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Thiepval Memorial, France, Somme
Husband of Julia Bougourd Bisson. Resident
at Sandy Lane, L'Islet, St. Sampson. Father of Henry Charles
& Stanley Phillip. Born at Vale, Guernsey. Enlisted
at Guernsey.
Killed in action, aged 29 years
Commonwealth
War Graves Commission Record
From The Star, September 14th, 1916:
Lance-Corporal H J Bisson, son of Mr H F Bisson, statuary,
St Julian's Avenue, writes home to his wife, who lives
at L'Islet, that he has been awarded the Distinguished
Conduct Medal.
It was awarded for the following: 'Lance-Corporal
Bisson, while in charge of a machine-gun section, captured
a German trench, and took an officer and five men prisoners.'
The detachment who acted with him are to
be awarded a parchment recording the service they performed.
Lance-Corporal Bisson is in the Guernsey Company, Royal
Irish Regiment. [The Star, September 14th, 1916.]
The Star, September 18th, 1916
Mrs H F Bisson, of L'Islet, on Saturday
received a letter from Bugler P Denize, of the Guernsey
Company, Royal Irish Regiment, announcing the death in
action of her son, Lance-Corporal Henry J Bisson, also
of the same Company.
The letter states that Lance-Corporal Bisson
had volunteered with others to take a crater, and in doing
so was shot through the chest.
We reported last week that Lance-Corporal
Bisson had been awarded the DCM for capturing a German
trench, an officer and five men a fortnight ago, and his
death so shortly after the event is deeply to be deplored.
Lance-Corporal Bisson, who was the only
son of Mr and Mrs H F Bisson, married a Miss Nicolle and
leaves two children. He was among the first to volunteer.
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Private memorial in Vale churchyard,
Guernsey
Lance Corporal Henry John Bisson MM
6th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment
(formerly Royal Guernsey Light Infantry)
09/09/1916
The Star, September 22nd, 1916
The Late Corporal H. Bisson
Sympathetic Letter
The following letter, confirming the
death of his son in action at the front, has been received
by Mr H Bisson, statuary, St Julian's Avenue, from Sergeant
J Le Pavoux:
British Expeditionary Force, Sept. 13th,
1916. Dear Mr Bisson,
It is with the greatest difficulty that
I muster courage to impart to you most unwelcome news,
news which perhaps you may have already received.
I refer to the death in action of poor
Harry, by which you are deprived of a dutiful son, his
poor wife and children of a loyal and devoted husband
and father, and I of a genuine and trusty friend.
The sad news stunned me for a time, though
I hoped against hope that the report would not be confirmed,
but at last I was forced to submit to the unfortunate
contretemps.
I refrained from writing before in order
to as I thought of obviating undue grief on the part
of his loved ones and even now it is with a certain
reluctance that I nerve myself up for the ordeal of
letting you know the worst. I look to you, Mr Bisson,
to break the news as gently as possible to his poor
wife and little ones, for it is beyond me to do so as
I feel too much for them.
The fateful day was September 9th, which,
by ironical decree, happened to be my birthday! He had
been awarded the DCM by popular vote of his comrades,
an honout on which I offered him my hearty congratulations
only a couple of days before he fell at the post of
duty. That was the last I saw of him, and though I was
far from him at the time of his premature demise I have
learnt that he behaved heroically and died the noblest
of deaths. You may justly be proud of him. His loss
will be keenly felt, especially by his loved ones and
those who like myself enjoyed his intimate friendship.
I enclose a few communications which were
found among his belongings and handed over to me. Please
accept, dear Mr Bisson, my heartfelt sympathy and condolence
in your great grief and that of his young widow and
children who occupied, I can vouch for that, pride of
place in poor old Harry's warm and candid heart.
Yours in sympathy, J LE PAVOUX, Lance-Sergeant.
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