Bruce Robertson, 105
There was a queue to congratulate Bruce Robertson, the World War 2 veteran, at his early 105th birthday celebration at Castle Hill RSL on Saturday (March 15th).
Among the top brass eager to shake Bruce’s hand was Australia’s Deputy Air Commander Susie Barnes who pointed out that Bruce is older than the RAAF itself. He is also several years older than RAAF Richmond, where he was once based, which turns 100 in June this year.
Organised by the Castle Hill sub-branch, the party was attended by veterans, serving officers, politicians and Bruce’s family who were joined (among others) by Colonel Michael Miller, the official secretary to the Governor of NSW, David Harris MP NSW Veterans Affairs Minister, Robyn Preston MP shadow minister for Veterans Affairs, Federal MP, Alex Hawke, State MPs Mark Hodges and Ray Williams, Hills Mayor Michelle Byrne and Deputy Mayor Frank de Masi plus the Commanding Officer of 22 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond Wing Commander Andrew Burke.
The former RAAF wireless operator’s story has been well documented and is included in the Australian War Memorial archives but it is one that everyone in the room wanted to hear.
Bruce took a job in a radio sales and repair shop in 1937 in Angel Place in the city after leaving school and joined the militia, serving in the Scottish Regiment.
When he heard war had been declared after Germany had invaded Poland in September 1939 he decided to enlist.
He wanted to join the RAAF rather than the Army because he had fallen in love with airplanes when he was 8-years-old and met aviators Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm after their trans-Pacific flight.
He stayed in the Scottish Regiment another year before training as an RAAF wireless operator in Sydney. At 2am one morning, while helping to monitor wireless communications, he picked up a Morse code he couldn’t transcribe.
In an interview a few years ago he told the Hills to Hawkesbury Community News: “I heard some strange signals in my headset and called the Signals Officer over. He got onto the Direction Finding stations and got a fix; they confirmed my original suspicion that it was a Japanese transmission in Kani Code.”
The messages were being sent from the Japanese mother ship which had just deposited 3 midget submarines in Sydney Harbour.
Bruce was posted to the newly-formed 30 Squadron based at RAAF Richmond as a wireless operator and then headed to New Guinea for two years, where the Bristol Beaufighter bombers were involved in Kokoda, Milne Bay and the Battle of Bismarck Sea. Approximately 7000 Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen died during the New Guinea Campaign.
Bruce often talks about his war service as he feels it is important that people don’t forget the sacrifices others made, he also feels school children need to know about Australia’s involvement in World War 2 and has made it his mission to talk to school groups and businesses, something he has done for many years.
He was in Sydney when the war was declared over, and joined in celebrations with his new wife Beryl. The couple moved to Castle Hill in 1946 and had two daughters, Judith and Penny, five grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren. His great great grandson Kingsley saw Bruce welcome the fifth generation of his clan three years ago.
NSW Governor Margaret Beazley sent “heartfelt congratulations” for Bruce’s birthday but also thanked him for his “service and leadership” as President of the 30 Squadron Beaufighter Association.
There were messages and certificates too from the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns and personal messages from two former Governor Generals of Australia, General Peter Cosgrove, and General David Hurley.
David Hurley said: “We are so proud of your service to Australia both in uniform and to the community…. You have represented your fellow servicemen and women with great distinction, you have been open about your experiences and have always spoken wisely about the cost of war.”
Bruce will be celebrating his actual birthday this Sunday (March 23rd) with his entire family.
