James Fitzgerald Fraser was born on 10 September 1916 to Simon and Jean Isabella Fraser in Proserpine Queensland. A clerk with Briggs and Mazlin before the war, he enlisted at Miowera Army camp Queensland on 3 July 1940. He moved to Grovely Military Camp on 5 September 1940, and was promoted to lance sergeant shortly after. On 26 November he was taken on strength to the 2/26th Australian Infantry Battalion and promoted to acting sergeant. In December 1940 he marched out to P.O Course No.5 in Liverpool New South Wales and returned to Grovely in February 1941. Shortly after arrived back at Grovely, he moved out to Eastern Command, and trained with the 2/26th Battalion until his embarkation overseas.
Fraser embarked from Australia on 30 July 1941 on board HMT EE (Marnix Van St. Aldegonde) from Melbourne, arriving in Singapore on 15 August 1941. He served in Malaya along with the 2/26th and was promoted to lieutenant on the 1st February 1942. On the 15th February the British commander on Singapore surrendered, and the 2/26th Battalion, along with Fraser, became prisoners of war of the Japanese. Fraser was detained at Changi goal until May 1942 when he was transferred to Borneo to Kuching Prisoner of War Camp. Fraser stayed at this camp until the 12th September 1945 where he was recovered from the camp and taken to Australian Prisoners of War and Internees Reception Camp. He embarked home on board the 2/2 Australian Hospital Ship Wanganella, spent the next few months in and out of hospital, and was discharged from the 2nd AIF on 14th February 1946.
After the war, Fraser returned to working as a clerk for Briggs and Mazlin. He married Rita May Biggs in 1947. Together they had 4 children, the first of whom, David James, was born on 15 March 1948 in Proserpine. James Fitzgerald Fraser died on 27 February 1999 in Proserpine, Queensland.