Bruce Crompton turned a childhood obsession with military memorabilia into one of the most impressive careers in television history collecting. The East London native built a collection of 20th-century military equipment and became a household name through Quest TV’s “Combat Dealers.” Now in his late sixties, he’s back on screens with “Battle Treasures” on Sky HISTORY, proving that passion combined with expertise never really goes out of style.
Biography
Born around 1957 in East London’s famous East End, Bruce Crompton grew up with the distinctive Cockney accent he carries to this day. His collecting journey started early, really early. At just seven years old, he received an Action Man toy with a tommy gun, and as he’d later recall, “there was no turning back.” But the moment that truly changed everything came when he was 11.
Young Bruce spots a German helmet being used as a flower planter in a neighbor’s garden. He gathers his courage, knocks on the door, and asks if he can have it. The neighbor simply tips out the daffodils and hands it over. That single helmet became the foundation of what would eventually grow into one of the world’s most extensive military collections.
Crompton left school at 15, making him entirely self-taught in military history. He’d planned to join the British Army full-time at 14, but meeting his future wife Sue changed those plans completely. Instead, he served six years in the Parachute Regiment on a part-time basis, gaining practical military experience that would later inform his restoration work and television career. During his youth, he also helped his father build and sell multiple companies, learning the entrepreneurial skills he’d eventually apply to his own ventures.
Career
In his twenties, Crompton founded Axis Track Services—an engineering company specializing in authentic World War II military vehicle restoration. Based in Suffolk, where he relocated from East London, the workshop has built an enviable reputation for restoring both Axis and Allied vehicles to original wartime specifications. The company maintains extensive archives and sources original parts globally, even remanufacturing obsolete components when necessary.
The Crompton Collection, his private military archive associated with Axis Track Services, has supplied vehicles and expertise to major Hollywood productions. His equipment appeared in Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), HBO’s “Band of Brothers” (2001), and David Ayer’s “Fury” (2014). Through this film work, Crompton personally met Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt. He still owns the iconic helmet featured on Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” poster.
Notable pieces in his collection include a Jagdpanzer 38T Hetzer, an Sd.Kfz 7 half-track with 88mm gun, and various Sherman tanks. His son Max now works at Axis Track Services, representing the next generation of the family business.
Combat Dealers
“Combat Dealers” premiered on April 30, 2014 on Quest (Discovery UK), produced by Wag TV. The show followed Crompton and his team as they travelled across Europe and former Eastern Bloc countries hunting military memorabilia—from radio kits to WWII tanks—restoring and selling their finds. He appeared in 29 episodes across five seasons, with the final season airing in early 2021.
The series achieved an impressive 8.0/10 rating on IMDb. His regular co-stars included former paratrooper Freddie Kruyer, who appeared in 32 episodes, and his right-hand man Huseyin “Hus” Ibrahim, who featured in 15 episodes through 2018. The show’s success spawned “Combat Dealers: Reloaded,” a five-part compilation series featuring themed content about tanks, resistance spy gear, and Allies vs. Nazis technology.
Episodes remain available on Discovery+, the Discovery+ Amazon Channel, and for purchase on Amazon Video, with periodic reruns on Quest TV. Beyond Combat Dealers, Crompton appeared on “Salvage Hunters” in February 2016 and featured in two Ross Kemp documentary series in 2023.
Battle Treasures
Crompton’s most significant recent project is “Battle Treasures with Foxy and Bruce,” which premiered on October 28, 2025 on Sky HISTORY. He co-hosts alongside Jason “Foxy” Fox, the former Special Forces soldier known from “SAS: Who Dares Wins.” The six-episode, 30-minute format explores extraordinary military artifacts, from Viking swords to an AK-47 signed by Kalashnikov himself, medieval daggers, Cold War espionage devices, and Saddam Hussein’s gold-plated gun. The show has earned an impressive 8.4/10 rating on IMDb, exceeding Combat Dealers’ score.
Since 2020, Crompton has also hosted “Amazing War Stories,” a podcast using immersive 3D audio technology to bring military history to life. His daughter Lois serves as Associate Producer on the podcast, which has released over 18 episodes across two seasons. The podcast’s mission explicitly supports military museums and veteran charities at risk of closure. He’s also Patron of the Combined Military Services Museum in Maldon and writes “Crompton’s Column” for Classic Military Vehicle magazine.
Personal Life
Crompton married his school sweetheart Sue, whom he met at age 14. He’s described her as “my rock,” and she’s appeared on Combat Dealers. Bruce once tweeted about his “beautiful wife Sue, stealing the show already.” The couple has four children: daughter Lois, who appears on his shows and produces his podcast, plus three sons. Max has been publicly identified as he works at Axis Track Services, while his other two sons’ names remain private. Crompton also has grandchildren.
Health Challenges
In April 2019, Crompton suffered a life-threatening accident during a training parachute jump in Holland. He was preparing for “Daks Over Normandy,” commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day, when he landed in a tree, became inverted, and fell 42 feet to the ground. The accident left him with severe multiple injuries, requiring weeks in intensive care and multiple critical surgeries. He was 62 at the time, and his recovery stretched through 2020.
Crompton cancelled his scheduled TANKFEST 2024 appearance due to ill health, though the specific reason wasn’t disclosed. Despite these health challenges, he’s remained professionally active, launching Battle Treasures and continuing podcast production.
Net Worth
Estimates of Bruce Crompton’s net worth range from $1 million to $2 million.
His wealth derives from multiple streams: Axis Track Services’ engineering revenue, high-value military vehicle sales (tanks can fetch £200,000 or more), television appearance fees, and Hollywood prop rentals.
