Bruce Kingsbury

Bruce Kingsbury
Private Bruce Kingsbury, c. 1940
Born	(1918-01-08)8 January 1918 Melbourne, Australia
Died	29 August 1942(1942-08-29) (aged 24) Isurava, Territory of Papua
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Second Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1940–42
Rank	Private
Unit	2/14th Infantry Battalion
Battles/wars	Second World War North African Campaign Syria–Lebanon Campaign Battle of Jezzine Pacific War New Guinea campaign Kokoda Track Campaign Battle of Isurava  †
Awards	Victoria Cross

Bruce Steel Kingsbury, VC (8 January 1918 – 29 August 1942) was an Australian soldier of the Second World War. Serving initially in the Middle East, he later gained renown for his actions during the Battle of Isurava, one of many battles forming the Kokoda Track Campaign in the south-east of the island of New Guinea, then part of the Australian Territory of Papua (now Papua New Guinea) . His bravery during the battle was recognised with the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. The first serviceman to receive the VC for actions on Australian territory, Kingsbury was a member of the 2/14th Infantry Battalion.

On 29 August 1942, during the Battle of Isurava, Kingsbury was one of the few survivors of a platoon that had been overrun by the Japanese. He immediately volunteered to join a different platoon, which had been ordered to counter-attack. Rushing forward and firing his Bren gun from the hip, he cleared a path through the enemy and inflicted several casualties. Kingsbury was then shot by a sniper and killed instantly. His actions, which delayed the Japanese long enough for the Australians to fortify their positions, were instrumental in saving his battalion's headquarters and he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross as a result.