Lt. Bruce was born on 26 Aug 1917 in Harrisburg, Illinois, the son of Earl and Maggie Bruce. Shortly after the breakout of the war, Ralph Bruce enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 25 March 1942. After training, Lt. Bruce was assigned to the 407th Bomber Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group and arrived at Alconbury Field, Huntingdonshire, England on 3 Jul 1943. On his sixth mission, his aircraft was shot down near Paris.

2nd Lt. Ralph Bruce trained for B-17 transition at Hobbs Army Air Field, New Mexico in April, 1943. Lt. Bruce was the pilot of B-17 42-29725 of the 92nd Bomb Group, 407th Bomb Squadron, which was shot down on a mission to bomb Romilly Sur Seine in the Department of Aube southeast of Paris on 3 Sep 1943. After assistance from local French families, Lt. Bruce made his way to Paris where he eventually met up with Resistance members who guided him to Switzerland. In Switzerland he was housed at the Gurten Kulm Hotel where he made his acquaintance with Lt. John Carah. Together, the two pilots were selected to participate in the first organized allied evacuation from Switzerland to Spain in early 1944.

He returned to the United States on 24 Feb 1944 after his sanctioned "escape" from Switzerland. He and Lt. Carah were the first American airmen to evacuate from Switzerland with government sanction in the war. Lt. Bruce was discharged from the service on 4 Dec 1945 at Scott Field, Illinois. After the war, Mr. Bruce began a life long career in law enforcement working as a U.S. Treasury Agent, IRS Agent, and Tax Investigator for the State of Missouri.

Despite suffering from diabetes for most of his life, Mr. Bruce was a successful law enforcement officer. He was known throughout his life as a focused and disciplined leader who managed crisis with a very cool head. Mr. Bruce died on 19 Mar 2003 and is buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at St. Louis, Missouri. Photo courtesy of Dottie Bruce.

Bio by: Warren B. Carah, www.findagrave.com