LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Harris Robert FRASER

Service No: 401791
Born: Melbourne VIC, 23 February 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 March 1941
Unit: No. 1 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 1 Squadron Typhoon aircraft R8942), Kent, 6 March 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Orpington (St Mary Cray) Cemetery, Kent
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Andrew Currie Fraser and Beatrice Irene Fraser, of Camberwell, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Camberwell VIC
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Brother of Pilot Officer Hugh Gavin Fraser (402051)

On 6 March 1943 Typhoon R8942 flown by Flight Sergeant Fraser was returning from an operational patrol in loose formation as No. 2 Green Section. The weather at the time was low cloud, drizzle and visibility had closed down to less than 1,000 yards. It appears that the Leader Green 1 (Typhoon DN615) realised that the clouds were right down on the hills, and pulled up into the clouds. G2 probably lost sight of G1 and also climbed up through the clouds independently. R9842 and DN615 collided in cloud and both pilots were killed. R8942 crashed at Pedhouse Farm, Benenden, Kent. The pilot of DN615 was Flying Officer George Carson Whitmore (J/15843) (RCAF) (No. 1 Squadron RAF).

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/14/17

Bibliography:

Winter, V.A. (Vincent Adams) (408547) Noble Six Hundred: the story of the Empire Air Training Scheme with special reference to Australians who trained in Southern Rhodesia, V.A. Winter Brighton VIC 3186, 1982

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