James Fraser was born at Old Machar, Aberdeenshire on 4 September 1890. He joined the Royal Navy as an Engine Room Artificer Fourth Class on 29 August 1912. He was drafted to the battleship HMS QUEEN on 31 October 1912 and served in that ship until 22 February 1914.

He joined submarines on 29 May 1914 when he was drafted to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS BONAVENTURE followed by HMS C25 from 1 August 1914 to 28 April 1916. He was next drafted to HMS G2 from 12 August 1916 to 12 May 1918. He was awarded a Mention in Dispatches (see London Gazette dated 2 November 1917) ‘for good services in submarines‘.

James Fraser was appointed to HMS R7 on 13 July 1918. He served in R7 until 29 August 1919 before joining HMS FORTH and then HMS DOLPHIN. He was promoted to Warrant Engineer on 1 October 1922 and was appointed to HMS PEMBROKE. On 8 January 1923, he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA at Hong Kong ‘additional for L Class Submarines’. This was followed by the Submarine Depot Ship HMS AMBROSE at Hong Kong ‘as Spare Officer’ on 4 April 1923.

He is reported to have died on 4 August 1924 and it appears that ‘he was accidentally drowned whilst bathing’. The Inquest recorded that ‘no blame was attributable to anyone else, that everything had been done to try to save him’ but also noted that ‘James Fraser was a poor swimmer’.

James Fraser, who was the husband of Elsie Bailey Campbell Fraser, was buried in the Happy Valley Cemetery in Hong Kong on 6 August 1924.