Bruce Kingsbury

During his time in Sydney, Kingsbury met Leila Bradbury and fell in love with her. After learning that he would be stationed overseas, he decided to propose to her with a wristwatch being his engagement present. Their love story would not culminate in marriage as they were unable to arrange a marriage license before he departed.

Had he not attacked the Japanese troops at Isurava and demoralized them his battalion would have been destroyed. Though the Australians eventually lost the battle, his brave act prevented the Japanese from breaking through the Australian lines and overrun their headquarters.

Bruce Kingsbury became the target of a Japanese sniper’s bullet during the Battle of Isurava, and died on August 29, 1942. He was only 24 years of age when he passed away in the arms of his friend, Allen Avery. He was buried in the Bomana war cemetery at Port Moresby.

Bruce Kingsbury was born on January 8, 1918, in Melbourne, Australia, to Philip Blencowe Kingsbury and Florence Annie Steel. His parents had emigrated from the UK before the end of World War I.

At the age of five, he met Allen Avery who would go on to become his lifelong friend and fellow serviceman.

His early education was at Windsor State School; he was a fairly good student. His academic achievements at Windsor earned him a scholarship at Melbourne Technical College.

Bruce Kingsbury was a qualified printer industry but instead chose to assist his father in the real estate business. He disliked the job as he preferred life in the bush.

He left the city and joined a farm as the caretaker at Boundary Bend by the Murray River. Avery worked on a sheep station close by and three months later they decided to travel through western Victoria and New South Wales.

Both quit their respective jobs in February 1936, at the age of 18, and travelled north. Along the 900km walk, they found odd jobs on various farms and estates. Their adventures took them through Piangil, Leeton, and Wagga Wagga before reaching Sydney. Homesickness had caught on to them and they returned on the first train to Melbourne.

At Melbourne, Kingsbury rejoined his father’s real estate business in Northcote and worked there till 1940. Avery, on the other hand, found a job as a nurseryman.

The war in Europe was beckoning him to enlist in the army and he signed up for Australian Imperial Force on May 29, 1940, despite opposition from his parents.

At the town of Isurava, the Japanese were fighting the 39th and 53rd Infantry Battalions when Kingsbury and the rest of the 2/14th arrived on August 26, 1942. On the morning of August 28, Japanese Major General Tomitarō Horii launched an attack on the Australians resulting in heavy hand to hand combat.

The next day, the Japanese forces broke through the right flank threatening to usurp the headquarters of the 2/14th battalion. Though they had suffered heavy losses, the Australians prepared a counter-attack with many volunteers including Kingsbury.

Earlier that day, Kingsbury had taken the Bren Gun of Corporal Lindsay “Teddy” Bear. Taking initiative he used it to charge at the Japanese, firing from his hip. He inflicted many casualties and forced many others to find cover.

The Australians, encouraged by his actions, coerced the Japanese to retreat to the jungle. He kept moving ahead and firing, waiting for his comrades to catch up, all the while encouraging them.

He was hit by a bullet from a Japanese sniper, who disappeared after shooting. Avery carried him to the Regimental Aid Post, but he had already died by the time they reached.