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Mini
Biographies of Scots and Scots Descendants (F)
Fraser,
Bruce |
Fraser was born the son of a General, on 5th
February 1888.
Fraser attended the navy class at Bradfield College, while his brothers
went into the army class.
He passed fifth into Britannia in 1902 and passed out joint first.
Fraser also attended the Whale Island Gunnery School and achieved
considerable distinction there, including compiling the Navy's handbook
for Director Firing.
Fraser served aboard the light cruiser Minerva between 1914 and
1915 He had the distinction of being able to make one of the Navy's first
heavy anti-aircraft guns by mounting a field gun on a capstan.
He also was a Bolshevik prisoner in 1920 and oversaw development of the
Navy's Gunnery Fire Control Table. Much of his service in the inter-war
years was with that cauldron of promotion, the Mediterranean Fleet, where
for a period he was Fleet Gunnery officer.
As Director of Naval Ordnance, Fraser was responsible for the development
of the troubled quadruple 14" turret for the 'King George V' class
battleships, and the revolutionary dual-purpose 5.25" guns as
secondary armament for the same class, and main armament for the 'Dido'
class anti-aircraft cruisers. He had close links with Dudley Pound and
with Admiral of the Fleet Lord Chatfield. Powerful men to have on his
side, though as Chief of Staff to Pound he found the same problem Ramsay
had faced with another master in that Pound was unable to delegate and
took far too much on his own shoulders.
On 1st March 1939, he was made Controller of the Navy and Third
Sea Lord, in which post he was responsible for the 'Flower' class
corvettes.
He was promoted Vice-Admiral on 8th May 1940 and awarded the
KBE in the Birthday Hours of 1941.
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more about him here! |
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