Bruce, who had never before climbed a mountain, had been appointed as a transport officer, but chance led to him accompanying George Finch on the only summit attempt that used supplemental oxygen.

[1][note 1] In 1922 he was described by his mountaineering colleague George Finch as "tall, of athletic build, strong, endowed with a great fund of mental energy – an invaluable asset on ventures of this kind – and cheerful in any situation".

[1] As an officer of the British Indian Army, Bruce took part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War of 1919, and in 1921 he was awarded the Military Cross.

[4] He attended the Staff College, Quetta from 1927 to 1928, and his fellow students included Frederick Morgan, Harold Briggs, George Vasey, E. L. M. Burns, David Cowan and Horace Birks.

[4][6] He had a distinguished career during the Second World War, at the beginning of which he was attending the Imperial Defence College in London,[6] serving in Norway and France in 1940, before returning to India to command the 17th Indian Infantry Brigade at the time of its formation.

While the expedition was ascending the East Rongbuk Glacier at an elevation of about 21,000 ft (6,401 m), many of the climbers and porters were suffering from dysentery and the effects of altitude, but Bruce maintained his full fitness.

The next day, Finch, Bruce, and Tejbir climbed higher up towards the North Shoulder and camped the following night in hurricane conditions.

[11][note 3] In violent wind, they eventually got back to the North Col where Noel, fearing that no one could survive for so long in such conditions, had been burning unexposed film to act as flares to guide them.

[18] During the march in, it had been decided to pair Bruce with Noel Odell to make the expedition's desired third attempt on the summit (with oxygen).