Thomas Harold (Butch) BISSET.

Thomas Harold (Butch) BISSET.

Lieutenant

VX 14631

10platoon

‘B’ Company

2/14th Australian Infantry Battalion.

Bomana War Cemetery

Row  C 6  F13

 Died of wounds at Isurava on the Kokoda Track on 30 August 1942.   Aged 32.   Son of George Simpson Bisset and Olive Noeline Bisset of Surrey Hills Victoria.  

  Stan and Butch Bisset were brothers who had grown up together.   Being the youngest they had bonded strongly and had shared a lifetime of friendship, companionship and love.   They both joined the 2/14^th Battalion and fought with the Battalion throughout the Syrian Campaign and into Papua New Guinea.   The death of Butch remains with Stan and has been part of his life since that night on the Kokoda Track when Butch died in his arms.   Stan recalls…

 I had received word from some of the returning walking wounded that my brother was badly wounded and his men were carrying him out.  At 2200 hours, he was brought back and at Don Duffy’s direction placed on the ground at the side of the track forward of our new position.  Doc administered morphine and I stayed with him until 0400 hours when he died.  We two were the youngest of four boys – were very close – and the loss was severe.

 Stan Bisset

                                                (L-R Stan and Butch Bisset 1940)

Jim Coy was a tough soldier, Military Medal winner and a former teammate of Butch Bisset in the Battalion’s Australian Rules football team.   His affection for Lieutenant Bisset reflects the impact that this man had on all of his subordinates.   Jim Coy…

 That night, we took up our positions -- 10, 11 and 12 Platoons.  The Japs were now starting to hot things up!  The fighting was very intense – so close to each other, we were having casualties.  All our officers were dead or wounded, Lt Bisset was severely wounded.  We decided to get him back to BHP.  On the way out, we encountered more Japs who had taken up a position near perimeter.  There was a hold up as we exchanged fire with them,with us losing two fine soldiers, M Kilburn and J Ferguson.  We got back to HQ but Lt Bisset died next day – a great man!

Jim Coy

Lindsay Mason was moving through the jungle, withdrawing to his platoon positions.   He was soon to be cut off and lost in the jungle.   As he withdrew he found Butch Bisset wounded but resolute.   Lindsay Mason recalls…

 The last person that I contacted before I became lost in the jungle was Lieut ‘Butch’ Bisset, O/C 10 Platoon – he had been shot in the stomach and was in a very bad way (he did die soon after) – he pleaded with me to give him my revolver.  He said, “I’ll get 5 of the bastards and save one for myself”.

Lindsay  Mason

Peter McGavin was a member of Butch’s 10 platoon.   Like the rest of the platoon they had grown close to their platoon commander and from his position in the cane field saw

and was part of the fierce fighting in and around the cane field that eventually claimed the lives of 5 of his comrades and wounded a further 9.   Cut off, surrounded, outnumbered and facing execution if captured, Peter McGavin remembers….

 On Friday 28 and Saturday 29^th the Japanese were not more than 20 yards away, 20 at the most.  They cheered, yelled, charged swept past us.  Butch Bisset recalled the remains of 2 sections to the canefield.  I met Jim Coy and got into his position which had a wooden fence around it made from logs, like a stockade.  We came under attack there and Lt Bisset and PVC Ferguson were badly wounded.  We had no idea what was happening anywhere else as the position was surrounded and cut off.  There was some discussion – there were 2 alternatives;  wait for someone else to fight their way to us, or make stretchers and  try to make our way out after dark.  

We arranged 6 Tommy gunners in front.  Followed by 2 stretchers.  Followed by rest of D Coy and 10 Platoon.   The two men on the stretchers were Ferguson wounded in the hip and Butch Bisset shot in the stomach.   In the darkness we took off.  I carried one corner of a stretcher and we moved off quietly through the kunai grass, making uphill toward 12 platoons on top of spur.    We got some distance along spur, maybe not far but seemed it when Ferguson died.  Then went further on behind the tommy gunners with Mark Kilburn in charge and  G Woodward, Bill Jeffries and one other.

