A NEW ZEALAND V.C.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13980, 10 January 1916, Page 7

A NEW ZEALAND V.C.

JIRAVERY, ON OHUNUK SAW.

ROW CORPORAL BASSETT K\RXED THJC CROSS.

(From Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the N.Z. Forces.) , Gallipo'i Peninsula, 28i.1i October. For his .splendid bravery and heroic devotion to duty during the attack ■made b\ tho New ZejiJauders on Cliv nuk Bair, Cpl. C. It. G. Bassett, of, Auckland, formerly a clerk in the JS'at-1 ional Bank of Zealand, and uo»v| attached to No. 2 Signal Section of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, has been swarded Mio Victoria Cross. It is the first Cross ;\on by a- New Zeal-aiidor in this war; lint the- Now Zealanders are not apt to talk about their brave deeds, and are perhaps rather modest in describing them. As tho Brigadiers have said, whave all have done so well, and whe-i'-o, .so- many deeds of heroism have boon dene, it- is impossible to discriminate.

•*. Corporal jjossett's services, however, were undoubtedly, wonthy of tlie highest hor.onr with v/hich they could be marked. Twice previously he had beeji. specially mentioned Tor thei excellent w6rk'he-lra-d done. He was with the original landing, force on the 25th of April, and did good work in those firsir days whoa the expedition had to fight its way through the narrow valleys and up the steep hills, and maintain the position gained intli© face of extreme difficulty. In- the afitack on the 2nd and 3rd May'on Russell's Top he again distinguished himself. That was the occasion on which the Otago Battalion went forward and lost so heavily. All night, under heavy fire, Bassett ■was working in the endeavour to establish telephonic communication with Pope's Ridge, so as to link up thei battalion' .with Brigade Headquarters.' His section officer mentioned him for the, work j he had done on that occasion also. It ss'only those- who watched the desperrfte -fighting on Clnmnk Bair, however,' who- .can fully realise the difEcuit nature of the undertaking which Ik; successfully 'accomplished ihere, and the <xk>l courage and persistence that were necessary to* carry it through in the* face of-great obstacles. He left Brigade Headquarters raid followed the battalions attacking tho position. In the early dawn, as tho Wellington men reached the crest of the ridg-e, jie started to get. his wire through up the steop | scrub-covered, nre-svrept slopes to the ftopmo-st trenches. He 'succeeded. At a comiMirativoly carlv hour in the da.\ telephone communication had been established between Brigade Headquari ers a.ud the Jjivivo men who were then holding the heights against the stubborn enemy. But in a battle 'it is one_ thing to' establish communication: it is another thino- to maintain it. While he wiv-. getting the line through one of the gallant fell-OAvs ' v.-ho were with him, Spr. C. G. Whit-taker, also of Auckland, fell mortally wounded. Ho was paralysed by the'shot, but Cpl. Bassetf ca^ff'. him out to a place of safety. The stretcher-bearers succeeded in. getting the wounded man. down the narrow valley to the dressing-station, and theucc to.the casualty clearing station. Finally, he was got on to one.of tl\e hospital ships. He diud at sea. All that, day tho slopes wore, swept 'by shot and shell, and the line kept trcakina-, but Lassett went gut- a-ani and again and mended the breaks. Hr did this in full daylight, -and-under r continuous and heavy fire. iNot only vas this an act of extreme bravery, but it was one- also of the inmost so"----vice He re turned to Brigade Headquarters at dusk, but all that night, while the battle ra«ed the lrns.,kep» bvnikino- pud ouch time a break occurred youne: lias-sett went out to repair it, and oV) each occasion he succeett'ecl. On Ihe Bth August. Spr. B. Wr-nan, of the Signal Company, who uas the klephoue operator on-- Chunuk Hair, camo back to headquarters wifca an important message, owing tft_ ylio imp ho vino- ap-ain become severed by linkisL sibling. On. his way down he passed Opl. Bassctfc itnder- cover, and ho told him his line was broken. Bassext went out and repaiifed one break.. 1 hen another break occurred, ami he wail out. and reiiaired that: ■-, Parts of the around he 'had to wbss were swept^by very hea-'/y fire, and he was under fire the whole time he was mending the second (break. . "■ . In view of his services, his conspicuous gallantry, .and his fine example oi fearlessness and devotion to- duty, mMajesty the King has been pleased.,to conkv 'upon him tho award qr tho \ ictoria Cross. -