"Jim Fraser, who has died aged 92, won a Military Medal in North Africa and, as his personal tank driver, was responsible for General Montgomery adopting the beret that became so associated with him. In November 1941 Fraser, serving with 8th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment (8 RTR), took part in the battle of Sidi Rezegh, part of “Crusader”, the operation to raise the siege of Tobruk. On November 23, during an attack on an airfield, he saw a German 75mm gun coming straight towards him through clouds of smoke as he rounded a corner. As he hauled on the steering sticks of his Valentine tank, the gun opened up with armour-piercing shells. The first caught the tank a glancing blow on the side. The next one went straight through the back of the tank into the engine but failed to explode. With fighting going on all around them, the crew could not bail out of the crippled tank and were forced to spend the night inside. Fraser emerged at daybreak to a scene of burning tanks and dead bodies. His commander, standing on the turret with his binoculars, was then hit, and much of his knee was sliced off. A tourniquet was applied, but it was a makeshift job, and Fraser set off across the desert to find help. He was lucky to find a dugout manned by British soldiers, some of whom he led back to his tank. The injured officer was taken off by field ambulance. The citation for the award of Fraser’s MM said that he had undertaken the rescue under heavy shell fire – despite strict orders not to do so because there was no way of knowing who was in possession of the ground that he would have to cross. James Marshall Ralston Fraser was born in Glasgow on September 17 1920. His family moved to Colchester when he was 12, and he attended the Blue Coat School until he was 14. In 1937 he enlisted in the Royal Armoured Corps, and was posted to the Royal Tank Regiment." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/army-obituaries/9967708/Jim-Fraser.html
Hi all perhaps I may be allowed to add a little more about Jim Fraser, I had the pleasure of knowing Jim and have a few pictures that might be of interest, which I have added here. I will be attending his funeral this Friday, he will be sadly missed View attachment 18718 View attachment 18719 View attachment 18720 View attachment 18721 pic 1 tea up pic 2 Jim with Montys tank pic 3 more tea pic 4 A Cartoon about the famous beret ------------------------------------------------- JIM FRASER M.M. RIP. SOLDIER ---------------------------------------------------- Regards lofty
