BACKGROUND

Bruce Wilkins Campbell was born in Rolland Plains, Port Macquarie in 1896, son of William & Rebecca Mary (Wilkins) Campbell. According to NSWBDM he was one of 10 children with 6 brothers & 3 sisters.  Two of his older brothers, Sidney & Henry, enlisted and embarked on the same ship.

Bruce’s father, William, was a pioneer of the Tweed. With his passing, William Campbell, late of "Rocklands," Tweed Heads, in 1930 came the breaking of another link with the pioneering past. The deceased gentleman, who was 83 years of age, was born in the Hunter River district, but portion, of his life was also, spent in the Macleay River district. He came to the Tweed with his family in 1900 and engaged in cane growing and dairying pursuits. Since 1916 he has lived in quiet retirement at Tweed Heads, his "Rocklands" estate on Cobaki Creek being worked by his sons.

Bruce’s uncle, Robert was also a pioneer of the Tweed. He came to the Tweed from Macleay district, in 1898, and took up land at Tygalgah. After a short period, he was appointed secretary of Tweed River Agricultural Society, which position he held for many years. The society was then in its infancy, and it was largely through Mr. Campbell's work and guidance that it was placed on a successful foundation. Later Mr. Campbell was appointed town clerk of Murwillumbah and he occupied that office when the disastrous fire occurred in the town in 1907. He also held the position of municipal clerk of works, being the first to occupy that office, and carried out the duties entailed in conjunction with those of town clerk. When the Tweed River Co-operative Butter Company was formed and the factory taken over from Prescott's Ltd., Mr. Campbell received the appointment of secretary, and for some years continued to carry out the duties of town clerk in addition. He was secretary of the butter company until the amalgamation with Norco Ltd., when he retired. Despite the tremendous demand on his time

and energies, Mr. Campbell, also filled the office of Assistant Returning

Officer in charge of the Murwillumbah subdivision for many years.

ATTESTATION

Bruce travelled to Brisbane on the 3^rd November 1915 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as farmer. His next of kin was his mother, Rebecca, of Rocklands, Tweed Heads. He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER

On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”

OATH

He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Bruce Wilkins Campbell, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

SO, HELP ME, GOD.” 

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MEDICAL EXAMINATION

Bruce was 19 years 7 months old when he enlisted. He stood 5ft 9 inches (1.75M) and weighed 132 lbs (59kgs). He had a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His eyesight was good. He had moles on his back and a birth mark on his right scapula. He had 2 vaccination marks on his left arm. Bruce was Presbyterian

CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER

The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -

Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.

He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service

CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER

This is completed during the recruits training. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him a private with the 9^th Infantry battalion with service number 4747

TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together

Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the recruits had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training could take several months

INNOCULATIONS

All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.

THE UNIFORM

The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.

SOLDIER’S KIT

Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.

·      Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.

·      Braces: worn with breeches.

·      Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.

·      Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.

·      Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.

·      Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.

·      Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.

·      Jersey

·      Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.

·      Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.

·      Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.

·      Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.

·      Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.

·      Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.

·      Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.

·      Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.

·      They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.

·      No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM BRISBANE TO EGYPT MARCH 1916

On the 28^TH March 1916 the recruits left Brisbane, sailing upon the HMAT A73 Commonwealth. Alongside his comrades, Bruce, alongside his brothers Colin & Henry, marched aboard, their boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.

The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.

SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.

Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.

DAILY ROUTINE

Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.

MEALS

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.

HEALTH & SANITATION

Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.

THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE

Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. To keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.

The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection

CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY

The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

SIGHTS AT SEA

On the way to Egypt the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.

SECURITY

By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes.

APPROACHING EGYPT

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

The ship arrived in late April. The men boarded the troop train taking them to one of the Egyptian training camps. When the train finally rattled into the siding near the camp, the soldiers found themselves staring at an extraordinary sight — the vast Pyramids looming on the horizon, their ancient stones glowing gold in the late afternoon sun. Rows of khaki tents stretched out across the sand, the dust curling in little eddies around the tent pegs.

This camp provided the final preparation for entrainment to Alexandria and the Western Front. The camps screened soldiers arriving in Egypt, checking for any illnesses such as measles which can break out when people are crowded together for long periods.

During an interim period, soldiers typically:

·      Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.

·      Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.

·      Received equipment and uniforms: Egypt's heat made the heavy wool uniforms uncomfortable. As a result, lighter clothing was often issued or obtained locally. Soldiers frequently wore:

ü Khaki cotton shirts without the tunic

ü Lightweight drill uniforms made from cotton

ü Shorts on some occasions, particularly in camp

ü Pith helmets or sun helmets for fatigue duties and work in the sun, although the slouch hat remained the iconic Australian headgear

·      Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.

