Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Bruce akaberekerwa muStoke Damerel, Devonport, Devon, mwanakomana waCommander Sir Thomas Bruce, uyo akazova Superintendent of Packets paDover. Akatevera baba vake kupinda muNavy seCadet paHMS "Britannia" muna 1875. Basa rake rokutanga mugungwa raiva muHMS "Black Prince", ngarava huru yeChannel Squadron uye yechipiri yehondo yehondo muRoyal Navy. Ipapo akabatana neHMS "Raleigh" muMediterranean seMidshipman, achiteverwa neHMS "Monarch", yekutanga turret ngarava, kubva munaNovember 1879, achitora chikamu mu
Hondo yeAnglo-Egypt ya1882. Akasimudzirwa kuva Sub-Lieutenant muna June 1882, akaenda kuRoyal Naval College, Greenwich muna August 1882, uye muna 1883 akagadzwa kugunboat HMS "Swinger" muAustralia. Akaramba aripo kusvikira muna 1887, achisimudzirwa kuva Lieutenant muna December 1884. Muna February 1888 akabatana nechikepe chinonzi HMS "Porpoise" paChina Station uye muna August 1891 akaenda kuchikepe chinonzi HMS "Beagle" paNorth American Station. Muna Ndira 1894 akagadzwa mukuru wezvombo zvehondo zveHMS "Marathon" paEast Indies Station, akaita kosi yezvombo zvehondo paHMS "Excellent", uye muna 1897 akabatana neHMS cruiser "Sirius", achitakura vashandi vekuyamura kuenda kuMediterranean.