Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lawrie was born at Gawler on 8 March 1919. He was the son of Herman Hissey and Jessie Amelia McKenzie of Sandy Creek.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Lawrie was working as a butcher for Hissey’s Butchers in Plympton. His address at this time was 20 Stanley St, Plympton. On 19 December, 1939 the 20 year old enlisted in a militia unit, 27 Battalion South Australian Scottish Regiment, at Glenelg. Fifteen months later, on 4 April 1941, he enlisted in the AIF at Wayville. The same day he commenced full time duty and was sent to 3 Training Battalion, 2/27 Reinforcements at Woodside. On 8 May Lawrie was granted pre-embarkation leave before entraining from South Australia on 27 June 1941.

On Wednesday evening, May 14th, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. Hissey, Gawler, an evening was tendered to Private Laurie Hissey, A.I.F., selected for overseas. Relatives and friends were present. An enjoyable evening was spent and a sumptuous supper served. Toasts were honoured to Laurie, also to his two elder brothers, Gordon and Geoffrey, who are now serving abroad in the A.I.F.  Bunyip, Friday 23 May 1941

 Convoy US11, consisting of troopships RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and HT Mauretania, left Sydney on 29 June 1946 and the troops disembarked in the Middle East on 25 July. From 21 Infantry Training Battalion in Palestine, Lawrie marched into 2/27th Battalion on 16 September. The Syrian campaign had finished with the defeat of the Vichy French and the battalion was preparing defensive positions at Barkhaoun, near Tripoli. What Lawrie did during the Christmas celebrations is not known but on Christmas Day he was evacuated to 2/4 Australian Field Ambulance. With a fractured base of the 4th right Metacarpal, Geoff was evacuated to 1 Australian Corps Rest Station for 2 weeks. He was then evacuated to 2/1 Casualty Clearing Station and after 3 days to 7 Australian General Hospital. Finally on 21 January 1942 he returned to the 2/27th which was now at Hill 69 in Palestine preparing for embarkation. With his brother Geoff he embarked from the Middle East aboard SS Ille de France on 30 September 1942.

The Ille de France was only a day into its journey when Lawrie was admitted to the ship’s hospital and when the Ille de France docked in Bombay on 6 February he was evacuated to a shore hospital.

Lawrie eventually returned to South Australia and was granted home leave from 6 – 13 June before rejoining the 2/27th at Caloundra on 27 June. His stay here was only a short one, as eleven days later he was evacuated to 117 AGH at Toowoomba suffering from arthritis. A month later he was discharged to 102 Australian General Depot where he spent 2 months before marching out to 25 Infantry Training Battalion at Tenterfield, NSW. Appointed to New Guinea Force Reinforcement Depot Lawrie embarked from Townsville aboard SS Katoomba on 30 December 1942 and disembarked in Port Moresby for return to his unit via 1 Australian Corp Recreation Camp. He was taken on strength of the 2/27th on 8 January 1943 and four days later embarked from Port Moresby on the Van Der Lyn and disembarked two days later in Cairns. The battalion would remain in the Atherton Tablelands to re-establish after the Kokoda and Gona Campaigns.

On 6 August, aboard HMT Duntroon, the battalion embarked from Townsville and disembarked in Port Moresby for the Markham and Ramu Valley Campaign. In three and a half months of campaigning, the 2/27th had played its part in clearing the Japanese from the Markham and Ramu Valleys. On 18 February 1944 the 2/27th embarked from Port Moresby aboard USAT Etolin and disembarked in Brisbane.

The proud South Australian unit returned to Adelaide and after leave reassembled for a march though the streets of Adelaide. Returning to Strathpine the 2/27th marched through Brisbane before relocating to Kairi on the Atherton Tableland. On October 4th, A Company departed by motor transport for a combined operations training area near Cairns and camped at Trinity Beach. Here training included amphibious drills, embarking and disembarking from landing ships, wading and swimming with and without “Mae West” jackets and plunging into deep water. Lawrie was part of an advance party of 5 officers and 45 OR’s who left for Cairns aboard an LSI (Landing Ship Infantry). On this trip he was part of the ship’s guard.

A warning order for “Embarkation for Service Outside Australia” was issued to the troops and on 27 May left Kiara to spend seven days at the Oonoonba Staging Camp near Townsville. Lawrie was one of over 5000 troops who embarked on the USS General Anderson on 3 June 1945. On the 9 June the battalion disembarked at Moratai and seventeen days later were on a convoy of 200 ships heading for a seaborne assault of Balikpapan on Borneo’s coast. Lawrie was on board LST639 (Landing Ship Tracked). At 0900 on 1 July the 7th Australian Division landed at Balikpapan on a three battalion front. A Coy was one of the two assault Coys.

After the surrender of Japan the 2/27th had an occupation role in the south west Celebes area. A Company sailed from Balikpapan as the advance party to Makassar and on arriving installed themselves in the Grand Hotel. Lawrie did not return to Australia with the remnants of the 2/27th but was transferred to 2/12 Battalion on 26 November 1945. At this time 2/12 Battalion was still based on Balikpapan. Lawrie was attached to 7 Division Demobilisation Unit on 29 December 1945 for priority discharge. Lawrie returned to Adelaide and was discharged at Hampstead on 23 January 1946.

Lawrie died on 20 October 1998 and his ashes placed with his parents in the Willaston General Cemetery, Plot 8DD2.