Bruce Loxton

March 31, 1924 (age 82)

Sydney

Loxton was 18 and a midshipman on the ship"s bridge of 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 United States Ship Bagley inadvertently torpedoed Canberra, crippling her through friendly fire before she could fire a shot. Captain HMAS Yarra 1964-1965 Director of Naval Intelligence 1966-1968 Australian Naval Attaché, Washington 1968-1971 Director General Fighting Equipment, Navy office Canberra 1971-1972 Royal College of Defence Studies, London 1973 Captain HMAS Supply 1974 Saint

Bruce Loxton

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naval historian naval officer

Background

Loxton was born in Sydney and educated at Newington College (1933–1935) and The Scots College (1936).

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).

Career

Loxton was 18 and a midshipman on the ship"s bridge of 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 United States Ship Bagley inadvertently torpedoed Canberra, crippling her through friendly fire before she could fire a shot. Captain HMAS Yarra 1964-1965 Director of Naval Intelligence 1966-1968 Australian Naval Attaché, Washington 1968-1971 Director General Fighting Equipment, Navy office Canberra 1971-1972 Royal College of Defence Studies, London 1973 Captain HMAS Supply 1974 Saint

Achievements

National Medal 1st Clasp – 1977 for diligent long service to the community in hazardous circumstances, including in times of emergency and national disaster, in direct protection of life and property. National Medal 2nd Clasp – 1978 for diligent long service to the community in hazardous circumstances, including in times of emergency and national disaster, in direct protection of life and property.

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Bruce Loxton

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