FRASER James

NAME                  FRASER      James                                                                                                                        
RANK                  RCAF Flying Officer / Navigator                                                                                                                                  Group 6 - RAF Bomber Command                                                                                                SQUADRON       RCAF No.  424 - “Tiger” “City of Hamilton”
                            “we chastise those who deserve to be chastised”
                            RAF Skipton-on-Swale Airfield in Yorkshire
                            Squadron Markings QB                                                                                                  Residence           Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                      Birth                     September 4, 1910 - Clinton, Township of Goderich - County of Huron - Ontario                  Died                     November 1,1944      34 years   2 months                                                                      Cemetery            Nederweert War Cemetery - Nederweert - Limburg - Netherlands
                            4 C 12
Brother               Captain Thomas Fraser serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps in United                                         Kingdom                                                                                                                                Sisters                Isabella and Janet both were living in Toronto.

James was born on September 4, 1910 and received his primary education at  SS #11 School in Goderich Township from 1918-21 and went to Clinton Collegiate for his secondary education between 1921-27. Growing up he had measles, mumps and chicken pox. James then attended the University of Toronto from 1927-33 where he received his Bachelor of Art Degree. He enjoyed swimming, skiing, fishing and hunting. After his education he was employed by Kist Canada in sales and administration.

Canada

James went across Toronto and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on August 21, 1942 with the rank of Air Craftsman 2nd class. Upon enlistment he stood 5' 7" tall and he weighed 191 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and fair hair. He was sent to the Receiving Centre where he stayed until September 8th when he was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot. On November 24th he was then posted to No. 6 Service Flying Training School in Drummondville - Quebec.                                                                                                          His first posting in 1943 took him to No. 6 Initial Training School in Toronto - Ontario on March 7th and it was here he received the rank of Leading Air Craftsman and where he stayed until May 30th when he was posted to London - No. 4 Air Observer School. While he was in London he received the rank of Pilot Officer. At the end of October he was posted to the east coast to No. 1 "Y" Depot in Halifax - Nova Scotia.

Overseas

Pilot Officer Fraser then embarked from Canada for overseas on November 1, 1943 and arrived in the United Kingdom on November 9th. The next day he arrived at No. 3 Royal Canadian Air Force Personnel Reception Centre.                                                                                                                                                                    The first posting in the United Kingdom was on February 22, 1944 to No.6 Advanced Flying Unit. He next was posted on April 4th to No. 24 Operational Training Unit where he received the rank of Pilot Officer. No. 24 was based at RAF Honeybourne - Worcestershire. On August 15th he was posted to No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Wombleton - North Yorkshire where he trained on 4 engine aircraft. His next posting was to an active Squadron and this was Royal Canadian Air Force No. 424 "Tiger" based at Skipton on Swale in North Yorkshire.  The target for this raid of November 1, 1944 was Oberhausen in Germany which produced armaments. All aircraft were detailed for this mission and 18 aircraft left the base and one failed to return.
Flying Officer Fraser and his crew were beginning their first mission. Halifax MZ 376 lifted off the runway
at 16:54 hours and was listed as missing after failing to return from the raid. This aircraft was the only 424
Squadron aircraft lost on this raid.
No. 424 had sent out 20 aircraft with 18 aircraft reaching the target and completing their bombing runs.
The mission was a success with many explosions and fires seen from the target.
MZ 376 crashed ½ mile east of the Dutch hamlet of St. Joost, which is less than a mile from Echt in
Holland. They were attacked by fighters, but the enemy aircraft that shot the Halifax down was also shot
down by the crew. The German fighter and the Halifax crashed within 300 yards of one another. The Dutch farmer where the aircraft crashed buried the bomber crew on his farm.
The Halifax bomber played a major role in the war and was used in bombing missions, maritime patrols, mining
operations, dropping agents behind enemy lines, with Coastal command, and carrying paratroopers. The
Halifax could also absorb punishment and still be able to return to base.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  His sister Isabella was awarded the Memorial Cross in September of 1946. Following the war he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and these were sent to the Fraser family and these were received by his brother in February of 1947.                                                                               

James is honoured and remembered on the Clinton - Ontario Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of the Royal Canadian Legion - Clinton, on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and on the Royal Canadian Air Force Bomber Command Museum located at Nanton - Alberta. He is also named on the Memorial Plaque of Clinton Collegiate. His name appears in the University of Toronto Memorial Book - WWII.
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