·      Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.

They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in a training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons.  Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.

After many months of continuous preparation in Egypt, the recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war.  They would continue their training in England.

EGYPT TO ENGLAND

After completing their training in Egypt, the recruits marched to the embarkation port, where thousands of Australian reinforcements waited to cross the Mediterranean Sea and then the English Channel. Before departure, every man underwent a final medical inspection, was issued with ammunition, rations and received equipment and uniforms: this included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.

The crossing to England was usually made in the early hours of darkness aboard a crowded troopship. The journey was considered dangerous, as German submarines and mines posed a constant threat. Troops travelled in large transport ships or converted passenger liners. Protection usually included:

·      Royal Navy destroyers, particularly in waters where submarines were known to operate.

·      Patrol vessels and trawlers that swept routes and watched for submarines.

·      Sailing in convoys whenever practical, especially from 1917 onwards when the convoy system became widespread.

·      Travelling at zig-zag courses to make it more difficult for submarines to calculate a torpedo attack.

·      Strict blackout conditions at night, with no lights visible from the ship.

The soldiers themselves were well aware of the submarine danger. Throughout the voyage they regularly took part in lifeboat and emergency boat drills. Every man was allocated a lifeboat station and instructed what to do if the alarm sounded. Lifebelts were often kept close at hand, and in dangerous waters the men sometimes slept fully dressed so they could reach the boat deck quickly if the ship was torpedoed.

Although most crossings were uneventful, the danger was very real. Several troopships carrying Australian soldiers were attacked during the war. One of the best-known examples was the Southland, torpedoed in the Aegean Sea on 2 September 1915 while carrying Australians from Gallipoli to Lemnos. Although she remained afloat, many men became casualties during the evacuation. Later in the war, ships crossing the Mediterranean continued to face the constant threat of U-boat attack.

ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND

On arrival at one of the English ports, they boarded the troop train for Perham Downs, one of the training camps on the Salisbury Plains. When the recruits entered the camp, they joined one of the Australian training establishments on the Salisbury Plain in southern England. By this stage of the war, the Australian Imperial Force had developed a highly organised training system designed to ensure that every reinforcement arriving in France possessed the skills needed to survive on the Western Front.

The time they spent at the camp were among the most important of their military career. Rather than being sent directly to the front, they underwent intensive preparation under instructors who were often veterans recently returned from France. These men had firsthand knowledge of trench warfare and passed on lessons learned through hard experience.

Life in the camp followed a demanding routine. Reveille sounded early each morning, followed by physical training designed to build strength and endurance. After breakfast, the men spent long hours on the training grounds learning and practising the skills they would soon need in battle. Rifle shooting remained a fundamental part of instruction, and the men would have spent considerable time on the ranges improving his marksmanship and learning to care for his weapon under all conditions.

Much of the training focused on trench warfare. Practice trench systems had been constructed across Salisbury Plain, allowing recruits to experience conditions similar to those they would encounter in France. They learned how to move through communication trenches, occupy front-line positions, stand sentry duty and maintain defensive works. They practised digging trenches, constructing parapets and revetments, and laying barbed wire obstacles.

Bombing instruction was another important part of the syllabus. Recruits learned how to throw and handle grenades safely, a skill that had become essential on the Western Front. They were also taught how to react during enemy bombardments, how to seek cover and how to move forward under artillery fire.

Field exercises frequently involved entire companies and battalions. During these manoeuvres, the recruits practised attacks on mock enemy positions, advancing behind simulated artillery barrages and coordinating movements with neighbouring units. Such exercises often lasted for many hours and could continue regardless of rain, cold or mud. The instructors were determined that recruits experience something of the hardships they would face in France.

Route marches formed a regular feature of camp life. Carrying rifles, ammunition, packs and equipment, the men marched many miles across the rolling countryside of Salisbury Plain. These marches built stamina and accustomed soldiers to carrying heavy loads over long distances. By the end of his training, the men would have been capable of marching for hours while carrying the equipment required in active service.

Beyond the formal training, the also gave the recruits the opportunity to form friendships with fellow Australians who shared anticipation and uncertainty about their future. In the evenings, men wrote letters home, attended educational lectures or spent what little leisure time was available discussing rumours from the front and wondering what lay ahead.

After many months of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.

