Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

At the outbreak of war the British, together with Indian troops, resolved to protect oil supply in the region by occupying the area around Basra at Abadan. This evolved into a series of campaigns towards Baghdad against the Turkish forces as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) was part of the Ottoman Empire. Meetings in late 1914 and into 1915 led the Viceroy and Indian government at Simla to reconsider the limited involvement of troops and they decided to order further advances with a view to securing the Shatt-al-Hai, a canal connecting the Tigris and Euphrates river and potentially capturing Baghdad. The British government disagreed and wished to conserve forces for the Western front. The Viceroy was given permission to act as it wished, but told in no uncertain terms that no reinforcements should be expected.

The initial success experienced by the British and Indian forces quickly disintegrated in the face of Ottoman opposition. The Siege of Kut-Al-Amara began on 7th December with the besieging of an 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. These campaigns produced few tactical benefits, indeed the catastrophic defeat at Kut in 1916 was a major setback. Badhdad was eventually taken in March 1917.

The conditions in Mesopotamia were dreadful. The climate, sickness and disease produced large losses in addition to battle casualties. About as many men died of disease as were killed in action. The Mesopotamia front was part of a strategy hoping for success at lower cost than the Western Front but no decisive victory was achieved.

Detail :

Major James Scholfield FRASER. 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Died Thursday 13th January 1916 aged 38 years. Born Ashford. Resided 13 Wellesley Villas, Ashford, Kent. Son of James Schofield (Ashford Solicitor) and Ellen Mary Fraser of 13 Wellesley Villas, Ashford, Kent. James father (also James) traded from 12 High Street, Ashford, Kent. Husband of Elizabeth Freda Fraser of The Grange, Hessle, Yorkshire. Buried in the Amara War Cemetery in Iraq (formerly known as Mesopotamia). Graves reference XIX.E.2. The Frazer family erected a private memorial brass plaque inside St Mary's Church Ashford. His name is also commemorated locally in the Old Ashford Cemetery Private family memorial; Emily Alice Sarah FRASER Died 26th February 1902 aged 26, James FRASER Died 15th September 1904 aged 76 years, Mary Ellen Walker FRASER Born 30th August 1837 Died 30th June 1922 (James's mother), Major James S FRASER Born 24th May 1877 Died 13th January 1916. James was a solicitor in Ashford before the outbreak of war like his father. He worked for Messrs Kingsford Dorman and Co before establishing his own private practice in London. He was Chairman of the Ashford Junior Conservative Association and was also a member of the local Freemason's (Invicta Lodge) whose headquarters were located in North Street, Ashford. When the war broke out he was voluntary Churchwarden of Ashford's St Mary's Church in the town centre. James was a territorial officer (Captain) in the 5th Battalion, The Buffs. He commanded Ashford's Company of the Buffs from 1911 to 1914. On the outbreak of war he was mobilised and appointment as a Major shortly afterwards. James married Elizabeth Freda Stuhlmann on 8th July 1909 in the parish church of Hessle, Yorkshire. Major Fraser and his wife moved to India in 1915 when the 5th battalion was moved there to take up garrison duties. They had one son, James Michael Fraser who was born in Kamptee India. Shortly after the child was born, the 5th battalion was moved to Mesopotamia (Iraq) to fight the Turks. James moved with his battalion and his wife returned to England with his son. The Buffs regimental history states that Major Fraser was the acting commanding officer of the 5th Battalion when he was killed because Lt Col Munn-Mace and Major Clark had been wounded. According to the Buffs Regimental History (Moody) James died gloriously whilst leading a flanking manoeuvre near to the River Tigris to cut off Turkish troops between 13/01/1916 and 14/01/1916. The 1881 Census gives 13, Wellesley Villas, Ashford, James FRASER (Solicitor) Hurley, Berkshire 1829 (aged 52 in 1881) Mary E.W Liverpool 1838 Emily Ashford 1876 Mary C Ashford 1875 Helen Grace Ashford 1880 James S 1878 Ashford.

Masonic :

Past Master

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley