Julius Henry Bruche KCB CMG (1873 - 1961)

Ancestors

Biography

Major General Sir Julius Bruche KCB CMG was an Australian Army officer of German heritage who undertook active service during the Second Boer War and First World War and eventually rose to the position of Chief of the General Staff (CGS) in 1931.

Born Julius Henry Bruche on 6th March 1873 at North Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), he was a son of German emigrants, William Julius Maximilian Bruche, a corn merchant, and hs wife, Elise Dorothea Henrietta "Dora" Goetz ^[1] Having completed his formal education at Scotch College Melbourne and gained his degree at the University of Melbourne, in 1898 he qualified as a barrister in the Supreme Court of Victoria, but made the decision to pursue a military career instead.

In 1891 Bruche took a part-time commission in the 1st Battalion, Victorian Rifles, a militia unit, before transferring to the Permanent Military Forces in 1898. He was promoted to Captain in February 1899. During the early part of the Boer War he served on exchange with the British Army, attached to the 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, before serving as quartermaster for the Australian Regiment and then adjutant of the Victorian Mounted Rifles contingent. ^[2] After returning to Australia in late 1900, he returned to South Africa late in the war, serving with the 2nd Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse. ^[3] After returning from South Africa he held a number of administrative and instructional appointments.

Bruche married Dorothy Annette MacFarland on 12th April 1904 in St Thomas' Church of England, North Sydney, New South Wales. ^[4] They had twin daughters.

In 1906 he was promoted to Major before undertaking another exchange positing with the British Army in 1910. This lasted for a year and on his return he was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General in Tasmania. In July 1912 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel before being transferred to Queensland, where he also became the Assistant Adjutant General.}

At the start of the First World War, concerns about Bruche’s German heritage led to him not being accepted for overseas service in the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) until June 1916 when he was appointed to the staff of the AIF headquarters in London. Later he served on the staff of 5th Division in France as a temporary Colonel where he worked closely with General John Monash. ^[5] Monash is said to have thought highly of Bruche’s administrative skills and was concerned at the way Bruche had been treated (especially as Monash was the son of German emigrants as well!).

Following his return to Australia in December 1919 Bruche was confirmed as a substantive Colonel in 1920, before achieving the rank of Major General in 1923. He then held a number of senior positions including commandant of the New South Wales and Queensland military districts, adjutant general of the Australian forces, senior military representative for Australia in London and on the Imperial General Staff, and commandant of the Royal Military College, Duntroon (RMC). In October 1931 he was appointed Chief of the General Staff (CGS); Australia's most senior soldier. His tenure was marked by the austerity of the economic downturn of the Great Depression, and the general malaise that crept into Australian strategic thinking at the time. He retired in 1935 at the rank of Major General, being replaced as CGS by Lieutenant General Sir John Lavarack.

Throughout his career Bruche received many honours including: the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG), ^[6] Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), ^[7] and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). ^[8] During the First World War he was also Mentioned in Despatches (equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry) five times. Bruche maintained high standards of conduct in both his service and private lives. He was an able staff officer whose attention to detail did not tend to obscure the wider picture.

Sir Henry was later a member of the OSCA Council and vice-president. He presented his sword to the Scotch cadet unit and it is carried on parade by the commander of the school guard.

He passed away on 28th April 1961 at his home in South Yarra, Victoria. ^[9] He was survived by his wife and one daughter. His Lawrence grandson attended Scotch College Melbourne.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #10604/1873
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Captain Julius Bruche; accessed 29 Sep 2018
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Captain Julius Bruche; accessed 29 Sep 2018
4. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #4847/1904
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Colonel Julius Bruche; accessed 29 Sep 2018
6. ↑ London Gazette: CMG; accessed 29 Sep 2018
7. ↑ London Gazette CB; accessed 29 Sep 2018
8. ↑ London Gazette: KCB; accessed 29 Sep 2018
9. ↑ Victoria Death Index #8926/1961

See also

• Rowell, S F. Bruche, Sir Julius Henry (1873–1961). Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1979; accessed online 3 Jun 2018.
• Scotch College Melbourne: Julius Bruche; accessed 2 Jun 2018.
• Wikipedia: Julius Bruche; accessed 2 Jun 2018.