TAKEN ON STRENGTH AUGUST 1916

Whilst in the camp Bruce was taken on strength with the 9^th Battalion on the 9^th August 1916. This means a soldier was officially assigned to and accounted for in a specific military unit's nominal roll. It meant they were integrated into the unit for daily operations, including food, discipline, equipment, and frontline duties

ENGLAND TO FRANCE

After completing their training in England, the recruits marched to Folkstone embarkation port, on the 19^th November 1916. Thousands of Australian reinforcements waited to cross the English Channel. Before departure, every man underwent a final medical inspection, was issued with ammunition, rations and any remaining equipment, and received instructions on what to do if the transport came under enemy attack.

The crossing to France was usually made in the early hours of darkness aboard a crowded troopship or cross-Channel steamer. Although the journey was relatively short, it was considered dangerous, as German submarines and mines posed a constant threat. Every soldier wore a lifebelt throughout the voyage, and troops remained alert in case they had to abandon ship. Fortunately, most crossings were completed safely, escorted by Royal Navy vessels.

On arrival at one of the Channel ports, such as Le Havre, Rouen or Boulogne, the men would have stepped onto French soil for the first time. Rather than proceeding directly to the front, they were sent to the Australian Base Depot, where reinforcements were organised, equipped and held until required by their units. Here the men exchanged some of their British-issued equipment for stores more suited to service on the Western Front, completed further medical inspections and undertook additional training designed to familiarise reinforcements with the latest trench warfare tactics.

From the Base Depot, the recruits would have travelled by troop train through the French countryside towards the rear areas behind the front line. The trains were often slow, crowded and uncomfortable, but they provided many soldiers with their first glimpse of war-torn France. Villages showed signs of shell damage, roads were busy with military traffic, and columns of troops, horses and artillery moved constantly towards the front.

Before joining their battalion, the recruits would have spent several days at the Australian Reinforcement Camp, where experienced officers and non-commissioned officers instructed newly arrived soldiers in current battlefield conditions. They practised trench routines, the use of gas masks, grenade throwing, wiring, patrolling and the latest infantry tactics. The distant rumble of artillery could often be heard, reminding every reinforcement that the front line was now only a short distance away.

JOINED THE UNIT JANUARY 1917

On the 17^th January Bruce was finally marched forward to his battalion, usually under the cover of darkness. Meeting men who had already endured months or even years of fighting, they quickly learned that his training had prepared them for the realities of the Western Front. The smell of mud, cordite and damp sandbags, the constant thunder of artillery and the ever-present danger from enemy shellfire and snipers marked the beginning of their active service in France. He arrived during a period of considerable change on the Western Front. The German Army was withdrawing towards the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line, leaving behind a devastated landscape of destroyed villages, trenches and shell holes. The 9th Battalion followed the German withdrawal and spent the coming weeks moving through the Somme battlefield area, occupying positions, repairing trenches and carrying out the ordinary duties of an infantry battalion. Bruce would have spent his days learning the routines of his new unit, becoming familiar with his comrades and officers and adapting to the very different conditions of trench warfare. There was little respite even when the battalion was not involved in a major attack, as German artillery, machine-gun and sniper fire remained a constant danger.

During March and April, the 9th Battalion became involved in the operations associated with the Allied advance towards the Hindenburg Line. The German positions around Bullecourt were particularly formidable, with deep trenches, extensive barbed-wire entanglements and strongly defended machine-gun posts. The Australians faced enormous difficulties trying to cross the open ground in front of these positions. Bruce would have experienced the exhausting routine of front-line warfare, including carrying ammunition and supplies, digging and repairing trenches, standing sentry, patrolling and enduring periods of heavy shelling.

SECOND BATTLE OF BULLECOURT

In May they joined the Second Battle of Bullecourt (part of the Battle of the Somme), where they were used mainly in a support role during the initial attack, being held back as part of the 2nd Division's reserve. During the attack, a company from the 26th was detached to help bolster the 5th Brigade, and later it was thrust into the line to help defend the gains after a German counterattack fell on the 6th Brigade's left flank.

Despite the failure of a first attack on 11 April 1917, a few weeks later General Gough once again tried to break the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. On 3 May 1917 the 2nd Australian Division attacked with the British alongside. Although the brigade on the right faltered under deadly machine-gun fire, the 6th Brigade got into the enemy’s trenches and, despite heavy shellfire and counter attacks, bravely held on.

The 1st Division relieved the 2nd, and soon the 5th Division took its turn. Finally, after more than a week, the Germans gave up these blood-soaked fields. Then the depleted Australian battalions were withdrawn to recover. The furious fighting, which in the end only advanced the line a kilometre or so, had been at the heavy cost of another 7,000 Australian casualties.

