John Fraser King (1900 - 1943)

Born 1900 in New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Beatrice (Whiting) Ritchie — married 16 Sep 1921 in New Zealand

Died 26 Mar 1943 at about age 43 in Tunisia

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Jack King is an Anzac who served in World War Two.

Biography

parents - John Brownlow King and Isobel Blackeston King

Spouse - Dorothy Beatrice King

Lance Sergeant John Fraser King 25228 served in the 24th Infantry Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

The 2nd New Zealand Division was commanded by Lieutenant-General Bernard C. Freyberg. They had fought in Greece, Crete, and in the Western Desert Campaign where they played a prominent role in the defeat of German and Italian forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein and as part of the British Eighth Army's advance to Tunisia, "Operation Torch". Rommel and the Axis forces fell back from Tripoli in January 1943 and formed a strong defensive line near the Tunisian boarder, The Mareth Defensive Line. After an unsuccessful attempt to break through the Axis defenses at Mareth, the New Zealand Division attempted to drive a "left hook" around the main Axis defences, through the Tebaga Gap. This attack was launched on the 21st of March and after four days of hard fighting, the entrance to the Tepaga Gap was secured, but they were not able to break through. British reinforcements arrived and Operation Supercharge II was launched on the 26th March; and on that day Lance Sergeant John Fraser King was killed in action. By the 28th of March, the main Axis forces were forced to withdraw by the flanking threat from the advancing British 1st Armoured and New Zealand Divisions.

On the 31st March, Operation Supercharge II was over, casualties were high; the New Zealand Corps lost 51 tanks and 945 men.

from General Montgomery to Lieutenant-General Freyberg -

My very best congratulations to NZ Corps and 10 Corps on splendid results achieved by the left hook. These results have led to the complete disintegration of the enemy resistance and the whole Mareth position. Give my congratulations to all your officers and men, and tell them how pleased I am with all they have done.

- Montgomery [1]

John Fraser King was killed in action aged 43 on the 26th March 1943 in Tunisia, North Africa.

Burial

Sfax War Cemetery, Tunisia Grave - XI. E. 20

Sources

• Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
• N.Z. BIRTHS - 1900/1866 - King John Fraser - parents : Isabella Blackiston Hakodate & John Brownlow King
• N.Z. MARRIAGES - 1921/3245 - Dorothy Whiting & John Fraser King
• N.Z. DEATH REGISTRATION - 1945/48070 - King John Fraser aged 43 years
• N.Z. War Graves Project [2]
• Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph [3]

See Also

• 2nd New Zealand Division [4]
• Tunisia Campaign [5]
• Operation Torch [6]
• Battle of the Mareth Line (Operation Supercharge) [7]

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Phil Richardson for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Phil and others.