"Lieutenant Fraser commanded His Majesty's Midget Submarine XE-3 in a
successful attack on a Japanese heavy cruiser of the Atago class at her
moorings in Johore Strait, Singapore, on 31st July, 1945. During the
long approach up the Singapore Straits XE-3 deliberately left the
believed safe channel and entered mined waters to avoid suspected
hydrophone posts. The target was aground, or nearly aground, both fore
and aft, and only under the midship portion was there just sufficient
water for XE-3 to place herself under the cruiser. For forty minutes
XE-3 pushed her way along the seabed until finally Lieutenant Fraser
managed to force her right under the center of the cruiser. Here he placed the limpets and dropped his main side charge. Great
difficulty was experienced in extricating the craft after the attack had
been completed, but finally XE-3 was clear, and commenced her long
return journey out to sea. The courage and determination of Lieutenant
Fraser are beyond all praise. Any man not possessed of his relentless
determination to achieve his object in full, regardless of all
consequences, would have dropped his side charge alongside the target
instead of persisting until he had forced his submarine right under the
cruiser. The approach and withdrawal entailed a passage of 80 miles
through water which had been mined by both the enemy and ourselves, past
hydrophone positions, over loops and controlled minefields, and through an anti-submarine boom."
From Lt. Fraser's Victoria Cross citation, awarded on November 13, 1945.
May you be at peace,
Brian & Melonie
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