Bruce Steel Kingsbury
Private, 2nd/14th Battalion * Australian Military Forces
- Register No.
- 696 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Private all Privates →
- Unit
- 2nd/14th Battalion * Australian Military Forces (register: 2/14th Battalion, AIF) all 2/14th Battalion, AIF VCs →
- Date of action
- 29 August 1942 on this day → all of 1942 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 9th February, 1943 on this day → all of 1943 →
- Born
- 8th January 1918 at Armadale, Melbourne, Australia
- Died
- in action on 29th August, 1942 in New Guinea
- Memorial / grave
- grave in Port Moresby War Cemetery, New Guinea and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
- Medal held by
- the Australian War Memorial, Canberra,
Digest of citation
On 29th August 1942 in Isurava, New Guinea, when the enemy had managed to break through the battalions right flank, seriously threatening the rest of the Battalion and its Headquarters. Private Kingsbury volunteered to join a platoon that had been ordered to counter-attack. Rushing forward, firing a Bren gun from the hip, he succeeded in clearing a path through the enemy, inflicting an extremely large number of casualties. He was seen to fall, being shot by a sniper. This show of superb courage made it possible to recapture the position thus saving the Battalion HQ
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
KINGSBURY, Bruce Steel. (reg No. 696).
Private. 2nd/14th Battalion * Australian Military Forces.
London Gazetted on 9th February, 1943.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Born on 8th January 1918 at Armadale, Melbourne, Australia.
Killed in action on 29th August, 1942 in New Guinea.
Memorial at grave in Port Moresby War Cemetery, New Guinea and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia.
Digest of Citation reads: On 29th August 1942 in Isurava, New Guinea, when the enemy had managed to break through the battalions right flank, seriously threatening the rest of the Battalion and its Headquarters. Private Kingsbury volunteered to join a platoon that had been ordered to counter-attack. Rushing forward, firing a Bren gun from the hip, he succeeded in clearing a path through the enemy, inflicting an extremely large number of casualties. He was seen to fall, being shot by a sniper. This show of superb courage made it possible to recapture the position thus saving the Battalion HQ.
*Victoria.
*Victoria.
Australia.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: grave in Port Moresby War Cemetery, New Guinea and on the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australia
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
Research this recipient further
Would you like to honour Bruce Steel Kingsbury by sponsoring this page from £1 a month — in memory of someone, in your own name or for your company? Sponsor this page.