Leslie O'Brien Fleetwood Smith (1908 - 1971)

Ancestors

Biography

Leslie O'Brien "Chuck" Fleetwood Smith was born on 30 March 1908 at Stawell, Victoria, Australia, the son of Frances Alice Fleetwood Smith and Fleetwood Smith.^[1][2]

He made his career as a first class cricketer, playing for Victoria for the first time in 1931.^[2] He would go to make his Test Cricket debut against South Africa at Durban from December 14 - 18, 1935 and his last against England at The Oval in London from August 20 - 24, 1938.

Chuck married Mary Gertrude Elliott on 28 February 1935.^[2][3] The couple divorced in 1947.^[4][5] He married a second time on 9 July 1948 to Beatrix Maie Collins.^[2]

After the outbreak of World War II, Chuck Fleetwood-Smith enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force and was posted to the Army's Physical and Recreational Training School at Frankston. Here he served alongside Don Bradman as a Warrant Officer. He was involved in a car accident when driving a borrowed army vehicle and the matter ended in court, where he was ordered to pay costs. And after less than a year's service, he was given a medical discharge in February 1941.

Chuck Fleetwood-Smith unfortunately died from cancer at St Vincent's Hospital in Fitzroy, a fortnight before his 63rd birthday on the 16th of March 1971.^[2] This was after years of alcoholism and later homelessness had left him in poor health. He was cremated at the Springvale Botanical Cemetery in Springvale, in Victoria, Australia.

Sources

1. ↑ Les Obrien Fleetwood Smith's birth record at Births, Deaths, Marriages Victoria: Reg. No: 14946; Reg. year: 1908. Retrieved 14 April 2017 by Clare Spring from https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} W. F. Mandle, 'Fleetwood-Smith, Leslie O'Brien (1908–1971)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fleetwood-smith-leslie-obrien-10200/text18025, published first in hardcopy 1996, accessed online 14 April 2017 by Clare Spring.
3. ↑ Marriage record at Births, Deaths, Marriages Victoria: Reg. No: 1434; Reg. year: 1935. Retrieved 14 April 2017 by Clare Spring from https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj.
4. ↑ "Fleetwood-Smith is divorced." 6 February 1947. The Newcastle Sun, p. 6. Retrieved 14 April 2017 by Clare Spring from http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/158254051.
5. ↑ "Bowled out: Fleetwood Smith divorced." 16 February 1947. Truth (Brisbane), p. 34. Retrieved 17 April 2017 by Clare Spring from http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203122835.

• Road named after Stawell's test cricketer By Stawell Historic Society Updated May 11 2023 - 6:21pm. first accessed online from THE STAWELL TIMES-NEWS on the 16th of May, 2023 at: https://www.stawelltimes.com.au/story/8191225/road-named-after-stawells-test-cricketer/?cs=1536&fbclid=IwAR1AmaSDHrK_4oFJ79kjPTUcSMJ0U4du-zMBkVyj3X_MP8CtEfHq1q3XJpg

• Chuck Fleetwood-Smith - Australia from the ESPNCRICINFO website. first accessed online on the 16th of May, 2023 at: https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/chuck-fleetwood-smith-5327

• Former Test bowler dies from The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) of Wednesday 17 March 1971, Page 34. first accessed on TROVE on the 20th of May, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110343351?

• Chuck Fleetwood-Smith from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia first accessed online on the 16th of May, 2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Fleetwood-Smith

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 16 May 2023), memorial page for Leslie O Fleetwood Smith (unknown–18 Mar 1971), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #244289145, citing Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, Greater Dandenong City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by ! woowoo (contributor 49949980).

• Find a Grave, database and images (16 May 2023), memorial page for Leslie O'Brien “Chuck” Fleetwood-Smith (30 Mar 1908–16 Mar 1971), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #222478151; Cremated; Maintained by Just Jack (contributor 49577555).

Further Reading

• ALL FUN from the The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954) of Wednesday 30 January 1935, Page 10. first accessed on TROVE on the 20th of May, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230264996?

• Fleetwood Plays Cat to N.S.W. Mouse from the Truth (Sydney, NSW : 1894 - 1954) of Sunday 27 December 1936, Page 8. first accessed on TROVE on the 20th of May, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169582954?

• Points About Test Candidates from the News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) of Tuesday 18 January 1938, Page 9. first accessed on TROVE on the 20th of May, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131907205?

• Fleetwood-Smith Enlists In A.I.F. from The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) of Monday 27 May 1940, Page 20. first accessed on TROVE on the 20th of May, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74451056?

• CRICKETERS PLAY THEIR PART IN THE EMPIRE'S TEST. from The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) of Saturday 9 November 1940, Page 9. first accessed on TROVE on the 20th of May, 2023 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17705331?