Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Peter Fraser MM.

Citation accompanying the award of the Military Medal to
Pte. Fraser.On 17 October 1966 during Operation Queanbeyan in Phuoc Tuy Province South Vietnam, the Anti-Tank Platoon of 5th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment was directed to clear by a Viet Cong ambush. During the clearing a Section Commander was mortally wounded by a sniper and fell in an exposed position. Heavy enemy fire prevented movement of any members of the section. Private Fraser, the stretcher bearer attached to the Anti-Tank Platoon was told by the Platoon Commander not to go forward to the casualty until the area had been cleared.
Private Fraser however crawled forward under fire, reached the casualty and dressed the wound. Whilst Private Fraser was with the casualty, a sniper concentrated his fire on Private Fraser and with the fire falling only inches from him, Private Fraser continued to assist the casualty. The Platoon Commander then arranged for covering fire to he given by the remainder of the platoon at which time Private Fraser turned his back on the enemy fire to shield the casualty from fire and assisted a carrying party to evacuate the casualty.
During the extraction of the casualty Private Fraser showed complete disregard for his own safety in an effort to give maximum attention to the care of the casualty.

Eulogy ex L/Cpl Peter Fraser MM

Norfolk Chapel- Karrakatta Cemetery WA

20 Feb 2009

Peter is a person I have been in touch with for almost 50 years.  As our stretcher bearer/medic in South Vietnam he was simply outstanding and as I will describe later in this eulogy he was also an extremely brave and courageous man. I met Peter when I was posted to the Anti-Tank Platoon of 5 RAR. Unbeknown to me was that the Battalion already had plans to change the role of the Anti-Tank Platoon to a Reconnaissance role and Peter would play a very important part in that. On my first operation still as the Anti-Tank Platoon operating as a rifle platoon in the Nui Thi Vai Mountains I was ordered to climb the feature and clear the way for Battalion Headquarters to establish a HQ on the site of a Buddhist Pagoda some three quarters way up the feature. The platoon had ascended the feature without incident when shots were heard back down the feature and Battalion HQ had been ambushed by an unknown number of enemy. I was ordered to make my way back down to clear the enemy from this contact area which was in a gradient of 1 in 2 and reentrant. With the company deployed in supporting fire positions Cpl Womal section with my HQ group started to try and clear the enemy position when Cpl Womal was seriously wounded and in a difficult location because the enemy were using Cpl Womal as bait to try and get more of us in the killing zone inflicting further casualties.

We tried unsuccessfully to get to the wounded NCO because each time we did there would be a fusillade of fire brought down by the enemy. I then saw the most courageous thing I have ever seen in Peter crawling out on to a big flat rock under fire to try and attend to the wounded soldier with his back to the enemy fire to try and shield Cpl Womal from further wounding. By this time I had been able to get a more covering fire on to the enemy position and whilst somewhat neutralizing the enemy fire  organized  a stretcher party to bring out Cpl Womal and Peter. The enemy contact lasted for three and three quarter hours before the enemy position was cleared and everyone on the mountain fought like hell on that particular day, but none braver than Peter. He was awarded a Military Medal for his bravery and frankly I have related the story many times over the years and I and many others consider he should have been considered for much higher honours.

Such a quiet and unassuming individual who enjoyed performing with the Battalion Band, because all of our stretcher bearers were musicians first and medics second but I can tell you in our platoon the roles were very much reversed. His foot inspections were a hoot, where he would simply chase you down to look at your feet to ensure that you were not suffering from any foot rot. We thought he might have had a bit of a foot fetish and we used to rag him about that but in his quiet mild mannered style he took it all and if one of the boys did have a bit of foot rot, Peter would ensure to use the strongest and most effective medical treatment, which surprise, surprise was also the most painful and he would giggle in the discomfort of those that used to give him a hard time about having their feet inspected.

Peter was respected and admired by all in the platoon and he will be sadly missed; gone to young and too soon, but his memory will live with us forever. To me he was much more than a medic. He was a friend and a hero who could be relied upon in any circumstance to do the right thing and that in today’s world sadly is not as prevalent. Good old fashioned Christian values and Peter had that in abundance and I am truly honoured to deliver this eulogy which Peter asked me to deliver before he passed away. Honoured in being asked by an old friend but more importantly to share with you a little of Peter’s journey and in particular a moment in my life watching Peter on that mountain that will live with me forever. Rest in peace now Peter and I am sure you have already organized the appropriate foot inspection in the new harbor position in the heavens. Lest we forget. 

Michael Von Berg MC, OAM