- Author
- Plater, Robert, Midshipman, RAN
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories
- Tags
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- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- September 2007 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Fraser arrived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to a fractured Staff and needed to perform some team maintenance. His method utilised minimal changes to the incumbent staff, preferring to unify his command through personal example, mending the rift that had formed within Admiral Mountbattern’s South-East Asia Command.
With his ‘genius for tactful co-operation’, Fraser proved to be the best man for the hardest job. He expected his staff to perform: leading by example, always knowing what he was doing and setting goals. In return, a distance of command was maintained giving his staff freedom to build the necessary framework, including two significant changes from the standards of the Home Fleet. These were a change in uniform to khaki and a complete re-writing of communications to match the American language. The uniform change was symbolic but had a great psychological effect with greater American acceptance, but the adaptation of signals was an operational necessity in order to work co-operatively in the Pacific. Both issues were met with stern resistance from Admiral Cunningham, the First Sea Lord, but through Fraser’s influence on his superior, the changes were made.
While staff implemented these changes, Fraser had to ‘sell’ the idea of a strategic British naval presence. This was achieved by personal visits, and the Fraser charm, especially with Admiral Nimitz (CINCPAC) with whom he built a friendship which would put the British Pacific Fleet at the front of the push towards Japan’s defeat. These diplomatic ties would prove essential to the British supply chain since the geography dictated replenishment at sea as opposed to the land bases of the Home Fleet.
In January 1945 the British Pacific Fleet commenced actions to suppress Japanese air activity which threatened the American invasion forces. By May the fleet, with the insistence of Nimitz, had become an integral part in Japan’s defeat, and as a result Fraser, commander of ‘the greatest concentration of seaborne striking power assembled in the [Royal] Navy’s history’, was signatory on the instrument of surrender.
Through great tact and his uncanny ability to put people at ease, Fraser became a highly respected and approachable leader. He understood clearly what needed to be achieved and was able to communicate these under any circumstances. Fraser, the model gentleman, calm under pressure and highly educated, is an example for us all.
Editor’s Note: For reasons of space, footnotes and references have been omitted.
Midshipman Robert Plater was born in Paddington, Sydney in 1975 and attended Sydney Grammar School. He completed his HSC there and won a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport for rowing, representing Australia at the World Junior Rowing Championships. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UNSW, and has been a rugby referee and rowing coach throughout his life.
He joined the RAN in January, 2007 at HMAS Creswell. Amongst other achievements, he passed the Naval History exam, which included this essay, with 100%. At the time of writing, he was at HMAS Cerberus completing the Supply Officers Application Course, and in September, 2007 will take up his first sea posting in HMAS Tobruk.