Amidst the hustle and bustle of a real estate auction, where buyers eagerly eye properties and potential investments, there are often unexpected treasures waiting to be unearthed. Such was the case at a recent auction where the spotlight unexpectedly shifted from properties to history. Tucked away among the listings and bidding paddles were poignant relics from a bygone era—the letters of Howard Frasier, a WWII aviator who went missing off the coast of Portugal in 1943 while flying the B-24D, hunting Nazi submarines in the treacherous waters known as the “Black Hole”. Alongside these letters were other relics of Howard’s life—a flying kit bag, letters to his sister Alma, family photographs, and various mementos—all held onto by his sister Alma through the decades. These artifacts, once thought lost to time, resurfaced, offering a glimpse into a chapter of history long forgotten. Join us as we delve into the remarkable journey of Howard Frasier’s WWII letters and personal effects, their significance, and the extraordinary story they tell.
A letter from Howard to his sister Alma
“Dear Alma: I got your little can of candy yesterday, and I was really surprised. I also caught several other people on it, and it was a lot of fun.”
“I saw in the paper where the Ohio was up again. Did it bother your house any?”
“The B-24’s are pretty nice ships, and we are practically finished here and should be on our way to Ft. Dix by the 1st.”
“What have you been doing of interest?”
“Have you heard from John since he has been gone?”
“The B-24’s are pretty nice ships, and we are practically finished here and should be on our way to Ft. Dix by the 1st.”
“What have you been doing of interest?””Have you heard from John since he has been gone?
“Well I’ll close as I have quite a bit of review before our final exam here, so please write soon.”
“As ever. Howard.”
A Letter From Howard to Alma
“Dear Alma: Well, it seems a long time since I’ve written you, and I’m sorry because I probably have been behind writing you for a year.”
“I was down to Huntington the other day, and we landed and messed around for about two hours.”
” I called Mother, but it would have taken her so long to have gotten ready and driven down there, that I told her not to come.”
“We sort of ‘worked over’ Charleston on our way down and back, so they saw me O.K.”
“What have you been doing? How is Byron and has he heard anything from the Army?”
“I’ve been transferred back to the 18th Anti-Sub at Langley Field, and now I’ll tell you the news.”
“I expect to go on foreign duty anytime within a month. I’ve been assigned to a new B-24, and I’ll have to fly it to San Antonio for a few modifications before I leave. I expect to go to San Antonio within a week and then I’ll probably be there a week waiting for a ship.”
“I hope we go to Africa instead of England, but it may be either place, or any place as far as that goes.”
“I haven’t told Mother, because it would worry her too much, and I think it best to let her know just before I leave. Just as though I had just received orders to go and had to leave within a few hours.”
“Don’t you think that would be best. I know if I saw her that I would feel worse than she did with her crying etc., so I think it is for the best.”
“I’ve wanted to go for so long, that I’m really primed to go. It should be good experience (dam good) and they aren’t usually gone more than a year so the sooner I get it started the sooner I’ll be back.”
“I’ll split my insurance with Jane and Mother, in case. Each will get $5,000. In case anything should happen to them, you will get $5,000 and so will Father.”
“I thought you should know about this since you are named in it.”
“Now I don’t want you to say anything to her about this, and if you can possibly arrange it, go up to see her when she finds out I’ll have to leave. It will make it much better.”
“Well, I must close. Write me soon here: 18th, Anti-Sub Squadron, Langley Field, Va.”
“Now don’t worry and let me know what you think about it.”
“As ever. With love. Howard.”
National Service Life Insurance Policy for Lt. Howard Fraser
A Western Union Telegram From 1st Lt. Fraser to His Sister Alma Hannah
Lt. Howard W. Fraser Commissioned
“Lt. Howard W. Fraser (right), youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Fraser of Charleston, has arrived in North Africa for duty with the air corps. Before leaving Langley field, Lt. Fraser was made flight commander of the 1st Anti-sub squadron which operates B-24’s. His brother, Lt. John R. Fraser, Jr., is stationed at the naval air base in Pearl Harbor.”1
Logan Sub Fighter Awarded Air Medal
“Twenty-two officers from the ‘bat out of hell’ anti-submarine squadron and 12 officers from another anti-submarine squadron have been decorated with the air medal for meritorious achievement while participating in patrol flights over the Atlantic ocean.”
“Medal recipients included: First Lieutenant Howard W. Fraser, Logan, West Virginia.”2
Air Medal Decoration
Missing Air Crew Report #529
- Organization:
Location: Craw Field, French Morocco Africa;
Command or Airforce: Group 480th Antisubmarine Group; Squadron 1st Antisubmarine Squadron. - Specify:
Point of Departure Crew Field, French Morocco, Africa;
Course 307 degrees.
Intended Destination: to return to base.;
Type of Mission: Special Antisubmarine Sweep - Weather Conditions and Visibility at Time of Crash or When Last Reported:
Clouds 7/10 to 8/10, bases 1500 feet, top 2500 feet, visibility below clouds 5 miles. - Give:
a. Date 3 July 1943; Time 1615; and Location; Approximately 40°N, 15°W, West of Greenwich; of last known whereabouts of missing aircraft.
b. Last Contacted by Radio - Aircraft Was Lost or is Believed to Have Been Lost, as a Result of:
Enemy anti-aircraft
Other Circumstances as Follows: No definite information. - Aircraft:
Type, Model and Series B-24-D
AAF Serial Number 42-40398 - Engines:
Type, Model and Series: B-1830-43
AAF Serial Number: (a)42-44984 (b)42-44937 (c)42-44673 (d)42-44840 - Installed Weapons (furnish below make, type and serial number)
(a) Browning MG Cal 30 (b) Browning MG Cal 50 (c) Browning MG Cal 50 (d) Browning MG Cal 50 (e) Browning MG Cal 50 (f) Browning MG Cal 50 (g) Browning MG Cal 30; Serial numbers unknown. - The Persons Listed Below Were Reported as:
(a) Battle Casualty Missing in Action. - Number of Persons Aboard Aircraft:
Crew: 10
Passengers: None
Total: Ten
(Starting with pilot furnish the following particulars; if more than 10 persons were aboard aircraft, list similar particulars on seperate sheet and attach original to this form.)
