Embedded Files
John Hutton Bisdee was Initiated by W. Bro. J. W. O. Treasure on 6th January 1917. When they were later presented with their Grand Lodge Certificates by the District Grand Master, R.W. Bro. Sir Reginald Wingate GCB, GCVO, GBE, KCMG, DSO, also a member of Bulwer Lodge of Cairo, sent special congratulations to the Lodge to mark that memorable occasion.
Trooper Bisdee, VC, OBE, (later Lieutenant Colonel) was born at Hutton Park, Tasmania, on 28th September 1869. His grandfather came from Hutton, near Weston-Super-Mare. He lived and worked on the estate in Tasmania until 1900 but, when the Boer War started, he joined the Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen and was sent to South Africa.
His advance scouting patrol was ambushed in a narrow gorge near the town of Warm Baths, north of Pretoria, and six of the party of eight were hit, including two officers. The horse of one of the officers was hit and he was too badly wounded to hold onto a stirrup leather. Bisdee dismounted and, with difficulty, got the officer into his saddle and took him out of range of the Boers despite continuous heavy fire.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross on 1st September 1900, the first “Colonial” to receive it. He was commissioned into the 2nd Tasmanian Brigade but, when the war ended in 1902, he returned home to his estate.
In 1906, however, he became a Lieutenant in the 12th Australian Horse and returned to full active service in 1915 when he was promoted to Captain and then Major in the same year for duty in the Egyptian theatre of war. He stayed there until 1919 and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) before returning to Tasmania.
He died on 14th January 1930 and is buried in St. James Churchyard, Jericho, Tasmania. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Tasmanian Museum, Hobart.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse