Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Arthur William Bruce an elastic web manufacturer, born in the 3rd quarter of 1864 in Leicester and his wife Frances Louisa Dixon (nee Curtis, married on the 12th July 1893 in St. Peter’s Church, Oadby, Leicestershire), born in the 1st quarter of 1867 in Leicester. John Curtis Bruce was born in the 4th quarter of 1897 in Leicester, and was baptised on the 14th December 1897 in St. Paul’s Church, Leicester, he had one sibling, a brother Harry Arthur, born in the 2nd quarter of 1894 in Leicester, and baptised on the 13th June 1894 in St. Peter’s Church, Oadby, in March 1901 the family home was at 35, St. Alban’s Road, Leicester. In April 1911 John (Jack) was a schoolboy, and was residing in the family home at Fernleigh, Saffron Road, Glen Parva, Leicester, together with his father, an elastic web manufacturer, his mother and siblings, Harry, a weaving apprentice and Margaret (Marguerite) Frances, a schoolgirl, born in the 3rd quarter of 1904 in Leicester and baptised on the 29th September 1904 in St. Peter’s Church, Leicester. His mother pre deceased him, when she died on the 12th June 1917 aged 50, his father died on the 19th December 1937, aged 73. They are buried together in a family plot in Welford Road Cemetery, Leicester, John is also commemorated on this grave.
He was officially registered at birth with the Christian names, John Curtis, being baptised shortly after with the same spelling of his forenames, it was only in the official 1911 census return that Jack, the derivative of John was used, and he appears to have enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment using the names Jack Curtis Bruce, this is also evident in the returns provided by the Imperial War Graves Commission after the cessation of hostilities. However his name on the family grave in Welford Road Cemetery bears the spelling John Curtis, and it must be assumed that it was his father who made the decision to provide his official birth name when commemorating his son on the family grave.
The War Diary records: 25 Mar-18 - ERVILLERS. 1.00am. One Company of the WELSH REGIMENT attempted to reinforce them but found it impossible and suffered many casualties. 1.00 to 4.30am. Heavy Machine Gun fire and any movement was impossible owing to the bright moonlight. 4.30 to 5.30am. Firing died down and few of our casualties were cleared. 7.30am. After very heavy Machine Gun fire Germans rushed the line from left flank in large numbers and the posts, all of which resisted to the last were either killed or captured. A few men from each Company fighting their way back to the ERVILLERS – BEHAIGNES ROAD. The Battalion consisted of Commanding Officer and 25 men. 10.30am. Remaining men took a position in support of the LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT behind the road. 1.30pm. BEHAIGNIES was evacuated by the Division on our right and conforming to the movements of the LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT we fell back to a new line covering GOMMECOURT. 2.30 to 7.30pm. Quiet, the Germans could be seen in large numbers coming down the MORY slopes. 7.30pm. Battalion relieved by 120th Brigade. Estimates casualties 18 officers and 414 other ranks. Battalion rested at DOUCHY-LES-AYETTES.
On the 31st January 1920 the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester published a Roll of Honour, this recorded that John had been a pupil at the school between the years 1910 and 1913.