454 and 459 RAAF Squadrons
Flight Lieutenant Robert James FRASER
459 RAAF Squadron
Service No. 401031
Date of Birth: 1 Apr 1916
Place of Birth: STAWELL, VIC
Date of Enlistment: 8 Dec 1940
Date of Discharge: 22 Sep 1945
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Date of Death: 05 Dec 2001
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Crew:
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Blake DFC (Dick) C(RAF) Pilot
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Nicholson (Nick) (RAF) Navigator (B)
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Fraser R J (Bob) (RAAF) WAG
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Latta (Andy) (RAAF) WAG
Born in 1916 during WW1, in which his father was killed, Bob Fraser spent his youth in Victoria, qualifying with A Dip. In Agriculture at Dookie Ag. College. Having enlisted early in the RAAF , he trained in Aust. As a Wireless Operator Air Gunner with (a) No.9 Course at Ballarat and Pt. Pirie, then proceeded to the UK via Canada and the Atlantic. He completed a Radar Course at Preswick ( Scotland) and crewed up during a Hudson Operational Training Unit Course at Silloth. As was the practise before closure of the regular 459 Hudson Squadrons reinforcement route his crew flew from Portreath (England) via Gibraltar and Malta to Egypt with its operational crew, delivering their Hudson to help build up full strength.
Bob flew 353 operational hours in 459, Hudsons and is recalled by Squadron friends like Ross Rasheed (see photos of Squadron days at the desert base, or on leave in Cairo or Tel Aviv) as a reliable mate.
Andy Latta WAG (Left), Ross Rashecol WAG (Centre) and bob Fraser WAGE (Right)
459 RAAF Hudson Squadron , RAF 201 Naval Cooperation Group Middle East Command
"On our way for a swim" - the mud beach is in view behind.