Alexander William Fraser DFC and Bar

Flight Lieutenant Alexander William Fraser DFC and Bar (404063) served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. Born on 7th May 1915, he was the son of the late Alexander William Fraser and Rhoda Maria Fraser (née Hull) of Heberton, Queensland, Australia.

Known as Bill, he was the husband of Margaret “Madge” Fraser (née Ritchie) of 17 Westbourne Terrace, Lisburn, Co. Antrim. The couple had a baby son Malcolm Fraser in Northern Ireland at the time of the Australian airman’s death in 1944.

Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar

In March 1943, while serving in RAF 120 Squadron, Fraser received the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation read:

This officer has taken part in numerous anti-submarine and convoy escort sorties and has proved himself an exceptional pilot. On one occasion he found one of our convoys when 50 miles from home and by escorting it for four and a half hours undoubtedly saved it from submarine attack.

In August 1943, he received a Bar to the DFC while flying in the same RAF Squadron.

This officer was the captain of an aircraft which attacked a U-boat In the face of heavy antiaircraft fire a vigorous attack was pressed home and the vessel was destroyed Although Flight Lieutenant Fraser s aircraft was hit by gunfire, he flew it to base where he executed a masterly landing This officer displayed skill, courage, and determination of a high order.

Death in Hampshire

Fraser died on 4th July 1944 aged 29 years old while serving as the Pilot of Vickers Wellington HF352 with RAF No. 1674 Heavy Conversion Unit. His crew took off from RAF Farnborough, Hampshire, England to test a new type of automatic alarm radio. During the flight, the Wellington suffered an engine failure and the crew attempted to return to the airfield. It came down in the wooded area of Gaston Copse near Odiham, Hampshire, England killing all those on board.

The aircraft had a failure of the starboard engine at approx 0950 hours and by the engine was feathered. The Pilot informed Farnborough by radio he was returning to base, and later ay 0955 he was having difficulty in maintaining height which was then at 1100 feet but was trying to make base. He instructed his passengers to take up crash positions and to remove the astro dome. He obviously intended to make a wheels up downwind landing at Odiham, which he may well have mistaken for Farnborough. However he must have been too low on his approach to Odiham and in trying to clear a small hill he stalled the aircraft into a copse. The aircraft hit the ground in a stalled attitude at 10:04 hours.

Court of Enquiry Report

Alexander William Fraser’s grave is in Section A, Grave 390 of Lisburn Cemetery, Lisburn, Co. Antrim. His headstone bears the inscription:

Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

A funeral service took place from Fraser’s Father-in-Law William Ritchie’s home at 17 Westbourne Terrace, Lisburn, Co. Antrim on 11th July 1944. A large congregation of mourners attended including local members of the council A.N. Stevenson (Vice-Chairman) and T.H. MacDonald (Town Clerk). Reverend J.K. Elliott of Railway Street Presbyterian Chuch, Lisburn, Co. Antrim conducted a service at the house assisted by Mr. S.C. Kennedy. Reverend R.G. Parke of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve officiated at the graveside as 6 members of the Royal Air Force carried a coffin draped in the Australian flag. A bugler sounded The Last Post as a piece of Australian Coral was placed in the grave along with the coffin.

Many floral tributes adorned the grave including wreaths from the Pilots and Observers at RAF Farnborough, Group Captain L.R. Briggs, Group Captain A. Hards, Officers at RAF Aldergrove, Officers, NCOs, and men of RAF 120 Squadron, and friends in the Ministry of Home Affairs at Stormont, Belfast.