William Davidson Bissett

He led a bayonet charge when his company ran out of bullets.

William Davidson Bissett was born at St Martins, Perthshire, on 7 July 1893. An engineer, he joined the Territorial Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1912. Mobilised in 1914, he went to France in May 1915, became a bombing sergeant and received a commission in December 1916.

On 25 October 1918 east of Maing, Lieutenant Bissett took command of his company after casualties among its officers. When a German counter-attack threatened the flank, he withdrew to a railway embankment. With ammunition exhausted and the enemy still advancing, he mounted the embankment under fire and called for a bayonet charge. The attack drove the enemy back and restored the line. His leadership earned the Victoria Cross, presented at Buckingham Palace in July 1919.

Bissett married Hilda Heywood in 1919 and returned to civilian engineering. Recalled in 1939, he served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and then the Pioneer Corps, commanding companies during the Second World War. He relinquished his commission in September 1945 with honorary major’s rank. He lived in North Wales and died at Wrexham on 12 May 1971. His ashes were buried at Aldershot Military Cemetery.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery and leadership East of Maing on the 25th October, 1918, when in command of a platoon, which he led to its objective with great dash. Later, owing to casualties, he took command of the company and handled it with great skill after a determined enemy counter-attack had turned his left flank. Realising the danger, he withdrew to the railway, thus temporarily saving the situation. The enemy, however, continued to advance in force after his men had exhausted their ammunition. Thereupon, under heavy fire, he mounted the railway embankment, and, calling upon his men to charge with the bayonet, drove back the enemy with heavy loss, and later, again charging forward, established his line. By his splendid example and fine leadership Lt. Bissett was the means of saving a critical situation

Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of 3 January 1919. 6 January 1919, Numb. 31108, p. 306