CSM Daniel (Danny) Joseph Fraser
Service Number F54767
"C" Company
Cape Breton Highlanders
Killed in Action January 17, 1944
Daniel (Danny) Joseph Fraser was born in Sydney Mines, NS, on November 12, 1916. He was the son of Dan M. Fraser from Pleasant Bay, Cape Breton, and Annie (née Jobes) Fraser from Bay St. Lawrence, Cape Breton. Annie passed away in the late 1930's. Including Daniel, there were six children in the family. Daniel moved to New Waterford when he was young. He received his education in New Waterford and became a coal miner at the No. 16 Collier. He married Catherine Jane MacDonald from Inverness, Cape Breton, and they had two children together. The new family resided in New Waterford.
Daniel served in the Cape Breton Highlanders militia before the war and was immediately called up upon mobilization of the unit in September 1939. He officially signed on to the Canadian Active Service Force Cape Breton Highlanders with the rank of private, on October 14, 1939, in New Waterford. Daniel trained in Canada with the battalion, sailed to the U.K. with them in November, 1941, and then on to Italy in October/November, 1943. By October, 1942, after having quickly risen through the non-commissioned ranks, he was promoted to company sergeant major.
On January 17, 1944, the Cape Breton Highlanders took part in a larger Canadian attack to capture high ground east of the Arielli River near Ortona, on the Adriatic Sector of the Italian Front. It was the battalion’s first major action and it was carried out in daylight against veteran German paratroopers entrenched in well prepared defensive positions. To add to their difficulties, the Perth Regiment on the left had failed to take their objective earlier in the morning which allowed the Germans to direct their full attention on the Cape Breton Highlanders’ attack.
“D” Company led the assault across the valley of a stream called the Riccio, with their objective being a piece of high ground near two roads on the far side of the Riccio. “C” Company, with Daniel Fraser as company sergeant major, followed “D” Company ten minutes later. Many men of both companies were pinned down in the water due to the intense machine gun and mortar fire. Promised smoke protection was ineffective. Daniel was killed during this fighting when a mortar bomb landed near him. He was 27 years old.
Unable to advance any further under the relentless machine gun and mortar fire, and with mounting casualties, the survivors were ordered to pull back to their original positions after dark. Unfortunately many of the dead had to be left where they had fallen and were not recovered until later. Daniel Fraser’s wife was originally notified that he was missing in action and presumed killed. It was not until April, three months later, that his wife was officially notified that he had been killed in action.
Thirteen Cape Breton Highlanders lost their lives in this action with many more wounded. To the survivors the battlefield forever became known as “The Valley of Death”.
Daniel Fraser was laid to rest in Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, near Ortona, Italy.
References:
- Library Archives Canada website for Second World War Service Files - War Dead 1939-1947. To access the page pertaining to Daniel Joseph Fraser, click HERE.
- Canadian Virtual War Memorial website. To accesss the page pertaining to Daniel Joseph Fraser, click HERE.
- Find a Grave website for Moro River Canadian War Cemetery. To accesss the page pertaining to Daniel Joseph Fraser, click HERE.
- War Diary - Cape Breton Highlanders.
- Morrison, Alex and Slaney, Ted. The Breed of Manly Men – The History of the Cape Breton Highlanders. Sydney: City Printers Limited, 2002.
- Family information provided by Peter Fraser (Daniel Fraser's brother) in 1994.
The Collection:
Below is a collection of photos and newspaper clippings in chronological order pertaining to Daniel Fraser. They are from various sources, including his brother Peter in 1994, and his niece Bernardine MacNeil-Campbell in 2014.
Click or tap on the images below for high resolution, expandable images. Use your back button to return to this page.
Two Cape Breton Highlanders
Circa 1939-1940
On the left is Daniel Fraser. On the right is Charles "Sharkey" MacDonald from New Waterford. The photo was probably taken somewhere in Cape Breton very early in the war. With the great influx of new recruits, uniforms and equipment were in short supply. Daniel is wearing what appears to be a First World War era uniform, while Sharkey's only item of uniform is a glengarry.
Photographer: Unknown
Ref. Number: CBHHR-FraserDJ-2-3.2
Image Information: Received as electronic file
Source: Bernardine MacNeil-Campbell, Ontario, 2014
Daniel Fraser
Cape Breton Highlanders
Connaught Ranges, Ontario
1941
Photo of Daniel Fraser cropped from a large panoramic group photo of sergeants from the Cape Breton Highlanders. He holds the rank of company quartermaster sergeant in this photo. The photo was taken before the battalion went overseas.
