Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Eric John Freeland Fraser, who may have been known as John, was born on 22 March 1886 at Timaru, the third son of Charlton Simon and Mary Ann (Minnie, née Wright) Fraser. He was baptized at St Mary’s, Timaru, on 11 May 1886. Charlton who had come to New Zealand as a young man in 1873 married Mary Ann at St Mary’s in 1879. They had six sons and four daughters all born at Timaru. Mrs Fraser died in November 1900. The younger children were educated at Waimataita School and possibly the older ones too. E. J. F. Fraser was from Napier in 1902 when he was passed the university matriculation and solicitor’s general knowledge examinations. In March 1905 he enjoyed considerable success in athletics. By May 1905, he was a lodger -keeper at the bank in Temuka. He remained involved with athletics at Timaru. In May 1908, he was a law clerk at Timaru. E. J. F. Fraser was in the Waikato when he was appointed a lieutenant with the Territorials on 21 December 1912. He had married Constance Caroline Hitchings on 10 April 1912 at Levin. Their son Denis Eric Geoffrey Fraser was born in July 1916 and died at 6 weeks. Their second son Derek John Simon Fraser was born in August 1917 in England and died in 1922 at the age of four.

In February 1916, Mr E. J. F. Fraser, solicitor to the Cambridge Borough Council, wrote notifying that he had accepted a commission in the New Zealand expeditionary forces, and asked for leave of absence. Eric belonged to the 16th Waikato Regiment when he enlisted on 3 March 1916. He had previously been with the Timaru City Rifles. A solicitor at Cambridge and of Church of England affiliation, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs E. J. F. Fraser, C/o V. T. Hitchings, Levin. His father – C. S. Fraser, Timaru – was also to be advised. “Lieutenant E. J. F. Fraser, third son of Mr C. S. Fraser, Timaru, has joined the 16th Reinforcements, and gone into camp at Trentham. Lieutenant Fraser left Timaru some years ago, and has been in practice as a solicitor at Cambridge recently. He is the fourth son. of Mr Fraser to go to the war. Lieutenant Fraser was a well-known figure on the football field in South Canterbury a few years ago.” [NZ Times, 18 March 1916.] Lieutenant E. J. F. Fraser embarked with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade of the 10th Reinforcements, leaving for Devonport, England per the “Aparima” on 19 August 1916. By 1917 his wife had gone to England.

Lieutenant E. J. F. Fraser returned to New Zealand by a small draft which was on the ex-German Liner Adolf Woermann, leaving from Plymouth on 14 August 1919 and disembarking at Wellington on 1 October 1919. He was one of the troops who arrived in Timaru by the south bound express on 3 October. They were welcomed by the Reception Committee and heartily cheered as they left the station for their homes. He was discharged on 31 October 1919 and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Eric John Freeland Fraser died at Wellington on 16 August 1930, aged 44 years. He was buried privately at the Timaru Cemetery with his parents, his two brothers who died in the war also named on the gravestone. He died from double pneumonia, possibly the effect of gas at the war. Constance died in April 1964 and was buried at Wakatane with their son Derek. Three brothers of Eric served in World War One – Douglas Playfair Fraser who was killed in action on 20 September 1916 at the Somme; Geoffrey Erle Fraser who died of gunshot wounds on 20 September 1915 at Malta; and Gordon Lovat Fraser who returned home and died in 1940. Charlton Simon Fraser died n 17 November 1939 at Timaru.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [15 October 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [23 December 2025]; Timaru Herald, 4 October 1919, 18 August 1930, Temuka Leader, 19 August 1930 (Papers Past) [23 & 24 December 2025]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [24 December 2025]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.