GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
811
A fine Second World War Sicily and Italy operations M.C. group of six awarded to Acting Major W. I. Fraser, Seaforth
Highlanders, who was killed in action in May 1944: the recommendation for his award cites ‘coolness and courage
under fire of the highest order’, not least at the crossing of the Garigliano - better known to those of the Seaforth who
survived that occasion as the “River of Death”
MILITARY CROSS, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1944’; 1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR; ITALY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS
1939-45, together with original addressed card forwarding box for the campaign awards and Army Council condolence
slip in the name of ‘Major W. I. Fraser’, good very fine and better (6) £1600-1800
M.C. London Gazette 21 December 1944. The original recommendation states:
‘Captain Fraser has taken part in all the active operations in which the Battalion has been involved in Madagascar, Sicily and Italy.
Since the beginning of the Sicilian campaign he has been Adjutant and throughout shown a devotion to duty which has been an
inspiration to all ranks. At Machiagodena and on the Garigliano, he showed a coolness and courage under fire of the highest order.
Throughout these and many other actions in which the Battalion has been involved, Captain Fraser’s steadfastness and ability have
been, under every circumstance, the greatest possible assistance to his Commanding Officer.’
Walter Ian Fraser was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Seaforths in May 1940 and won his M.C. for the above described deeds
while serving as Adjutant and a Company Commander in the 6th Battalion, Seaforths. Of the crossing of the Garigliano, Jim Stockman’s
A Fighting Soldier Remembers has much to say, the Battalion’s canvas assault boats being met by heavy Spandau fire and many men
falling victim to shoemines and booby traps on both sides of the river - thence a constant flurry of determined enemy counter-attacks,
supported by tanks and accurate artillery, throughout which Fraser displayed ‘a coolness and courage under fire of the highest order.’
As it transpired, the crossing of the Garigliano proved to be the Battalion’s costliest operation of the War, Stockman recalling that ‘all
around, the most appalling injuries were being inflicted on our men’ - in total 65 killed and 284 wounded, captured or missing.
A month later, on 31 May 1944, Fraser was killed in action when commanding ‘C’ Company, which was overrun in heavy fighting at
Lorenzo during Operation “Chesterfield”, the assault on the Hitler Line, west of Cassino. Evidence of the ferocity of the fighting
experienced by Fraser and his comrades in late May 1944 is also to be found in Colonel John Sym’s regimental history, the following
extract describing a costly action in the Liri Valley, a few days before his death:
‘Throughout the afternoon and evening, the 2nd Brigade fought desperately to break through this most heavily fortified sector of the
Hitler Line; but the heroic efforts of the Seaforth, in reaching the first objective, were set at nought by the deadlock on the right and the
absence of anti-tank support. In the late afternoon, they were counter-attacked by German infantry and tanks. Major Allen was
wounded but continued to direct vigorous resistance. With their supply of PIAT bombs exhausted, however, the Seaforth had no means
of effectively engaging the enemy armour. Some fought back, with small arms fire, from slit trenches and shelters, and others sought, in
the roadside ditch, some scant protection from the murderous fire. The German tanks lumbered slowly down the road, depressing their
machine-guns to sweep the ditches with bullets. The Seaforth suffered grievously and 54 survivors fell into enemy hands ... ’
Fraser, who was 27 years of age, left a widow, Anne Hosie Fraser, then resident in Glebe Street, Dumfries, to whom the above
described forwarding box is addressed. He is buried in the Beach Head War Cemetery, Anzio.
812
A Second World War A.F.C. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant K. E. Walters, Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve, late Royal Air Force
AIR FORCE CROSS, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS; CORONATION 1953, together with a set
of related miniature dress medals, extremely fine (8) £1000-1200
A.F.C. London Gazette 3 April 1945. The original recommendation states:
‘Acting Flight Lieutenant Walters has been a member of the Royal Air Force Reserve since 1935. He was called up for active service in
February 1942, and has been employed on flying instructors’ duties and on his work in the examining Flight since then. His ability as
an instructor and the consistently high standard which he has always demanded from himself and his pupils have at all times been very
noticeable.’
Kenneth Elliot Walters, who was born in January 1908, was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in June 1942 and eventually retired in the
rank of Flight Lieutenant in 1961. He died in October 1975; sold with the recipient’s original Coronation Medal 1953 certificate.
813
A fine O.B.I. group of six awarded to Subadar-Major Gopal Singh, 23rd Sikh Pioneers
ORDER OF BRITISH INDIA, 1st Class, 2nd type neck badge, gold and light blue enamel, lacking top ribbon loop; AFGHANISTAN
1878-80, no clasp (Sepoy Gopal Singh, 31st Regt. N.I.); INDIA GENERAL SERVICE 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Relief of Chitral 1895,
Waziristan 1901-2 (28 Subdr. Gopal Singh 23rd Bl. Infy.); TIBET 1903-04, no clasp (28 Subr. Major Gopal Singh 23rd Sikh
Pioneers); DELHI DURBAR 1903; DELHI DURBAR 1911, light contact marks to the earlier campaign medals, otherwise better
than very fine (6) £1600-1800
Gopal Singh entered the service on 5 January 1875, initially into the 31st Punjabis before transferring to the 23rd Sikh Pioneers. He was
promoted Jemadar in April 1887, and Subadar in July 1892, becoming Subadar-Major on 1 March 1900. He served in Afghanistan
1878-80 with the 31st Punjabis (Medal), and with the 23rd Sikh Pioneers in the 1st Miranzai expedition of 1891; Relief of Chitral 1895
(Medal with clasp); N.W. Frontier of India, Waziristan 1901-02 (Clasp); and Tibet 1903-04 (Medal). Subadar-Major Gopal Singh retired
4 April 1908.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191