Sergeant Robert A Fraser

Robert Augustine Fraser was born about 1919, the son of Robert and Molly Fraser; husband of Doris Lillian Fraser, of Rowbarton, Taunton. Nothing is known of Robert’s early army service, but he responded to an appeal for volunteers to join the Glider Pilot Regiment. Details of Robert Fraser’s training are not known before he qualified and joined up with Leonard Gardner at RAF Stoney Cross. However, he would have followed the general training programme for glider pilots, which was subject to some adjustment during the course of the war:

Prior to the Regiment’s formation the Air Ministry and War Office had agreed the selection and training standards for glider pilots. Prospective glider pilots were expected to undergo a basic course at the Regiment’s Training Depot at Tilshead. If they were considered suitable they were posted to begin their training at an RAF Elementary Flying Training School to fly light aircraft. By the summer of 1942 there were four EFTS’s designated for glider pilot training (No 16 EFTS RAF Burnaston, No 21 EFTS RAF Booker, No 29 EFTS Clyffe Pypard, No 3 EFTS RAF Shellingford). By the end of this course each glider pilot student was expected to have accumulated an average of 130 hours flying time. After EFTS the students proceeded to a further course to learn to fly Hotspur Gliders, at a Glider Training School, and then to a course at a Glider Operational Training Unit (later replaced by the Heavy Glider Conversion Unit) to be trained on the Horsa glider. Once qualified as glider pilots they were posted to Battle School to develop their infantry skills. During the course of World War II there were various adjustments to this training programme and in 1944 a shortened course was introduced for second pilots.

Operation Market Garden

Just after 10.00 hours on Sunday 17 September 1944 sixteen glider and tug combinations took off from RAF Keevil for Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden. Horsa Glider RJ113 (Chalk 389) was in this group of aircraft and contained 21 men from No 1 Platoon 9th (Airborne) Field Company Royal Engineers. The glider was flown by S/Sgt L J Gardner with Sgt Robert Fraser as the second pilot, both were from D Squadron, 1st Wing The Glider Pilot Regiment. It was towed by a Short Stirling, No. LK 148 of 299 Squadron, 38 Group.

The tugs and gliders took a course north-west towards Gloucester to pick up Squadrons from Fairford and then headed out over the Severn and Bristol Channels to form up. Here Stirling LK 148 with Horsa Glider R113 took a turn south-west down the Bristol Channel with other aircraft and gliders, and made a turn east over Weston-Super-Mare and headed for Arnhem. 

While over the village of Farrington Gurney an explosion occurred in RJ113 splitting the glider in two. With no tail section the glider lost lift, broke its tow line and crashed into the Double Hills meadow near Paulton killing all occupants. The event was witnessed by the Stirling’s rear gunner who recalls watching the glider falling like a rock to earth after the explosion had occurred.

One villager was in the field picking blackberries at the time of the crash and was injured by flying metal fragments. The Stirling marked the spot by circling until they could see locals running to the crash site. This included Farmer Teak: “When I arrived at the place of the crash I could see that there was nothing I could do. The soldiers had all been killed. It was gruesome.”

As a result of the explosion on board Robert Fraser and his comrades became the first casualties of Operation Market Garden. He is commemorated on the Double Hills memorial at the site of the crash along with the other 22 occupants of the glider.

Sergeant Fraser died on 17 September 1944, aged 25 years old. He is now buried in plot Y.309 at the Milton Road Cemetery, Weston Super Mare along with other soldiers killed by the crash.

Relatives have been traced by the Double Hills Memorial Group. There was a son of Robert’s marriage to Doris, and she attended the Double Hills regularly until her death in 2004.

Further Reading:

Pronk, P, Airborne Engineers: The Shiny 9th (2001), R.N. Sigmond Publishing.