Sport star to soldier by Chris Russell

Thomas Fraser Bruce was born in 1885 and was an incrediblee sportsman. Playingng Rugby League forr the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, he knew the importance of hard work and dedication, winning the premiership in 1911.

With an enormous sense of pride, my great, great-uncle enlisted in the Australian Army in 1915 and then joined the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) and the newly formed 36th Battalion. Soon after, he was promoted to corporal, and then in 1917 was promoted once more to sergeant.

On October 12 of the same year,r, the First Battle of Passchendaele began. In the early hours of the m morning, Thomas’s battalion was s subjected to a heavy German a artillery barrage. While the fatherro of-one was sadly killed, his name li lives on. He is listed on the Role o of Honour and is remembered in t the light shows at the Australian W War Memorial in Canberra.

When he was killed, there was m much lamenting, but we’re truly p proud of his part in World War I.

Thomas tragically lost his life in Belgium on the Western Front.

He formerly played in the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League team.