BRUCE, Harry John
(Service number 12/301)
| First Rank | Sergeant | Last Rank | Sergeant |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 25/03/1891 | Place of Birth | Prebbleton |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 11 August 1914 | Age | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Morrinsville | ||
| Occupation | Bank Clerk, Morrinsville | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | A.G Bruce, Kakahu, Geraldine | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Auckland Infantry Battalion | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Star of India or Waimana | ||
| Embarked From | Auckland | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Auckland Infantry Battalion, 6th (Hauraki) Company | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 27 April 1915 | Age | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | At sea, ex Galllipoli | ||
| Cause | Died of wounds | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Lone Pine Memorial, Lone Pine Cemetery, Anzac, Turkey | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Esk Valley War Memorial; Geraldine War Memorial | ||
Biographical Notes
Harry Bruce was the son of Arthur and Helen Bruce of Kakahu, Geraldine. The New Zealand Herald, on 15 July 1915, reported Bruce’s fate:
“KILLED IN ACTION. SERGEANT H. BRUCE. Sergeant Harvey John Bruce, Auckland Infantry Battalion, died of wounds, was the second son of Mr. A. S. Bruce, of Geraldine. He was born at Prebbleton, 24 years ago. He subsequently resided at Fernsido and Rangiora. where he was educated at the Rangiora High School. He was a lieutenant in the school cadets. Leaving school, he joined the local branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association. On August 11, 1911, he joined the staff of the Bank of New Zealand and, in January. 1913 was transferred to Morrinsville. Whilst there he joined the 6th Hauraki, Regiment, rising to the rank of sergeant and passing his examination for a lieutenant's commission before leaving for the front. Upon the outbreak of war he joined the 6th Hauraki Company, of the Auckland Infantry Battalion. He was wounded within an hour of the landing at the Dardanelles. Sergeant Bruce was a crack rifle shot and, when a member of the Rangiora High School Cadets, won the South Island medal for shooting. The governors of the Rangiora High School passed a motion of sympathy with the deceased's parents, who have another son at the front.”
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Databse; Paperspast http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ ; Births, Deaths & Marriages online www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
External Links
Related Documents
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Researched and Written by
Carol Bell; Liz Shea, SC branch NZSG
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