A NEW ZEALAND V.C.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2664, 8 January 1916, Page 15

A NEW ZEALAND V.C.

BRAVERY ON CHIMJOAIR HOW CORPORAL BASSETT EARNED THE CROSS. (From Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the Jv T .Z. Forces.) Callipoli Peninsula, October 28. ' fror his splendid biavery and heroic devotion to duty during the attack jmado by the New Zealanders on G'hunuk Bair, Corporal C. It. 0. Basisett, of Auckland, formerly a clerk in .tho National Bank of New Zealand, and now.attached, to No. 2 Signal Section of tho Now, Zealand Infantry Brigrado, has _ been awarded the Victoria Cross. ,lt is the first Cross won by a New Zealander in" .this war; but the New Zeaalnders aro ,not apt to talk about their bravo deeds; and are perhaps rather modest in describing them. As the Brigadiers have said, where all have done so well, and where so many deeds of lieroisin" have been done, it is almost impossible to discriminate. \ Corporal Bassctt's services, however, Were undoubtedly worthy of tho" highest honour with which thcy.-could be marked. Twice previously ho had been Specially mentioned for tho excellent Work ho liad done. He was with the original landing force 011 April 25, and did good work in those first days when the expedition had to fight its way through the narrow valleys and up the steep hills, and maintain, the position gained in the face of extreme difficulty. In the attack on May 2 and -3 oii 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 lire, Bassett was working in the endeavour to establish telephonic communication with Pope's Ridge, so as'to link up, the battalion with Brigade Headquarters. His section officer mentioned him for the work he had done on that occasion also. It is . only those who watched the | desperate fighting on Chunuk Bair ; liowevor, who can fully realise the difficult nature of the undertaking which he successfully accomplished there, and cool courage and persistence, that were Accessary to carry it through in the face of great obstacle*. He left Brigade Headquarters and followed the battalions attacking, the position. In the farly dawn, as tho Wellington men reached the crest of the ridge, he started to get his wire through up tie steep scrub-covered,. fire-swept slopes to the topmost trenches.' Ho succeeded. At a comparatively early hour in the day telephone, communication had been established between Brigade Headquarters and the b'rave men who woro then holding the heights against tho stubborn enemy. . ■But in a battle it is one thing to establish communication: it is another thing to maintain it. While he was getting the lino through, one of the galt Fant follows who was with him, Sapper C. G. Whittaker, also of Auckland, fell I mortally wounded. He was.paralysed by ,tho, shot, but Corporal Bassett carried him out to a place of safety. Tho stretcher-bearers succeeded .in > getting the wounded man down tho narrow valley to the dressing-station, .and thence to the casualty clearing station. Finally, he was got on to one of the hospital ships. He died at sea. All that day the slopes were swept by shot and shell, and the lino kept: breaking, but Bassett went out again, and again and mended the, breaks. Ho did this in full daylight and under a continuous and heavy fire. Not. only was this an act of extreme bravery., 1 but it was, one also of the .utmost' service. He returned to Brigade Headquarters at dusk, but all that night-while the battle raged the line kept breakiug, and each time a. break occurred young Bassett wont out to repair it) raid on each occasion he succeeded.

On August 8, Sapper B. Wignan, of tlio Sigual'Company, wlio was tlio telephone operator 011 Chunuk Bair, came back to headquarters with an important message, owing to the lines having again become severed by Turkish slioll ing. On his way down lie passed Corporal Bassett under cover, and he told Mm liis line was broken. Bassett went out and repaired one break. Then another break occurred, and he went out and repaired that. Parts of tho ground he had to cross were .swept by very heavy fire, and ho was under fire tho wliole time b» *.19 wending tho second break. In view of his services, his conspicuous gallantry, and liis fine example of fearlessness and devotion to duty, His Majesty th» King has been pleased to confer upon him the award of the Victoria Cross.