Year of birth: 1882

Place of birth: Richmond, Victoria, Australia

Last known residence: Richmond, Victoria, Australia

Profession: Compositor

Religion: Church of England

Country: Australia

Force: Australian Imperial Force

Rank: Private

Service number: 5796

Enlistment date: 25/05/1916

Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Units:  —  Australian Infantry, 22nd Bn. (Victoria)  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 23/09/1917

Place of death: Zonnebeke Château Grounds, Zonnebeke, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 35

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Thomas Frazer, a former compositor, was born in May 1882 in Richmond, Victoria, Australia. He was married to Mrs Rose Ethel Frazor and had two children. On May 25, 1916 he enlisted in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A71 Nestor on October 2, 1916, with the 16th reinforcements of the 22nd Battalion, part of the 6th Australian Brigade of the 2nd Australian Division.

On September 20, 1917 the successful battle of Menin Road was fought, The Battalion being in reserve at Belgian Chateau, where an extraordinary aeroplane accident was witnessed. On the September 21, the Battalion relieved two Battalions of the 7th Brigade near Hanebeke Wood. Hostile shelling was heavy and continuous, and casualties were numerous. On September 23, the Battalion moved back to Dominion Camp.

Thomas, aged 35, died on September 22/23, 1917. He was not feeling well at the front line, and was brought back to a pill-box to sit down and recover. However, he later died there of heart failure. Private Frazer was mentioned on a cross south of Zonnebeke Lake (28.D.28.a.40.20); it is not known where he was buried (possibly near Anzac House according to his files). His remains were not recovered or identified after the war. Thomas Frazer has no known grave and is remembered on panel 23P of the Menin Gate Memorial.

22nd Battalion Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/39/25). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

6th Brigade Australian Infantry (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/6/25). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used

Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/923606

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7442183

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=69df6ac0-cc4b-4898-9820-2d92ae3c9aa3

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=104047