Allegiance Australia Role Military Officer Years of service 1938–1984 Spouse Dahlis nee | Rank Commodore Name Bruce Loxton | |
Born 31 March 1924
Enmore, New South Wales ( 1924-03-31 ) Commands held HMAS Supply (1974)
Director of Naval Intelligence (1966–68)
HMAS Yarra (1964–65) Battles/wars Second World War
Battle of Savo Island
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Korean War Died September 7, 2006, Sydney, Australia Books The Shame of Savo: Anatomy of a Naval Disaster, Shame of Savo, the Pb Edition: Anatomy of a Naval Disaster Education Scots College, Newington College Battles and wars World War II, Battle of Savo Island, Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, Korean War | ||
Service/branch Royal Australian Navy | ||
Bruce loxton on the kimberley kruiser
Commodore Bruce Hamilton Loxton (31 March 1924 – 7 September 2006) was an Australian naval officer, naval historian, and Director-General of Naval Manpower in the Royal Australian Navy from 1975 until his retirement.
Contents
- Bruce loxton on the kimberley kruiser
- Bruce loxton anz tam services als ice bucket challenge
- Early life
- Military education
- HMAS Canberra
- Military service
- Books authored
- Honours
- References
Bruce loxton anz tam services als ice bucket challenge
Early life
Loxton was born in Sydney and educated at Newington College (1933–1935) and The Scots College (1936).
Military education
At the age of 13, Loxton entered the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) as one of only 16 candidates selected from 480 applicants. He graduated from RANC in 1941, and was made a Lieutenant in 1944. He later graduated from the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island (1960), and the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, (1961).
HMAS Canberra
Loxton was 18 and a midshipman on the ship's bridge of HMAS Canberra when it was sunk at the Battle of Savo Island. During the attack, a shell struck him and he was badly wounded. In all, 84 Australian personnel died on Canberra. On their return to Sydney, Rear Admiral Gerard Muirhead-Gould, the officer in charge of the Sydney naval area, told the crew of Canberra that they should feel ashamed that their ship had been sunk by gunfire without firing a shot in return. This annoyed Loxton for many years after the war, and he later set out to establish what had in fact happened. In 1994 he co-authored the book, Shame of Savo, analysing the strategy, operations, communications, tactics and command of the attack. He claimed that the American destroyer USS Bagley inadvertently torpedoed Canberra, crippling her through friendly fire before she could fire a shot.