Background
Fraser was the son of the 14th Lord Lovat (commonly known as the 16th Lord), and Laura, daughter of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale.
Fraser was the son of the 14th Lord Lovat (commonly known as the 16th Lord), and Laura, daughter of Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale.
After being educated at Ampleforth College (where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps) and Magdalen College, Oxford University, where he joined the University's Cavalry Squadron, Fraser was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Lovat Scouts (a Territorial Army unit) in 1930.
Simon Fraser transferred to the regular army, while still a second lieutenant joining the Scots Guards in 1931. The following year, Fraser succeeded his father to become the 15th Lord Lovat (referred to as the 17th Lord Lovat) and 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser. He was promoted lieutenant in August 1934. Lovat resigned his regular commission as a lieutenant in 1937, transferring to the Supplementary Reserve of Officers. At Churchill's suggestion the Scouts became a commando unit in 1942. It was the last element of Robert Laycock’s "Layforce" retained in the Middle East order of battle.
In the Dieppe Raid, 19 Aug 1942, Lovat led the wing of his 4th (Scots) Commando that destroyed a cliff-top gun battery near Le Haul. "Battery demolished 0650" was the radio report to England, and the commando was the only unit to withdraw without excessive casualties. For the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 Lovat led the 1st Special Service Bdc into battle with his personal piper. Invalided out of active service for wounds. Brigadier Lovat visited the USSR with Laycock to advise the Red Army on river crossing operations. Lord Lovat was Joint Under- i secretary at the Foreign Office in Churchill’s caretaker government May-July 1945.
He married Rosamond Broughton (1917-2012), the daughter of Jock Delves Broughton, on 10 October 1938, with whom he had six children. Lord and Lady Lovat lived at Beaufort Castle at Beauly, Inverness-shire.
