More about Alexander Bruce

Alexander has no known grave but is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. William was serving aboard H.M.S. Indefatigable a British Cruiser which was lost at the Battle of Jutland. She sank at 16:03 pm after being struck by a German shell which caused her magazine to explode taking over 1,000 of her crew with her.

Alexander Bruce   CZ/4824   H.M.S. Indefatigable

BRUCE―Lost with H.M.S. Indefatigable in the North Sea battle, on May 31st, A.B. Sandy Bruce, age 29 years, eldest son of James Bruce, joiner, 87 Strathmartine Road, Dundee. – Inserted by his sorrowing brother, Driver Peter Bruce, R.F.A., B.E.F., France.

Dundee People’s Journal 17th June 1916

Alex was the brother of  Driver Peter Bruce, 636182, R.F.A.

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Alexander Bruce was the son of Mr James and Mrs Bella Bruce of 87 Strathmartine Road, Dundee and he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for service in the Royal Naval Division in May 1915. He had two brothers and, before the war, he worked as a Plasterer. After basic training at Crystal Palace in South London he transferred to the Sea Service and joined HMS Indefatigable, a Battle Cruiser in August 1915. At the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 he was serving on the Battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable when she was struck by shells from the German Battlecruiser Von Der Tann which caused a explosion in her rear gun turret. The ship lost power and started to sink by the stern. Von Der Tann continued to fire and hit the forward part of the hull causing a massive explosion. Indefatigable sank in seconds taking over 1000 men with her. Only three were saved from the water by the Germans and became Prisoners of War. Alexander Bruce did not survive and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common, Hampshire.