Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Aflred Arthur HILTON, 440 Punchbowl Road, Belmore, New South Wales.

Bruce was born in Inglewood, Queensland, in 1925 and is an Australian Army veteran. Before the war, he worked for NSW Railways. During the war, Bruce’s job was deemed to be a reserved occupation meaning he could not enlist, but he applied on a weekly basis for release hoping that he could join the war effort.

Bruce was finally able to enlist in the Army in March 1946, aged 20. He underwent training at Greta and Singleton in NSW, where he also completed a non-commissioned officers (NCO) course. He was assessed as a ‘keen, intelligent young soldier’ with ‘all the attributes necessary to become a good instructor’. He was recommended to attend an officer training school, but his father died and Bruce went home on compassionate leave. He then volunteered to serve overseas with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in post-war Japan.

Bruce sailed from Sydney on 15 October 1946. He spent more than 2 years serving in Japan at Kure and the island of Etajima. From November 1946 to February 1947, he was a clerk with 89 Australian Dental Unit, and was then transferred to BCOF Headquarters where he served as a clerk and was also promoted to sergeant.
During Bruce’s time in Japan, he met Shirley Avis, his future wife. Shirley was a member of the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service and was serving at the 130th Australian General Hospital on Etajima Island.

Bruce said he valued the lifelong friendships he made and appreciated the opportunity to see a different part of the world. He was proud to be able to aid in the reconstruction of a country devastated by Allied bombing, including the dropping of 2 atomic bombs. ‘I served with multicultural personnel, as BCOF was a mixture of people from many countries,’ Bruce said.

Bruce returned home in February 1949 and was discharged from the Army in March. He and Shirley married in 1950. They went on to have 3 children and have 7 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Sadly, Shirley died in 2016.

In his spare time, Bruce played tennis, golf, and lawn bowls. He also liked reading, gardening, travelling with Shirley, and was a member of Probus. These days, Bruce enjoys listening to music and watching movies with his daughter.

Bruce credits his long life to vitamins and staying active.