Dee ihe ga-eso paragraf a - A mụrụ Bruce na Stoke Damerel, Devonport, Devon, nwa onye ọchịagha Sir Thomas Bruce, onye mechara bụrụ onye nlekọta nke ngwugwu na Dover. O sooro nna ya banye n'ụgbọ mmiri dịka onye Cadet na HMS "Britannia" n'afọ 1875. Ọrụ mbụ ya na mmiri bụ na HMS "Black Prince", bụ ọkọlọtọ nke Channel Squadron na nke abụọ ironclad battleship na Royal Navy. Mgbe ahụ, ọ sonyeere ụgbọ mmiri HMS "Raleigh" na Mediterenian dị ka Midshipman, sochiri HMS "Monarch", ụgbọ mmiri nke mbụ, site na November 1879, na-ekere òkè na Agha Anglo-Egyptian
nke 1882. E buliri ya n'ọkwa Sub-Lieutenant na June 1882, ọ gara Royal Naval College, Greenwich n'August 1882, na 1883 a họpụtara ya n'ụgbọ mmiri HMS "Swinger" na Australia. Ọ nọrọ n'ime ya ruo n'afọ 1887, ebe ọ bụ na e buliri ya n'ọkwa Lieutenant na Disemba 1884. N'ọnwa Febụwarị afọ 1888, ọ banyere n'ụgbọ mmiri HMS "Porpoise" n'ọdụ ụgbọ mmiri China ma n'ọnwa Ọgọstụ afọ 1891, ọ banyere n'ụgbọ mmiri HMS "Beagle" n'ọdụ ụgbọ mmiri North America. N'ọnwa Jenụwarị afọ 1894, a họpụtara ya ka ọ bụrụ onye ọrụ egbe nke ụgbọ mmiri HMS "Marathon" na ọdụ ụgbọ mmiri East Indies, mere usoro egbe na HMS "Excellent", na 1897 sonyeere ụgbọ mmiri HMS "Sirius", na-ebu ndị ọrụ enyemaka na Mediterenian.