CORPORAL BASSETT, V.C.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 251, 22 October 1915, Page 6

CORPORAL BASSETT, V.C.

HOW UK WON THE CROSS. j

A COOL AND DARING YOUTH

It lias been established practically ih'vond doubt t-lvat a New Zealand signaller named Uassett, \\l\-o has been awarded the Victoria Cross, i.s Oorpl. Cvi'il I'o^ston Guvton Bassett, koji f>f iTj V. C. 3las?ett, of BurloigU

Street, Auckland. A loiter" which lias just been received froni Svappor Brian Digiifin, ov the Divisional Signalling Company, describes the incident in which Corp!. Bassott <listiiifjinshed himself. It was alter the New Zealamlers had made their great advance frc«m Anzae early in August, and while they ware hanging on xo the ridges of Chunnk Bair.,, "That day was nothing but laying wires'and reeling in again all round the top of the gully,'" says Sapper Dignan. "I saw the Aucklanders, the Ghurkas, and some of Kitchener's men charge to kike the ridge. The Auoklanders took the ridge itself. Then a night of dead sleep, followed by a day of excitement. We had to lay a wire to the ridge in question.. Two parties went over —Basseit's and mine. Bassett got held up by a wounded man in his party and by the Auckland Mounted Rifles, who were prevented by snipers from reinforcing. So my party got over first. Col. Malone, of the 'Wellington Battalion, took -'my name, as I was the first up. I believe the others are going to get something also, as they were recommended' by the Brigadier. It was nothing much —only taking the wire over under the snipers' fire, and later coming back with an urgent message when the wire was dished. The Auckland boys in it were Bassett, Whftaker, end myself—all College Rifle r^cn. Bassett will probably get soinetliinf.',, as he has been mentioned once already, and he also mended the wire , under fire. Poor old WMtaker was hit, and we couldn't get him otit till next night. Bassett has gone «ick, and I am now in command of tho lines and telephones." Cbrpl. Bassett's previous exploit, to which Sapper Dignan refers, is mentioned in a letter received! by Bassett's relatives some time, ago !'rom Motor-cyclist R. E. Tonkin, who has since been killed at the front. "You will," he says, "be pleased to hsar that Cyril has been mentioned in despatches for doing good work on 2iui May. Ido not know exactly what he "did—laid out wires, or something of the sort, under fire. However, it came out in Orders last night, and ho and three or four others hi the section were mentioned."

Corporal Bassett. who is now 23 years o!d,,was educated first at the Auckland Grammar School. Later, he joined the, Newmarket staff of .the National Bank, and was given leave of absence to join the Division Signalling Company, and leave with the Expeditionary Force. Ho was promoted to corporal after he had reached the front. He was a well-known yachtsman. Corporal .Bassett was reported to be sick at Malta on August 21st. Later he entered the Leicester Hospi- J tal, England, where ho is. now convalescent. QUIET AND MODEST. The young hero's mother .stated that the boy bad made no reference in his letters to the events which led to his being decorated or to the fact that he had been mentioned in ! despatches. She described him—her j only son, by the wr.y—as being very | quiet . and modest when iiis own qualities were under review. He 1 -wrote long leters about the war, but ' nothing about himself. Mrs Bassett | said that the boy came of a family !of soldiers. His great-grandfather 1 was Captain a.nd Adjutant J. Powloy. and his grandfather".was a New Zealand pioneer, Mr T. E. Powley., and one of seven brothers, all of whom belonged to the 06th Regiment. Even in the few years since he left school. Corporal Bassett has shown evidence of coolness and daring, and one evening, as he was about to enter the.bank in which he worked, He heard and explosion and saw a glare of light inside. He rushed in singlehanded, but the burglars who had been at work there had already deca.nipod. He raised an alarm, however, and it was subsequently ascei"taiiied that the burglars had been disturbed before thoj bad stolen anything.'

On another occasion young Bassett and others were yachting towards Whtfngarei, when their mullet boat was caught in a very severe. East Coast storm. Only. g:eat skill ond resource saved the little party, and his companions were emphatic in giving all the credit for their escape to Cyril Bassett. Coi poral Bassett lias lived in Auckland all Ins life, and his pavynt* are old residents of the oity. His father is a well-known dancing-master.