Randolph Roy Bruce
Encyclopedia
Randolph Roy Bruce was an Australian recipient of the Military Medal
during the First World War.
, South Australia
to CJP and Anna Bruce and attended Norwood High School before becoming a clerk in the South Australian Railways
.
in the Battle of Arras
, Bruce took an ammunition dray in front of enemy lines to an isolated pocket of Australian soldiers, a deed for which he was awarded the Military Medal (gazetted 15 September 1919).
for a lung complaint contracted in the war, and died there in 1957 after having risen to the role of Chief Paymaster at the SAR.
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
during the First World War.
Early life
Bruce was born in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
to CJP and Anna Bruce and attended Norwood High School before becoming a clerk in the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
.
Enlistment
Enlisting on his 18th birthday as part of the 10th reinforcement of the Adelaide-based 27th Battalion (Australia), he embarked for overseas duty on the HMAT “Mongolia” from Adelaide on 9 March 1916, arriving in France on 25 June. At first mustered Gunner in the 5th Divisional Armoured Column, he was transferred to 5th Division Artillery HQ and assigned clerical duties in the field. In November 1917 he was mustered Driver and in August 1918 rejoined his unit as a Gunner.Military Medal
During the attack on BullecourtBullecourt
Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France.-Geography:Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. This shows Bullecourt just north of centre. Quéant is the larger of the two...
in the Battle of Arras
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
, Bruce took an ammunition dray in front of enemy lines to an isolated pocket of Australian soldiers, a deed for which he was awarded the Military Medal (gazetted 15 September 1919).
Later life
His mother died in the Spanish influenza epidemic when Bruce was in transit back to Australia. He returned to his work at the railways, moved to seaside BrightonBrighton, South Australia
Brighton is a coastal suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, situated between Seacliff and Glenelg and aside Holdfast Bay. Some notable features of the area are the Brighton-Seacliff Yacht Club, the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club, the Brighton Jetty, and its excellent beach...
for a lung complaint contracted in the war, and died there in 1957 after having risen to the role of Chief Paymaster at the SAR.