b. 08/06/1895 Deseronto, Ontario, Canada. d. 08/12/1929 Toronto, Canada.
George Fraser Kerr (1895-1929) was born on 8th June 1895 at Deseronto, near Napanee, Ontario, Canada. He was known as Bobbie or, more usually, Fraser. His father, John “Jack” James Kerr, was Scottish by origin and was proprietor of a dry goods store in Deseronto. He married Isabella “Bella” Seivright Fraser from Picton, Ontario, on 20th October 1887. They moved to Toronto in 1903. Fraser had three siblings – Catherine, Janet (known as Jenna) and John.
Fraser was educated at Deseronto and Galt Collegiate Institute, Cambridge, Ontario 1908-13. He was a chemist and metal broker when he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Valcartier, Quebec on 22nd September 1914. He sailed for England on 1st October, arriving on 25th October. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Central Ontario Regiment and served in B Company. On 9th February 1915, he sailed for France, arriving at St Nazaire on 11th February. He was promoted to lance corporal and acting corporal by September. On 9th February 1916 he was promoted to corporal and appointed lance sergeant. On 14th March he was drunk in a prohibited place and at the court martial he was reduced in rank on 7th April.
George F Kerr
VC MC* MM
Now a corporal, Kerr was awarded the Military Medal for his actions at Mont Sorrel on June 13th, 1916. When his platoon commander was wounded and the sergeant was killed, he led the platoon with skill and bravery to the final objective, where he established a bombing post and held it throughout the day. On 28th July he was seriously wounded at Hill 60, near Ypres by shrapnel to the left thigh and ankle, right calf and the right arm, injuring an artery and nerve. On 31st July, he was evacuated to England, on the strength of the Canadian Casualty Assembly Centre, and was admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, where the artery was tied on 15th August and the ulnar nerve was operated on. He would not be deemed medically fit until 26th January 1917. He was taken on the strength of the 12th Reserve Battalion, East Sandling, Shorncliffe, Kent on 31st January. He commenced the Officer Training Course at Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex on 5th May and was commissioned as a lieutenant on 1st July, joining 12th (Reserve) Battalion on 3rd July.
On 13th October he returned to France and joined 1st Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp on 17th October, arriving on 20th October, departed on 8th November and joined 3rd Battalion on 15th November. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during the Battle of Amiens on 8th August 1918 when he led his platoon to the jumping off line and found a gap, which he filled, putting an enemy machine gun nest out of action, killing about thirty enemy soldiers and capturing a battery of 77mm guns. At the jumping off line he found one company had not arrived, so he led his platoon into its place, with the advancing waves. He was wounded but continued to the final objective, clearing another machine gun nest on the way. For the next two days, he continued in the line, and refused to leave due to a shortage of officers.
Shortly afterwards he was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross for his actions during the Drocourt-Queant attack on 2nd-3rd September 1918, when he led his company forward with gallantry, initiative and skill. He later led two platoons to the assistance of one of the attacking companies, which was held up by heavy machine gun fire. They surprised the hostile machine gun crews and he personally accounted for several of the enemy. During the action he was wounded in the arm.
By all accounts, Kerr should have been in sick bay on September 27th, 1918, nursing his injured arm, and not involved in the operations at Bourlon Wood. However, when his regiment was called to an attack, Kerr was there, leading his company into battle, when he encountered a German machine-gun nest blocking the advance.
On that day, he handled his company with great skill, and gave timely support by outflanking a machine-gun which was impeding the advance. Later, near the Arras-Cambrai Road, the advance was again held up by a strong point. Lt. Kerr, far in advance of his company, rushed this strong point single-handed and captured four machine-guns and thirty-one prisoners.
On 3rd January 1919 he was riding a partially blind horse at Lind, Ahrweiler, Germany when the animal shied. He struck a tree with his arm and fractured the ulna and olecranon. He was admitted to 1st Canadian Field Ambulance and No 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station next day before being transferred to 14th General Hospital, Wimereux by 17 Ambulance Train on 12th January, arriving on 15th January. He was evacuated to England on 23rd January aboard HMHS Jan Breydel. He was admitted to The Prince of Wales’ Hospital for Officers, Marylebone, London for treatment. He was transferred to Granville Canadian Special Hospital, Buxton, Derbyshire from 10th April to 21st May 1919.
George Kerr was invested with his Victoria Cross and Military Cross and Bar by King George V at Buckingham Palace on the 22nd May 1919. He arrived back in Canada on 5th June, and was discharged from the Army medically unfit on 16th July. He transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 13th December 1919 and joined the Militia. He was promoted to captain in the Toronto Regiment on 1st March 1921 and transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 19th January 1923. He was employed as the Manager of Lewis, Lazard & Sons, Metal Suppliers of Toronto.
Fraser married Mary Beeman, born at Centerville, Ontario, on 6th March 1924 at York, Ontario. They had two daughters – Mary and Janet. Fraser attended the VC Dinner at the House of Lords in November 1929. On the journey to England he broke his arm and went to see a specialist once his ship docked. He requested that his injury should not be reported to prevent his wife being alarmed. Fraser died of accidental carbon monoxide asphyxiation while warming his car engine in his garage at 38 Cheltenham Avenue, Toronto on 8th December 1929. The funeral was attended by six VCs who acted as pallbearers – Colin Barron, Benjamin Geary, Tommy Holmes, Henry Robson, Charles Rutherford, and Robert Shankland. He was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.
He was commemorated in several places including Kerr Street in Cambridge, Ontario, on a Heritage Foundation plaque in Deseronto, Ontario, on the VC obelisk in Barrie, Ontario, on Plaque No 78 at York Cemetery, Toronto, and with a VC commemorative stone at National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire.
In addition to his VC, MC and Bar and MM, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19. The medals passed to his daughter Janet. In 1991 they were displayed at the Royal Regiment of Canada Museum, Toronto. They were donated to the Canadian War Museum in 2000, on the advice of Fraser’s grandson, David Ross, and were handed over in a ceremony attended by Fraser’s son-in-law, Dr Arthur Ross, and his daughters Cory and Czashka.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM, OTTAWA, CANADA.
BURIAL PLACE: MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY, TORONTO, CANADA.
PLOT 14, SECTION 36, LOT – E 1/2.