- 1st Lt. Howard W. Fraser, Pilot ASN: O-427490
- 2nd Lt. Albert Francois Krause, Co-Pilot ASN: O-794672
- 1st Lt. Rocco Anthony Franchi, Navigator ASN: O-789462
- 2nd Lt. Anthony Richard Tracy, Bombardier ASN: O-669248
- Tech Sergeant George Arthur Berke, Engineer ASN: 33072942
- Staff Sergeant William Lester Haigood, Assistant Engineer ASN: 18063182
- Tech Sergeant Thomas Franklin Craddock, Radio Operator ASN: 14046779
- Sergeant Gordon William Thurlow, Assistant Radio Operator ASN:6148906
- Staff Sergeant Charles Henry Wall, Armorer-Gunner ASN:14045378
- Sergeant Charles Frederick Whitmore, ASV Operator ASN:35406823
11. Identify Below Those Person Who Are Believed to Have Last Knowledge of Aircraft, and Check Appropriate Column to Indicate Basis for Same:
1. AM 2nd Class John J. Canning ASN 6461161 (US Navy). Contacted by radio.
12. If Personnel Are Believed to Have Survived, Yes to One of the Following Statements:
(c)Any other reason (specify) No knowledge of any survivors
13. Attach Aerial Photograph, Map, Chart, or Sketch, Showing Approximate Location Where Aircraft was Last Seen:
Not seen after leaving base.
14. Attach Witness Transcription of Crash, Forced Landing, or Other Circumstances Pertaining to Missing Aircraft:
No eye-witnesses.
15. Attach a Inscription of the Extent of Search, if Any, And Give Name, Rank, And Serial Number of Officer in Charge Here:
Attempted contact by radio for 14 hours, NHY and TDS (Gibraltar); flight of four B-24 American planes dispatched to sweep area, in charge of 1st Lieutenant Frederick W. McKinnon, O-416316, 1st Antisubmarine Squadron, fifty plane investigated sighted “dingy” but same was identified as belonging to B-25 plane.
Date of Report: 26 July 1943
Louis C. Carr
1st Lieutenant, Air Corps,
Adjutant, 1st Antisubmarine Squadron
Lt. Howard W. Fraser Missing
“Lt. Howard W. Fraser, son of Mr. and Mrs. JR Fraser4 of Charleston and Logan, has been reported missing in North Africa. He was recently made flight commander of an anti-sub squadron.”5
West Virginians Missing In Action
“Washington, July 27: Three West Virginians were included in a war department announcement today of 126 United States soldiers missing in action. The announcement included casualties in the European, Middle Eastern, North African, Pacific and Southwest Pacific areas.”
“The West Virginians were: First Lieutenant Howard Fraser, son of John R. Fraser, Sr., 1517 Piedmont road, Charleton, missing in the North African area; and First Lieutenant Joseph R. Littlepage, 1560 Kanawha Boulevard, Charlestown, and Second Lieutenant Henry W. Schnell, husband of Mrs. Geraldine M. Schnelle, 1170 National road, Wheeling, both missing in the Southwest Pacific warzone.”6
“Lt. John R. Fraser, stationed at Pearl Harbor, has received a senior grade rating, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. JR Fraser of Piedmont Road have learned Lt. Fraser is first pilot on a torpedo bomber. His wife, the former Miss Aileen Wylie, and infant daughter, Carol Sue, reside with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. WS Wylie7 of No. 9 Greenbrier St. Lt. Fraser’s brother Lt. Howard W. Fraser, has been reported missing in action in North Africa since last July 3.”8
October 12, 1944: A Letter from the Secretary of War
“Mr dear Mr. Fraser: At the request of the President, I write to inform you that the Purple Heart has been awarded posthumously to your son, First Lieutenant Howard W. Fraser, Air Corps, who sacrificed his life in defense of his country.”
“Little that we can do or say will console you for the death of your loved one. We profoundly appreciate the greatness of your loss, for in a very real sense the loss suffered by any of us in this battler for our country, is a loss shared by all of us. When the medal, which you will shortly receive, reaches you, I want you to know that with it goes my sincerest sympathy, and the hope that time and the victory of our cause will finally lighten the burden of your grief. Sincerely you, Henry L. Stimson
- Commissioned. (1943, June 20). Charleston Gazette, 8.
- Logan Sub Fighter Awarded Air Medal. (1943, March 29). Charleston Gazette, 3.
- War Department: Army Air Forces. (n.d.). Air Medal Award Card for Lt. Howard W. Fraser [Dataset; Loose Sheets]. In Award Cards:1942-1963. National Archives. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139416149?objectPage=94
NAID: 139416149 - Beatrice Lillian Price Fraser
- Missing. (1943, July 18). Charleston Gazette, 12.
- 3 West Virginians Missing In Action. (1943, July 28). Bluefield Daily Telegraph, 3.
- Dr. Walter Scott Wylie and Nellie Wright
- (1943, October 23). Charleston Gazette, 2.
