John Bisdee

John Hutton Bisdee

Major John Bisdee c.1915
Born 28 September 1869
Melton Mowbray, Tasmania
Died 14 January 1930(1930-01-14) (aged 60)
Jericho, Tasmania
Buried at St James Churchyard, Jericho
Allegiance Australia
Service/branch Australian Army
Years of service 1900–03
1906–21
Rank Lieutenant Colonel
Commands held 26th Light Horse Regiment (1913–15)
Battles/wars

Second Boer War
First World War

Awards Victoria Cross
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Mentioned in Despatches

John Hutton Bisdee, VC, OBE (28 September 1869 – 14 January 1930) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Bisdee was born on 28 September 1869 at Hutton Park, Melton Mowbray, Tasmania.

In 1904 he married Georgiana Thodosia Hale who was the daughter of Bishop Matthew Blagden Hale.

Military service

The wedding of John Hutton Bisdee and Georgiana Thodosia Hale at Newlands in Hobart, Tasmania in 1904.

When Bisdee was 30 years old, and a trooper with the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen during the Second Boer War,[1] the following deeds took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 1 September 1900 near Warm Bad, Transvaal, South Africa, Trooper Bisdee was one of an advance scouting party passing through a narrow gorge, when the enemy suddenly opened fire at close range and six out of the party of eight were wounded, including two officers. The horse of one of the wounded officers bolted and Trooper Bisdee dismounted, put the officer on his own horse and took him out of range of the very heavy fire.[2]

Bisdee later served as a lieutenant colonel in the First World War, where he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), as well as being Mentioned in Despatches.

Later life

He died on 14 January 1930 and was buried in the St James Churchyard, Jericho, Tasmania. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart.

References

Footnotes
Bibliography
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