Arthur William La Touche Bisset
Arthur William La Touche Bisset (6 April 1892[1] - 23 June 1956[2]) was a Royal Navy officer, active in both World Wars and becoming a noted commander of aircraft carriers and carrier formations in home waters, the Mediterranean and (briefly) the Indian Ocean during the second conflict.
Life
Born in Mumbai[3] and baptised in Malabar on 17 May 1892,[1] he was the only son of Colonel Sir William Sinclair Smith Bisset (1843-1916) and his wife Henrietta Mary La Touche (1875-1945), making him grandson to James Bisset. His father had retired by the night of the 1901 census, at which time Arthur was living with his parents, two sisters, a cousin and seven servants at The Maples, Ventnor, Isle of Wight.[4]
He joined the Navy as a Midshipman on 15 January 1905[5] and held that rank aboard HMS Doris at Gibraltar as part of the Atlantic Fleet on the night of the 1911 census.[3] He was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant on 15 October 1912[6] and Lieutenant on 15 August 1913, spending the majority of the First World War at shore establishments Excellent and Vivid, though he also served aboard HMS Devonshire (1916-1917) and HMS Iron Duke (1917 onwards).[5] He married 17 July 1918 at St John's, Edinburgh to Margaret Frances McNeil Grant.[7]
Promotion to Lieutenant Commander came on 15 August 1921, to Commander on 31 December 1926 and Captain on 31 December 1932.[5] His first command was HMS Ark Royal, lasting from 1934 to 1935, followed by HMS Shropshire from 1937 to 1939 and HMS Formidable from 1940 to 1942.[5][8] 1942 brought a mention in despatches on 3 February for his command of Formidable at the Battle of Cape Matapan,[9] promotion to Rear Admiral on 28 July [5] and a month in command of HMS Illustrious from 23 August.
He flew his flag on HMS Warspite during 1943 as part of Force H, then the following year commanded Force Two in Operation Tungsten, consisting of four aircraft carriers and fourteen other ships,[10] including his flagship the light cruiser HMS Royalist.[11] On 18 January 1944 he was mentioned in despatches again to mark the dissolution of Force H and that July he was made an Additional Member of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire for "distinguished service in command of operations against enemy shipping in Northern Waters successfully carried out by Carrier borne aircraft",[a][12] rising to a Commander in that Order on 1 January 1945.
He was placed on the retired list on health grounds in 1945 and promoted to his final rank of Vice Admiral the following year.[5] In 1949 his third daughter Mary Elizabeth Bisset married Oliver William Lough, a teacher and demobbed Indian Army Temporary Major.[13] Arthur William died in Gerrards Cross in 1956.[14]
Notes
- ^ This referred to Operation Potluck, intended as a diversion from continuing efforts to sink the Tirpitz.
References
- ^ a b "India, Select Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947, FHL Film Number 523868".
- ^ "Life story: Arthur William La Touche Bisset | Lives of the First World War". livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk.
- ^ a b "1911 census (RG 14/34971)". The National Archives.
- ^ "1901 census (RG 13/1031)". The National Archives.
- ^ a b c d e f "Service record (ADM 196/54/61)". The National Archives.
- ^ "London Gazette, 18 October 1912, page 7685" (PDF).
- ^ England, Andrews Newspaper Index Cards, 1790-1976, Marriage, B (Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies)
- ^ 'Fairey Albacore', from Peter C. Smith, Combat Biplanes of World War II (Casemate Publishers, 2015)
- ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 February 1942, page 554" (PDF).
- ^ "Official History of HMCS ALGONQUIN (I)". July 24, 2019.
- ^ Mark Simmons, Alistair MacLean's War: How the Royal Navy Shaped his Bestsellers (Pen and Sword Books, 2022), page 22.
- ^ "Admiralty Fleet Orders, 27 July 1944, page 7" (PDF).
- ^ "Officers of the Indian Army". Unit Histories.
- ^ "RN Officers". Unit Histories.
External links
- Bisset, Arthur William La Touche in the National Archives
- Arthur William La Touche Bisset - National Portrait Gallery