Photographer: Unknown
Ref. Number: 0-4 (11-1-3.5)
Image Information: Scan of original photo
Source: Robert MacLellan Collection
Two Cape Breton Highlanders
Edinburgh, Scotland
April 10, 1942
On the left is Daniel Fraser with the rank of company quartermaster sergeant.
On the right is Sgt. Vincent Terrance (Terry) MacDonald. Terry was from Sydney Mines, one of four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Allan J. MacDonald. The family moved to New Waterford when Terry was young, so like Daniel Fraser, he grew up and received his education there. He was very popular and had many friends. When war was declared in 1939, Terry joined the Cape Breton Highlanders. He trained with the battalion in Canada, and sailed to the U.K. with them in November, 1941. Before leaving Canada he married Elizabeth MacNeil of Florence, NS. At some point while overseas, Terry transferred to the Carleton and York Regiment which was based out of New Brunswick. He saw action with his new unit in Italy and died there on April 10, 1944 as a result of wounds received from a mine explosion. Like his friend Danny, Terry is also buried in Moro River Canadian War Cemetery in Italy. At the time of his death, Terry held the rank of sergeant and was twenty two years old.
Photographer: Unknown
Ref. Number: 11-2 (1-1-32.3)
Image Information: Scan of original photo
Source: Laurie Arnold, Sydney, NS, 2011
Daniel Fraser
Cape Breton Highlanders
England
Circa 1942-1943
Studio portrait photo of Daniel Fraser. He holds the rank of company sergeant major in this photo.
Photographer: Unknown
Ref. Number: CBHHR-FraserDJ-1.4
Image Information: Scan of a photographic reprint of an original photo
Source: Robert MacLellan Collection (permission to copy original photo courtesy Peter Fraser, Sydney, NS, 1994)
Cape Breton Highlanders Training in England
"O" Group Conference
Sheffield Park, England
December 5, 1942
Officers and a company sergeant major of the Cape Breton Highlanders at an "O" Group Conference in a field during manoevers in England. The "O" stood for "orders".
Left to Right:
1. Company Sergeant Major Daniel (Danny) Joseph Fraser, New Waterford, NS
2. Major Carl D. Arnold, Sydney, NS
3. Capt. W.A. Nelson, Hamilton, ON
4. Lt-Col. James B. Weir, Montreal, QC (Commanding Officer)
5. Major W.W. Ogilvie, Montreal, QC
6. Capt. Alex C. Ross, Sydney, NS (Adjutant)
Photographer: Unknown
Ref. Number: 0-2 (3-1.2)
Image Information: Scan of photo
Source: Library and Archives Canada PA-176593
Newspaper Clipping Article
Unidentified Newspaper
Dated February 6, 1944
This section contains one newspaper clipping dispatch from an unidentified newspaper. The article is dated February 6, 1944, and was written by Canadian press war correspondent Foster Barclay. The article pertains to the Cape Breton Highlanders' first major battle of the war, an ill-fated assault across the valley of a stream called the Riccio, in Italy, on January 17, 1944. The battlefield later became known as "The Valley of Death". Many men are named in the article. The sergeant major mentioned In the last paragraph of the article was Company Sergeant Major Daniel Fraser.
Ref. Number: 0-5 (1-4-1-3.2)
Writer: Foster Barclay (Canadian Press War Correspondent)
Image Information: Scan of original newspaper clipping
Source: Robert MacLellan Collection
"Reported Missing"
Newspaper Clipping Article
Unidentified Newspaper
Dated February 18, 1944
Above is a newspaper clipping article from an unidentified newspaper. The article is dated February 18, 1944 and pertains to Cape Breton Highlanders Daniel Fraser and Teddy Martin being reported missing in action overseas. They were both later reported killed in action on January 17, 1944 during the fighting to cross the valley of a stream called the Riccio.
It is not clear why Daniel Fraser's first name in the article is Donald instead of Daniel and his nickname is Dennie. These are probably errors in the writing of the article.
Ref. Number: CBHHR-FraserDJ-1-1.3
Writer: Unknown
Image Information: Scan of original newspaper clipping
Source: Robert MacLellan Collection
Grave Headstone for Daniel Joseph Fraser
Moro River Canadian War Cemetery
Near Ortona, Italy
Undated
Photographer: Unknown
Ref. Number: CBHHR-FraserDJ-2.1
Source: Find a Grave website for Moro River Canadian War Cemetery