Private Bruce Kingsbury VC – Second World War
RSL Victoria remembers the sacrifice of Private Bruce Kingsbury VC who lost his life in service of his country during the Second World War.
Bruce was born in North Melbourne on 29 May 1918, the second child born to Philip and Florence Kinsbury. Bruce’s father and grandfather were both real estate agents, his father migrating to Australia in 1911 where he married Florence in Melbourne in 1913.
Bruce’s family lived in North and West Melbourne when he was a child before moving to Larnook Street, Armadale, where Bruce was enrolled in Windsor State School. Bruce went on to win a scholarship to the Melbourne technical school, known today as RMIT, where he would complete his education before heading to the Victoria-NSW border to work on sheep and fruit farms with his close friend Alan Avery.
The two friends returned to Melbourne and Bruce joined his father’s real estate business as a clerk.
Bruce enlisted in the Australian Army on 29 May 1940 and was initially posted to the ill-fated 2/2 Pioneer Battalion which would serve in the Middle East before being taken as POWs on mass in Java, with many going on to work on the Thai-Burma Railway.
Bruce, however, was granted a transfer to the 2/14th Battalion to join his friend Alan Avery who had enlisted on the same day. They completed training at Puckapunyal before embarking for service overseas on the troop ship Aquitania on 26 October 1940.
Private Kingsbury and the 2/14th Battalion trained in Palestine and Egypt before taking part in the invasion of Syria, which was under the control of Vichy France, which was allied to NAZI Germany.
By July 1941 the Vichy French surrendered and the battalion remained in the region and oversaw the transfer of Vichy French soldiers from Syria to their home country.
With the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941 and rapid move toward the British stronghold in Singapore the 2/14 Battalion was recalled to Australia in January 1942. By the time the battalion arrived in Adelaide on 24 March 1942 the Japanese Army had overrun Singapore, the Dutch East Indes and parts of New Guinea.
After briefly being deployed to Yandina Queensland for further training Bruce and the 2/14th Battalion were sent to New Guinea in August and proceeded the to the Kokoda track where the 39th Battalion had suffered terrible casualties but managed to hold back the rapid Japanese advance towards Port Moresby.
The Japanese mounted a fresh attack on 27 August with six battalions which managed to inflict heavy casualties on the Australians and Private Kingsbury was one of the few survivors of 9 Platoon. He had been in constant contact with the enemy for two days but still volunteered to join No. 1Platoon as it prepared for a counterattack. On 29 August the counterattack began. Below is a summary of the actions of Private Kingsbury provided by his commanding officer Acting Lieutenant Thompson:
“I was in command of No.1 Pl on 29th August 1942 to which Private Bruce Kingsbury had volunteered to join. He was equipped with an L.W.G. I told him to follow close behind me. Suddenly we came under heavy fire which also includes Grenades. Kingsbury without any order from me, or without giving any indication, rushed forward up the narrow track towards the clearing, firing the Bren gun from the hip. The enemy seemed to concentrate most of their fire on him. Seeing him go forward I ordered the remainer of my troops to follow, but Kingsbury had got so far ahead that our advance was unmolested, since he had killed most of the enemy in the vicinity. I saw him turn around and wait for us to catch up, but before we could join him, he started to move ahead again. I think he did this as there was considerable enemy movement not far away. The next I saw was Kingsbury fall to the ground. He was dead when I arrived at his side. The remainder of my troops moved forward and consolidated the ground Kingsbury had won.”
Private Kingsbury, a simple clerk at his father’s real estate agency had single handedly killed approximately 30 enemy soldiers and cleared the path for the rest of his platoon to pushed back the Japanese advance. For his actions he would be the only Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross on the Kokoda track.
His citation read in part: “His initiative and superb courage made possible the recapture of the position which undoubtedly saved Battalion Headquarters, as well as causing heavy casualties amongst the enemy. His coolness, determination and devotion to duty in the face of great odds was an inspiration to his comrades.”
He died a single man without children and left his entire estate to his mother. He was initially buried at Kokoda War Cemetery before being reburied twice in 1946, finally finding rest at Bomana War Cemetery where he remains to this day.
Bruce’s parents passed away in Preston in the 1960’s having seen their son immortalised with the naming of the suburb of Kingsbury, near to their home in Preston, in his honour. Every year the students at Kingsbury Primary School learn about the actions of Private Bruce Kingsbury at Kokoda where he saved his platoon and helped to halt the Japanese advance.
RSL Victoria pays tribute to Private Bruce Kingsbury VC, his family and all those who have sacrificed in the service of their country.
Lest We Forget.
