Roderick John FRASER

FRASER, Roderick John

Service Number: 3282
Enlisted: 6 July 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 59th Infantry Battalion
Born: Brunswick, Victoria, Australia, 1889
Home Town: St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria
Schooling: North Bundaberg State School, Queensland, Australia
Occupation: Carpenter
Died: Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial
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World War 1 Service

6 Jul 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3282, 5th Infantry Battalion
11 Oct 1915: Involvement Private, 3282, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: ''
11 Oct 1915: Embarked Private, 3282, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Nestor, Melbourne
19 Jul 1916: Involvement Private, 3282, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3282 awm_unit: 59th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19
Date unknown: Involvement 59th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix)

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Roderick John Fraser 59th Battalion age 26 and his brother Alexander Gregory Fraser 60th Battalion age 25 were both killed in action at Fromelles on the 19 July 1916. 

Both brothers are remembered at VC Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial, and also attended school at North Bundaberg S.S. in Queensland. Their parents lived in St.Kilda Victoria.

Roderick was born in Brunswick, Victoria. He was a carpenter living in St.Kilda when he enlisted and 26 years 10 months old when he was killed. Lieutenant C.W. Lay, the then adjutant of the 59th Battalion (later Captain C.W. Lay M.C.) wrote a letter to the Red Cross saying “……..I have made exhaustive enquiries regarding Roderick Fraser and can obtain no further information as to where he was last seen, except when he left the parapet with his Company. Knowing the circumstances of the operations of July 19th as I do, I regret very much that I cannot offer any hope for him. Please convey to his relatives my deepest sympathy in their great trial, but I am sure they will agree with me when I say that he died in the execution of his duty and he died a noble death, giving his life to help our great cause.”

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