Sanford Bruce Fleming was born on the 7th May 1924 in Hull, Quebec, Canada. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on the 1st June 1942 in Montreal. He trained at No 3 ITS, graduating on 31st December 1942, at No 13 EFTS, No 2 SFTS, graduating on the 6th August 1943 and finally at No 31 General Reconnaissance School.
He was posted overseas from November 1943 to January 1946 with No 58, No 422 and No 435 Squadrons.
No 58 Squadron – details as yet unknown – may have been a British Squadron.
422 Squadron RCAF, General Reconnaissance Squadron was formed at RAF Castle Archdale near Lough Erne, Northern Ireland in April 1942. It was a flying boat squadron, flying PBY Catalinas and Short Sutherlands to patrol the North Atlantic for German U-boats. It was redesignated a Transport Squadron in June 1945 and disbanded in September 1945.
435 Squadron RCAF was formed on 1st November 1944 in Gujarat, India during the Burma Campaign, flying the Douglas Dakota in support of the Fourteenth Army. After the end of the 2nd World War, the unit was relocated to England, where it provided transport to Canadian Army units in Europe. It was de-activated on the 1st April 1946.
He met and then married Dorothy Elizabeth Freemantle on the 3rd January 1946 at the Register Office, Westminster, London.
Sanford was released from duties on the 8th March 1946.
He was re-engaged in the Auxiliary RCAF in October 1948 and transferred to the Regular Force on the 12th November 1951. He served in Korea from the 10th March to the 12th June 1952, flying 82 missions,113 combat hours, and 15 non-combat hours. Claimed one MG-15 probably destroyed, two MG-15s damaged, one locomotive damaged and two trucks damaged.
On 13 May 1952, Flying Officer Fleming distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement and heroism while participating in aerial combat against enemies of the United Nations in Korea. As element leader in the lead flight of eight F-86s escorting an RF-80 photo reconnaissance in the Sui Ho Reservoir area, he sighted sixteen MIGs preparing for an attack. Calling a break he led his element into the first flight of four MIGs and his attack scattered the enemy flight. Returning to cover, he sighted two MIGs diving on the RF-80 and two escorting F-86s. Pressing in on one of the MIGs, he fired scoring hits on its fuselage and wing area and then continued his brilliant attack on the second MIG as it countered. With the safe withdrawal of the RF-80, Flying Officer Fleming followed, being low on fuel and ammunition at the time. His courageous devotion to duty, resulting in the probable destruction of one MIG and the safe withdrawal of the RF-80, reflects great credit upon himself, his comrades-in-arms of the United Nations and the United States Air Force.
Sanford was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) - 336th Squadron, 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing (USAF) - Awarded as per the Canada Gazette dated 24th January 1953 and SFRO 55/53 dated 6th February 1953.
Following Korea he served at No 1 OTU from the 14th June 1952 until the 6th January 1954 and then No 410 Squadron from the 7th January 1954 until 20th September 1955, after which he was released from the RCAF.
No 410 Squadron later converted to Canadair Sabres and was deployed to Europe, flying from RCAF Station North Luffenham, Rutland.
It is possible that Sanford and Dorothy met again whilst he was in the England for the second time, as Dorothy's second husband, John Donaldson-Hudson had died of TB in the south of France on the 4th November 1949 and she did not marry her third husband until the 29th February 1972, when she married David Keith Seth-Smith.