James Lesley's Story.
James Fraser was born in Wallasey in 1896, son of Duncan and Sophia Fraser. His father was an Actuary in an Insurance Company.In 1901 he was living with his parents and his brother and sister at 3, Buckingham Road, Wallasey.
Ten years later the family had moved to 25, Balls Road, Oxton. By the time of his death the family had moved again and were living at The Grove, Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead. He was educated at Birkenhead School and left in 1914. He was a member of the football XV. His last year at school saw him as Head Boy.
He left school to train in the army and obtained his commission in the Seaforth Highlanders. James embarked for the front in January 1916 and first saw fighting in Mesopotamia where he was wounded twice. Later he was invalided home for treatment for a wound on the knee. He spent months in Fazackerley Military Hospital, and while in hospital he developed tuberculosis. He was brought back to his home at The Grove, Woodchurch Road, where he died from his illness.
Lieutenant Fraser was given a military funeral and is buried in the churchyard at Holy Cross, Woodchurch. He is remembered on the Birkenhead War Memorial and the war memorial at Trinity with Palm Grove United Reformed and Methodist Church.
War memorial inside Trinity with Palm Grove Grove Church
Research and photographs by Chris Booth