            Col Blume and Murray Bolitho were carrying out Ferguson.  Ted Symons on Bisset’s stretcher but I cant say who the others were.    The tommy gun party ahead turned right to get up jungle toward spur and there was terrific firing from all around.  It was very sticky and we lay down beside Butch.  I don't know whether he was aware that we were withdrawing or carrying out.    I could tell in dark that we suffered more casualties.  Kilburn was killed and Jeffries and Woodward wounded.  Another man was  wounded.   Butch Bisset thought he was an impediment, he was worried that we would all be bayoneted if we stayed with him.   He wanted to be shot and left so that we could get out.  He got cross when we refused, but I said we’d soon be out of it and it would all be forgotten in a week

Peter McGavin

  Leonard Rueben Smith was separated from his platoon and found himself behind the Japanese positions.   In order to return to his lines he had to cross through the Japanese positions.   Walking through sleeping enemy troops, stepping over them, and being careful not to wake them, he found the stretcher party carrying Butch Bisset.   Len Smith recalls….

                  I felt I was going in the right direction, and as dusk fell, I walked right through Jap lines.  They were in a dead sleep.   It was such an eerie feeling.  Everything seemed grey, and I knew if one awakened, I would lose my head to a Jap sword. I will never forget it.  I stepped over some.  I got away, and somehow spotted our fellows making up the track.  I got with them somehow, and assisted to carry ‘Butch’ Bisset, who was badly wounded.  I seemed to lose my memory now, but remember next, walking with a label hanging round my neck.  I had apparently been treated at some aid post. 

 Leonard Smith

Ronald Frank (George) Woodward joined the second AIF at the age of 15, using his brother’s identification.   Henceforth known as ‘Georgie’ in reference to the brother whose identity he had used, Georgie recalls the fierce fighting that raged as ‘Butch’ Bisset was wounded….

                  Next day, the 29^th we were worse off.  Japanese attacked our position 9 or 10 times that day.  Later in the day, I crawled to Platoon Headquarters for more ammunition for myself and the bren gunner.  When I got there, the (Boss) Lt Bisset had been seriously wounded.  Crawling back to fetch Lindsay Elphinstone (our stretcher bearer) to attend to Lt Bisset and Jack Ferguson – Jim Coy became Platoon Commander when Mark Kilburn was killed and Cuth Dunlop told us we’d been cut off from 12^th platoon, so decided to carry Bisset and Ferguson out on stretchers.  We had to fight our way out, with Tommy gunners up front, we blasted our way up the track and at 10 o’clock still in pouring rain, we could only move 50 yards when we ran into the Japanese.   Opening fire it suddenly became a blast of fireworks.  Returning fire, but as they were on higher ground, we copped machine gun fire, hand grenades.  Returning fire gave away our position, but we were able to pick some of them off in the glare.  Bill and I were ordered to stop firing so the stretchers could be moved further down the track.  While this was happening, we were firing on and off, when both of us were wounded and with the rest of the platoon, moved down the track with the rest of the wounded.  On the track, Lt Tracy took over 11^th platoon and when we got down, I didn’t realise how bad my arm was, and after dressing it, Lindsay Elphinstone sent me to the RAP at Battalion Headquarters.  That sugar cane patch cost our platoon 5 killed – Stan Ellery, Dave Carland, Ferguson, Bisset, Kilburn and 9 wounded – 14 out of 32.

Ronald “Georgie” Woodward

The final word about Butch Bisset should come from Albert Moore, the much respected and renowned Salvation Army Officer who served with the 2/14th Battalion throughout the war.   In the official history of the 2/14th Battalion, he describes how he first met Butch in Syria.

“You will remember the days near Jezzine.   This company had passed through the jaws of death, and the nerves of the men had been strained to breaking point.   Old Jock and I had been sent to do what we could by Colonel Cannon and Captain Buckler.  We arrived late in the afternoon, and soon night came upon us, and every man selected his own rock under which he might have some security for the night from straying shells.   As we lay trying to snatch some sleep, the inevitable wits began to create some humour.   Out on the still Syrian night air peals of an infectious laughter came from the lips of one who to me seemed a stranger.   Even if we could not catch the joke, we laughed because of the humour of this stranger.   Nerves immediately loosened up, and all forgot the tension of the day.   I determined that I would detect the possessor of this humour on the morrow.   Consequently when day broke I made it my business to listen for the owner of this laugh.   Later in the day I heard it again, and as I swung round I found dear old Butch.   I had no recollection of having met him before, but from this day forth there was a keen appreciation in my heart for this friend of every man.   As the days came and went, up till that tragic day when, at Myola, someone came to me and said,’ dear old Butch has gone,’ there had always  been a high regard for him in my heart.   Shall I forget his peals of laughter, coming home on the City of Paris when at the meal table Butch had everyone in a good humour.   This was only one side of this choice spirit, and yet what a valuable one among men, at times such as I mention, and many others when danger surrounded his men.”