JOHN Fraser, the Glasgow-born star of Dam Busters has died at the age of 89.

The Scottish actor was battling oesophageal cancer for over a year before his death. 

Mr Fraser starred as Flight Lieutenant J V 'Hoppy' Hopgood in the 1955 picture.

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The Herald:

He escaped poverty in the Glasgow council estate where he was born to become one of Britain's best-loved film stars. The Herald:

Despite appearing in films such as Tunes Of Glory, alongside Alec Guinness in 1960 and The Waltz of the Toreadors in 1962 with Peter Sellers, Mr Fraser shied away from the limelight due to his sexuality. 

The Herald:

He met his partner, Rodney Pienaar, 68, in Cape Town and the pair were together for 42 years.

Mr Fraser died beside his partner at home in London on the morning of Saturday, November 7. 

The Herald:

His first role came as the part of a page in an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's Salome but his career had to wait for him to complete his national service as a Royal Corps of Signals lieutenant with the British Army of the Rhine.

Reportedly, Mr Fraser got into an on-set fight with Ronald Lewis, after the other actor made comments about his homosexuality, while filming the 1958 film The Wind Cannot Read.

The Herald:

Fellow actor Mark Gatiss, known for his portrayal of Mycroft Holmes in the BBC's Sherlock, paid tribute to the late legend. 

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He said in a post on social media: "A very fine actor, a blistering Bosie, an outrageous memoirist and a beautiful, beautiful man. RIP John Fraser."