BASSETT, Samuel Eric
(Service number 7/9)
The postcard bears the slogan and title: "Honour the brave and forget them not" and "Some heroes who fell in this great war, 1915". The men pictured are Sergeant S E Bassett (Rosewill), Sergeant J H Wallace (Timaru), Major David Grant (Timaru), Sergeant W Rutherford (Timaru), and Private C Stevenson (Timaru) [Note it should be C not G Stevenson as it appears to read on the original] (South Canterbury Museum 4033)
| First Rank | Trooper | Last Rank | Trooper |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 22/03/1891 | Place of Birth | Christchurch New Zealand |
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Enlistment Information
| Date | 15 August 1914 | Age | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Rosewill, Timaru | ||
| Occupation | Farmer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 8th South Canterbury Rifles | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mr William John Bassett, Rosewill School, Timaru | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Canterburty Mounted Rifles | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Athenic | ||
| Embarked From | Lyttelton NZ | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Canterbury Mounted Rifles | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Gallipoli | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 23 June 1915 | Age | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | At sea, HMHS Gascon ex Gallipoli | ||
| Cause | Died of wounds | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Lone Pine Memorial, Lone Pine Cemetery, Anzac, Turkey | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Esk Valley War Memorial | ||
Biographical Notes
Samuel Eric Bassett was born in Christchurch 22 March 1891, the son of William John & Caroline Bassett nee Gilchrist of Rosewell Timaru.
Samuel farmed with his father, and both were valued members of the Timaru A and P Association. William was a committee member and Samuel a sheep steward for the Corriedale, Crossbred and Ryeland breeds. On receiving news of his death, the July 1915 A & P meeting stood in silence in a show of respect and sympathy. Before the war he was a territorial member of the 8th South Canterbury Rifles holding the rank of Corporal. Joining up in Timaru on 15 August 1914 he was described as being age 23 years, single, of dark complexion, chest 35 inches, 154 lbs in weight, 5 foot 8 ¼ inches tall, blue eyes, dark brown hair and having good teeth. On 17 August 1914, His Worship the Mayor (Mr E.R. Guinness) farewelled the mounted men off on the train to camp at Christchurch, Corporal S.E. Bassett being among the men who left. Samuel served in NZ from 15 August to 14 October 1914 before embarking for Suez, Egypt on the Athenic from Lyttelton 16 October, arriving 3 December 1914.
On 18 June 1915 Samuel was on outpost duty on Walker’s Ridge when he suffered a gunshot wound to the head, which he subsequently died of at 3.20am 23 June, 3 miles at sea off Gaba Tepe, aboard HMHS Gascon. He was buried at sea; the officiating chaplain was Rev Lee Warner. His name is on the Lone Pine Memorial at Lone Pine Cemetery reference 71. Samuel’s Plaque, Scroll and medals were sent to his father after the war. His name is included on the family headstone in the Timaru Cemetery.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (May 20014), Military service record, Archives NZ; Timaru Herald, 31 Oct 1912, 18 Aug 1914, & 12 Jul 1915; Christchurch Press 24 Aug 1915; Births, Death, & Marriages Online (www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz)
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
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Researched and Written by
Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG & Timaru Herald; Ted Hansen (SC branch NZSG)
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.