George Henry Fraser (c. 1880 – 9 December 1919) was a navigator and aircraft mechanic who flew with pilot

Cedric Howell Cedric Ernest "Spike" Howell, (17 June 1896 – 10 December 1919) was an Australian fighter pilot and flying ace of the First World War. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916 for service in th ...

as one of the teams competing in the England to Australia air race in December 1919. Howell and Fraser's aircraft made a forced landing in the St George's Bay, Corfu; both men are presumed to have drowned as a result, although only Howell's body was ever recovered.

Personal life

Fraser's exact date of birth is not given in the sources available, but he is variously stated to have been either 39 or 40 years old at the time of his death. He was the child of Robert Fraser (died 27 March 1894, aged 46) and Mary Fraser (died 15 March 1937, aged 92). He was born in

Macorna Macorna is a small community within the Shire of Gannawarra, Australia. There are only a couple of houses, but there is a football/netball club, cricket club, Landcare group, fire station and a pony club. The town is 85 metres above sea level. ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and attended Macorna State School. On leaving school, Fraser became a bicycle and motor mechanic and, before enlisting in 1917, he worked for several years in his brother William Fraser's car import firm, Messrs Fraser and Willsford of

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

, where he was residing at the time of his enlistment. Fraser was unmarried at the time he enlisted and at the date of his death.

Military service

Fraser enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force on 12 March 1917 and was assigned, as an air mechanic, 2nd class, to the Fifth Training Squadron,

Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...

. He subsequently served in England with the Fifth Training Squadron and the No 1 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping,

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

, gaining much experience of the maintenance and operation of bomber aircraft and of aerial navigation.

Post-war

For the six months before he started with Howell on the race to Australia, Fraser had been employed by

Rolls-Royce Ltd Rolls-Royce was a British luxury car and later an aero-engine manufacturing business established in 1904 in Manchester by the partnership of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Building on Royce's good reputation established with his cranes, they ...

, during which time he had become familiar with engines of the type fitted in the plane in which he was to compete.

Final flight

In August 1919 the British aircraft manufacturer Martinsyde Ltd invited Australian

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

Captain

to pilot their Type A Mk.I in the forthcoming England to Australia air race. As a qualified navigator and a mechanic familiar with the Rolls-Royce engine fitted to the plane, Fraser was selected to accompany Captain Howell. Having departed from

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...

on the next stage of the flight, Howell's and Fraser's aircraft made a forced landing St George's Bay, Corfu. It was initially falsely reported, in

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

received by William Fraser, that his brother had been rescued and had arrived safely in Athens. Although the circumstances of the accident are not clear, it appears that both were alive and survived in the water but that they subsequently drowned. Only Howell's body was ever recovered. It was subsequently claimed that Howell drowned while attempting to tow Fraser to shore, since the mechanic was unable to swim.

Memorials

Fraser's name is included in the Hollybrook Memorial,

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and he is commemorated on a family headstone in White Hills Cemetery,

White Hills, Victoria White Hills is a suburb of the city of Bendigo in central Victoria, Australia. It is located four kilometres immediately north-east of the city centre between North Bendigo and East Bendigo. "The White Hills" were named for the colour of the cl ...

. His name is also included in the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

''Roll of Honour''.

Notes