Henry Robert BRUCE

BRUCE, Henry Robert

Service Number: 2059
Enlisted: 10 April 1916
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: 44th Infantry Battalion
Born: Stepney London England , 20 December 1872
Home Town: Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Driver
Died: Cancer of Stomach , Fremantle West Australia, 24 July 1928, aged 55 years
Cemetery: Fremantle Cemetery, Western Australia
Church of Christ Section Fremantle Cemetery
Memorials: Fremantle Loyal Orange Lodge "No Surrender" No 7 Honour Roll
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World War 1 Service

10 Apr 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2059, 44th Infantry Battalion
10 Oct 1916: Involvement Private, 2059, 44th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: ''
10 Oct 1916: Embarked Private, 2059, 44th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Fremantle
22 Dec 1918: Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 2059, 1st Wing Headquarters AFC
6 May 1919: Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 2059, RTA "Kaiser-z-Hind' 6th May 1919

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Biography contributed by Lorraine Barnes

Born in Stepney England on 20th December 1872 Henry Robert Bruce from about 1896 lived in Karridale West Australia with Elizabeth Margaret Bruce who had married John Carr Bruce in Melbourne in 1891 .No record of Henry and Elizabeth's marriage can be located but they lived as husband and wife .

Elizabeth had three children , Alfred James . Henry Bary Redan , Elizabeth Margaret Bruce ,who had been born in Melbourne prior to her move to Karridale .She had two further children , William Oliver and Charles Robert , born in Karridale whilst she lived with Henry Robert Bruce . Family stories and official docments recount Henry Robert Bruce was acknowledged and in documents named as the father , step father , adopted father variously of all 5 of Elizabeth Bruce's children.

In 1916 when Robert enlisted he was living at 21 Gold Street , Fremantle , WA , gave his marital status as Widower . Elizabeth Bruce had married for another time in 1914, marrying John Dean Johannsen in Fremantle .

Whilst on Active Service abroad Henry Robert married Emily Townsend in Tetbury ,England on 26th April 1919 . His wife Emily and infant son were granted Free Passage to Australia on SS "Icelandic" docking in Fremantle early May 1920 .

The family lived at 38 Adelaide Tce Fremantle . It is known Henry and Emily had three children , William Robert , born in England , Emily Theresa and Mary Joyce born in Fremantle .

At the time of his death on 24th July 1928 , from Stomach Cancer , Henry was working as a Storeman.

His death Certificate 24th July 1928 records him being 60 years old. This conflicts with his birthdate consistently recorded in Service Records as 20th December 1872 .Copy of his marriage certificate in his Service File has his age stated as 40 years, marriage 26th April 1919 

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