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Trooper John Bisdee Print Page 
A monument commemorates John Bisdee, the first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross.
In April 1900, Bisdee enlisted for service in the South African War as a trooper in the 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmens` Contingent. He sailed on 26 April and served in operations in Cape Colony, the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony.
On 1 September, near Warmbad, Transvaal, he was with a scouting party ambushed by Boers in a rocky defile; six of its eight men were wounded, including an officer whose horse broke away and bolted. Bisdee dismounted, put the wounded man on his own horse and ran alongside, then mounted behind him and withdrew under heavy fire. For this action he received the Victoria Cross—the first awarded to a Tasmanian. Wounded during the ambush, he was invalided home but, on recovering, went back to South Africa as a lieutenant in No.1 Company, 2nd Tasmanian Imperial Bushmens` Contingent, and served from March 1901 until the end of the war.
Location
| Address: | 458 Old Main Road, St James Anglican Church Cemetery, Jericho, 7030 |
|---|---|
| State: | TAS |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -42.379303 Long: 147.290381 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Military |
| Actual Event STart Date: | 01-September-1900 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 01-September-1900 |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
In memory of Lieutenant Colonel John Hutton Bisdee, VC, OBE 1869 - 1930
The first Australian born Victoria Cross winner. Awarded for exceptional bravery on the 1st September 1900 at Warm Bad, Orange River Colony, Transvaal, South Africa during the Boer War 1899 - 1902.
"Lest We Forget"
