12/2700 Cpl. John Roy Fraser, 1st Battalion, Auckland Infantry Regiment MM
Partial NZEF MM and Trio - Auckland Regt.
The Military Medal, 1914/15 Star and Victory Medal awarded to Cpl. John Roy Fraser of the Auckland Infantry Regiment who was awarded the MM for his bravery during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and was later commissioned into the British Army.
John Roy Fraser was born 6th December 1884 at Auckland, New Zealand. Son of Patrick Robert and Annie Eliza Fraser (née Jervis). In 1913 he took part in opposing the 1913 General Strike, as a special constable (foot), for which he received the commemorative medallion. At the time of his enlistment in the NZEF in 1915 he was working as an ironmonger in Parnell. Fraser embarked with the 6th Reinforcements, Auckland Infantry Battalion and landed on Gallipoli in late September 1915. He was in one of the last boats to leave the peninsula when Anzac was evacuated in December 1915. He transferred to the Western Front, and it was during the Battle of the Somme that he earned the Military Medal: "For gallantry and devotion to duty on 25th September 1916, near Flers his platoon commander was wounded he took charge and did excellent work in consolidating the ground taken. On September 27th he went back through heavy fire and brought grenades to the Gird Trench".
He was subsequently promoted to sergeant, and in April 1917 was nominated for an Imperial Commission. He discharged from the NZEF in October and was commissioned 2/lt in the Royal Field Artillery, with whom he served for the remainder of the war.
Fraser married Kathleen Sharland and had a family of three children before he passed away in 1938.
The MM is correctly impressed 12-2700 Cpl. J.R. FRASER. I / AUCKLAND INF: R. and the Star and Victory Medal are correctly impressed 12/2700 SJT. J.R. FRASER. N.Z.E.F. The British War Medal with the group is a genuine but unnamed original medal. Group comes with Fraser's special constabulary medal for the 1913 General Strike, a sterling silver diving medal (engraved) and two other silver medallions.