'The Second Bullecourt battle was, in some ways, the stoutest achievement of the Australian soldier in France'

WOUNDED IN ACTION 6^TH MAY 1917 MEDICAL CHAIN

The fighting around Bullecourt continued into May. On 6 May 1917 Bruce was wounded in action. He suffered shrapnel wounds to his hand and back, with the injury to his back causing severe paraplegia. His spinal injury was catastrophic and left him paralysed. The official record later described his fatal injury as a gunshot wound to the spine, while his earlier casualty entry recorded shrapnel wounds to the hand and back. Whatever the precise nature of the missile that caused the spinal injury, the damage was devastating.

On 7 May Bruce was taken to the 6th Field Ambulance and then transferred to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station. The Field Ambulance provided the first stages of treatment and evacuation for men wounded close to the front, while the Casualty Clearing Station was further behind the fighting and provided more extensive medical care. Bruce's condition was particularly serious because of the damage to his spine, and he would have required careful handling during his removal from the battlefield. At the Casualty Clearing Station his wounds would have been dressed and his condition stabilised as far as the medical staff were able before he was sent further to the rear.

On 9 May Bruce was placed aboard an ambulance train. These trains were specially equipped to carry wounded men from the casualty clearing stations to hospitals further behind the lines. Medical orderlies and nurses accompanied the wounded, attending to their injuries during the journey. For Bruce, whose spine had been severely damaged, the journey would have been particularly difficult and he would have needed careful nursing and positioning.

On 10 May Bruce arrived at the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne. Here he received further treatment for his wounds and his serious spinal injury. The hospital could provide more specialised care than was possible closer to the battlefield, but in 1917 there was very little that surgeons could do to repair a severely damaged spinal cord. The medical staff could treat the wounds themselves and attempt to prevent infection and other complications, but the paralysis caused by the spinal damage was extremely serious.

On 18 May Bruce was transferred from France to England aboard the hospital ship St Andrew. The voyage took him away from the battlefields of France and to one of Britain's leading neurological hospitals. On arrival in England, he was admitted to the National Hospital, Queen Square, in London. The hospital specialised in diseases and injuries of the nervous system, making it an appropriate place for Bruce to receive further treatment for his severe spinal injury.

Despite the care he received, Bruce's condition did not improve. The damage to his spine was too severe and the medical knowledge available at the time offered little prospect of repairing such an injury. He remained at the National Hospital, Queen Square, for approximately a month, but gradually succumbed to the effects of his wounds.

DIED OF WOUNDS 18^TH JUNE 1917

On the evening of 18 June 1917, Bruce died at the National Hospital, Queen Square, from the wounds he had received in action in France. His death occurred just six weeks after he had been wounded and only one month after he had been evacuated from France to England. His official cause of death was recorded as a gunshot wound to the spine.

BURIAL

Bruce was buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, England, in Plot XI, Row C, Grave 16. Chaplain Green officiated Headstone inscription reads: Thy Will be done Undertakers were Thos. Vigers of 3 Eccleston Street, London and the coffin was made of good polished elm

The deceased soldier was buried with military honours. Firing party and bugler, comprising members attached to the Administrative Headquarters, AIF London were in attendance. The coffin was shrouded with the Australia flag and surmounted with several lovely floral tributes. The coffin was borne to the graveside by members of the AIF HQ staff London. The Last Post was sounded at the graveside. His brother, Sidney, was present at the funeral

Bruce was not entirely alone in England at the end of his life. He had two brothers who had also enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, making military service a shared experience within the family. One of them, Sidney, was in England when Bruce died and was able to attend his funeral. For Sidney, being present at his brother's funeral at Brookwood Military Cemetery must have been an extraordinarily difficult experience. Bruce had been wounded in France, evacuated through the casualty clearing stations and hospitals, and brought to England in the hope that further treatment might save him. Instead, on 18 June 1917, he died at the National Hospital, Queen Square. His brother Sidney was there to say farewell before Bruce was laid to rest at Brookwood.

He had joined the 9th Battalion in France only a few months earlier and had spent those months experiencing the harsh realities of the Western Front. His service ended at Bullecourt, where the severe injury to his spine ultimately cost him his life.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Bruce was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Murwillumbah War Memorial & Port Macquarie Cenotaph

His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial Number 55 among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War

MEMORIAL SCROLL, MEMORIAL PLAQUE, VICORY MEDAL

His father received his Memorial Scroll on the 10^th February 1922, his Memorial Plaque on 22^nd August 1922 and his Vicory Medal on the 28^th February 1923

If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.