George Fraser Kerr

Few Canadian soldiers of the First World War accumulated a record of gallantry as remarkable as Captain George Fraser Kerr, VC, MC & Bar, MM. Beginning the war as a private soldier with no previous military experience, Kerr rose from the ranks to become an officer and earned four separate distinctions for courage in battle. His final act of gallantry at Bourlon Wood was extraordinary even by the standards of the Canadian Corps. Advancing ahead of his men, he attacked a German strongpoint alone and captured four machine guns and thirty-one prisoners.

George Fraser Kerr was born at Deseronto, Ontario, on 8 June 1894, the son of John James Kerr and Isabella Fraser. He attended school in Deseronto, studied at Galt Collegiate Institute from 1908 to 1913, and later completed his schooling in Toronto. Before the war he was preparing for a career in chemistry, a very different future from the one that awaited him on the Western Front.

On 22 September 1914, at the age of twenty, Kerr enlisted at Valcartier, Quebec, as a private in the 3rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. His attestation service number was 9570. He went overseas with the First Canadian Contingent and reached France in February 1915. Over the next four years he would progress from an enlisted soldier to a commissioned officer and ultimately captain. Library and Archives Canada records that he was commissioned on 1 July 1917 after repeatedly proving himself in battle.

Kerr's first major decoration came during the bitter fighting at Mount Sorrel on 13 June 1916. After his platoon officer was wounded and the sergeant killed, Kerr took command. He led the platoon to its objective, established a bombing post and held the position throughout the day. His official Military Medal citation emphasized both his skill and bravery under these circumstances. The citation is preserved on AFW 3121, and the award of the Military Medal was announced in 1916.

His courage became even more conspicuous during the Canadian offensive at Amiens on 8 August 1918. While leading his platoon toward the jumping-off line, Kerr discovered a dangerous gap in the formation and acted immediately. According to his Military Cross citation, he put an enemy machine-gun position out of action, inflicted heavy losses, and captured a battery of 77 mm guns. When he discovered that another company had not reached its position, he led his own platoon forward in its place. Although wounded, Kerr continued to the final objective, clearing another machine-gun position on the way, and remained in the line for the following two days because officers were desperately short. For this conduct he was awarded the Military Cross, published in the London Gazette, Issue 31109, 2 December 1918.

Less than a month later Kerr was again in the forefront of an attack, this time against the formidable Drocourt-Quéant Line on 2 and 3 September 1918. His citation for the Bar to the Military Cross recorded his gallantry, initiative and skill as he led his company forward and later took two platoons to assist another company that had been stopped by intense machine-gun fire. Kerr's men surprised the German machine-gun crews, while Kerr personally accounted for several of the enemy. The official citation concluded that his courage provided an inspiring example at a critical moment. The Bar was published in the Supplement to the London Gazette, Issue 31158, 1 February 1919.

Then came the action that placed George Fraser Kerr among Canada's most celebrated Victoria Cross recipients. On 27 September 1918, during the Battle of the Canal du Nord and the fighting for Bourlon Wood, Kerr was commanding the left support company of the 3rd Battalion. When a German machine gun impeded the advance, he manoeuvred his company around the position and enabled the attack to continue. Later, near the Arras-Cambrai road, another fortified position stopped the advance. Kerr was already far ahead of his company. Rather than wait for support, he rushed the strongpoint alone and captured four machine guns and thirty-one prisoners. His official Victoria Cross citation described his bravery and leadership as an inspiration to everyone who witnessed the action. The award was published in the London Gazette, Issue 31108, 6 January 1919.

Kerr survived the war, but not without lasting consequences. He had been wounded twice in action and was later injured when he fell from a horse after the Armistice. On 16 July 1919, he was discharged from the Canadian Expeditionary Force as medically unfit. He returned to Toronto, entered the metal-supply business, and continued his association with the Canadian militia, eventually serving as a captain in the Toronto Regiment.

His life after the war was tragically short. Captain George Fraser Kerr died in Toronto on 8 December 1929, aged thirty-five, and was buried with military honours at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. His Victoria Cross is preserved at the Canadian War Museum, where the surviving medal group ensures that the story of his service remains part of Canada's national military heritage. His family later placed his gallantry medals in the museum's care so that they could remain accessible to the public.

Kerr's wartime record was remarkable not because of one isolated moment of courage, but because he repeatedly assumed responsibility when the situation around him was collapsing. At Mount Sorrel, Amiens, Drocourt-Quéant and Bourlon Wood, he acted under fire when officers were wounded, units were delayed, machine guns blocked the advance, or immediate leadership was required. From private soldier to captain, George Fraser Kerr, VC, MC & Bar, MM, became one of the outstanding Canadian infantry officers of the First World War and one of the most highly decorated Canadian soldiers of his generation.