Air Force Cross.
1 October 1939 to 18 May 2021.
Aged 81 years.
[3SQN Commanding Officer 14/3/77 to 7/3/79.]
Bruce began his spectacular RAAF career on 20 January 1958, upon entry to No.11 Course at RAAF College, Point Cook. He was a popular member during this four-year course (spanning the period when RAAF College changed to RAAF Academy) and graduated with “flying colours”.
– He won the top three academic prizes: the Sword
of Honour, the Flying Trophy and the Queen's Medal.
Plus full sporting Colours for Basketball, Tennis, Hockey, and
Cricket.
Consequently Bruce was posted to fighters. In 1965/66, while at 2OCU, Bruce was selected to be a member of “The Marksmen” aerobatic display team, flying Sabres. In 1971 the RAAF’s 50th Jubilee entailed major efforts to mount public displays and 77 SQN formed a dedicated Mirage aerobatic team, “The Deltas”.
Bruce, a 77 SQN Flight Commander, was unexpectedly
thrust into leadership of this team by popular acclaim!
[He was obviously a “Pilot’s Pilot” – as described in the
excellent illustrated article: “Winging
It with The Deltas”.]
In 1977, Bruce was promoted to CO3 at Butterworth. His
leadership coincided with 3SQN’s “last” aircraft loss.
(Not Bruce’s fault of course; these things do happen with single-engined
aircraft! Brenton CROWHURST ejected from A3-94 on 5/12/77, at
night, after an engine failure, parachuting without serious injury.)
This famous RAAF publicity photo was taken west of Penang Island on 13
December 1977.
[The fins of two of the jets were specially-painted at Butterworth to
provide the full sequence of RAAF Mirage operators up to that time.]
The order is: ARDU - 2OCU - 75 SQN - 76 SQN - 3 SQN - 77 SQN.
Bruce, as CO3, flew his personal 3SQN Mirage - A3-100.
(5th in line.)
- This plane was later "re-named" A3-1000 when Bruce flew
his 1,000th Mirage hour!
Marty SUSANS, in The Mirage Story, records that Bruce's call-sign was "BRUCE"… [Very practical!]
A highlight of Bruce’s lengthy RAAF career was his conducting of flight evaluations of contenders for Australia’s Mirage fighter replacement. In 1980 Bruce was posted to Washington as Staff Officer - Tactical Fighter Project. He became the first Australian to fly the F-18, on April 19, 1980.
After leaving the RAAF in 1985, Bruce worked as Flight Safety Manager with Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong for many years. Then, after a period at Emirates, he retired to the golf courses of the Gold Coast. Bruce died on Tuesday 18th May 2021 after an intense battle with cancer. He was farewelled at a private family gathering.
Bruce once wrote, as an Obituary to another
flyer:
"We were members of the ‘Old School'. - Kick the tyres and
light the fires, first into the air LEADS."