Bruce Steel Kingsbury was born in Preston just outside of Melbourne on the January 8th, 1918. He was a second child and his parents are Philip Blencowe Kingsbury and Florence Annie Steel. He attended Windsor State School and (on a scholarship) Melbourne Technical College. After graduation, Bruce worked in his father’s real estate business. He was not happy working in the real estate business and was missing his best friend Alan Avery. Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force on May 16, 1940, Kingsbury was posted to the 2nd/2nd Pioneer Battalion before obtaining a transfer to his friends unit, Avery, the 2nd/14th Battalion. Kingsbury trained in Palestine and garrisoning Mersa Matruh, Egypt. After training, the unit took part in the invasion
