy to share it all with you. i cannot find your phone number in the on-line white pages for sydney. I have now with this post included my current email which has changed since below. The website people here will contact you with it as I'm giving permission here and then we can connect. I live in Darwin. Kind regards, Frances nee Fleming.

Now 5 years on from the posts below, but I too have been trying to find out more about Mostyn and Rhyl Fleming as they were also my father's uncles / my grandmother's brothers. I have found a couple of interesting websites that mention them but this one was a surprise. I lived in Balclutha for a while with my grandmother (Muriel Gunthorp nee Fleming) but I don't remember seeing the memorial. She did have some large bronze discs that were presumably given to the families of those who died in WW1. I now live in Sydney and can be contacted by telephone (the number is in the book). Regards Ross

Dear Frances, Be assured I will make sure that you get copies of the photos etc.Please bear with me. Mostyn is also mentioned in a book about Alexandra and in a newspaper article which I did a couple of years ago for their local newspaper. Kind Regards Ken

Dear Ken - this is marvelous! I never expected a response such as yours! My late father's father died when dad was 11yrs old and we didn't know much about that family until the family history research I have done over the last few years. I only found one relative in NZ who gave me a little information but I have no photos at all and certainly no idea of any medals whereabouts. Are you related to Mostyn and the Fleming family at all? My grandfather Cecil Stratford Fleming was 2 yrs older than Mostyn. My 2 brothers are the only 'Flemings' still carrying the name on. I have copies of Mostyn and Rhyl's army service papers which have lots of detail but of course no photo or medals pictures. I would love to correspond with you and would love to have a copy of the photos of Mostyn if possible. This website keeps our email addresses private but if there is some way we could correspond that would be great. Looking forward to reading your response to this. Kind regards Frances (nee Fleming).

Frances, I have Mostyn's WW1 medals here in the U.K. He was the Town Clerk of Alexandra until he enlisted. I have photos of Mostyn. Regards, Ken

Thank you so much for making these photos available. I'm a Kiwi in Australia and may not get to Balclutha. Corporal R. V. (Rhyl Vaughan)Fleming (listed here) was my father's uncle. He was born at Lytleton on 16/12/1887. Rhyl was a Stock Buyer in Balclutha at time of enlistment in WW1. He was 'killed in action in the field' on 15/11/16 on the Somme aged 28 and is buried in Cite Bonjean Cemetery, Armentieres Nord, France. He is commemorated, along with his brother Mostyn, on their father's grave in the Balclutha Cemetery of which I have a photo (prev. known as Clutha Ferry or The Ferry Cemetery). Mostyn (from Alexandra) died in the attack on Belle Vue Spur on 12/10/1917. Mostyn's name is on the Alexandra memorial - I have a photo so it was great to see this one here. Regards, Frances