Saturday 15 March 2008

Mr Bruce

Stephen Fry mentions a Scottish master called Jim Bruce who taught history with a Scottish emphasis, and divinity. He had been a prisoner of the Japanese during the Second World War, and died in about 1995.

According to the 1966 Stouts Hill Magazine, he was due to arrive at the school in September 1966, so he was there throughout my final year; but I don't remember him, I suppose because he never taught me.

John has provided this link to a 36-page PDF file written by Mr Bruce about his experiences as a teenage prisoner of the Japanese. He was apparently born in about 1926.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim Bruce had a thing about teaching about "Sex in the Bible".
Very fit fellow. Cross-country runs up through the hills, acrobatics on the rings and swiming lengths of the pool under water.
John M

Anonymous said...

Yes I remember him well - his nickname was "Billy Whiz" after a Beano character who ran very fast. Excellent teacher; great at sports; I recall him hitting an almighty six from the cricket field to the main building and smashing a window in one of the first floor dorms !! Sad to hear about his passing; that's life I guess.

Richard Darell 1964-69 said...

Mr Bruce, one of the nicest masters you could ever meet. Always very helpfull and even helped me get down from a tree I was stuck in during one of the tree climbing stunts.

Anonymous said...

He was a really excellent man. Fit as a fiddle. Survived a Jap POW camp and taught lots of scottish history!