The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
PORTRAIT OF VX19139 PRIVATE BRUCE STEEL KINGSBURY VC, 2/14TH INFANTRY BATTALION. HE IS WEARING A MIXTURE OF CIVILIAN DRESS AND MILITARY UNIFORM, FAIRLY COMMON DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE WAR. PRIVATE KINGSBURY WAS AWARDED THE VICTORIA CROSS POSTHUMOUSLY FOR ACTION IN THE ISUVARA AREA, NEW GUINEA. FROM 1942-08-09 AN INFANTRY BATTALION WAS HOLDING THE ISURAVA AREA AGAINST THE ENEMY WHO WERE ATTACKING FIERCLY IN FORCE. ON 29 AUGUST THE ENEMY ATTACKED IN SUCH FORCE THAT THEY SUCCEEDED IN BREAKING THROUGH THE BATTALION'S RIGHT FLANK. THIS CREATED A SERIOUS THREAT TO BATTALION HEADQUARTERS AND THE WHOLE BATTALION. IT WAS ESSENTIAL THE GROUND LOST ON THE RIGHT FLANK BE REGAINED IMMEDIATELY, OTHERWISE THE POSITION WOULD BE DESPERATE INDEED. THE PLATOON WAS ORDERED TO COUNTER-ATTACK AND RESTORE THE POSITION. PTE KINGSBURY, ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING SURVIVORS OF NO. 9 PLATOON, WHICH HAD BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY SINCE 27 AUGUST, VOLUNTEERED TO JOIN THE PLATOON. IN THE COUNTER-ATTACK HE RUSHED FORWARD FIRING HIS BREN L.M.G. FROM THE HIP THROUGH TERRIFIC MACHINE-GUN FIRE, AND SUCCEEDED IN CLEARING A PATH THROUGH THE ENEMY FOR THE PLATOON, A COURAGEOUS ACTION WHICH MADE IT POSSIBLE TO RECAPTURE THE POSITION. PRIVATE KINGSBURY WAS KILLED BY A SNIPER IN THE SAME ACTION.
The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and oth
PORTRAIT OF VX19139 PRIVATE BRUCE STEEL KINGSBURY VC, 2/14TH INFANTRY BATTALION. PRIVATE KINGSBURY WAS AWARDED THE VICTORIA CROSS POSTHUMOUSLY FOR ACTION IN THE ISUVARA AREA, NEW GUINEA. FROM 9 AUGUST
AUSTRALIA. C.1940. STUDIO PORTRAIT OF VX19139 PRIVATE BRUCE STEEL KINGSBURY VC, 2/14TH INFANTRY BATTALION. PRIVATE KINGSBURY WAS AWARDED THE VICTORIA CROSS POSTHUMOUSLY FOR ACTION IN THE ISUVARA AREA,
Victoria Cross. Engraved reverse suspender and cross with recipient's details and date of action. Bruce Steel Kingsbury was born at Armadale, Melbourne, on 8 January 1918. As a young man he spent ti
Informal portrait of SX6339 Sergeant (Sgt) Ernest William Shepherdson MM, 2/43 Battalion of Murray Bridge, SA. He was awarded the Military Medal for actions at El Alamein. Sgt Shepherdson and his plat
Distinguished Conduct Medal (Geo V). Impressed around edge with recipient's details. 2253 Sergeant Charles Albert (Charlie) Stokes enlisted on 27 March 1916 from Subiaco, Western Australia, and serv
Studio portrait of 82 Private (Pte) John Charles Dun, 41st Battalion of Gympie Queensland, with his sisters Margaret, Minnie and Clara Elizabeth. A farm labourer before enlisting in January 1916, Pte
