Percival (Peter) Clement Bassett
From Our Contribution
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | unknown Sep 1884 |
| Place of Birth | Toorak, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Death | 30 Sep 1957, aged 75 |
| Place of Death | Maddington, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 30 years, 11 months |
| Description |
5'6¾" (1.70m) tall ; 140lbs 63.503 kg ; fresh complexion ; blue eyes ; fair hair |
| Occupation | Carpenter |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Maddington, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Brother , Mr A G Bassett |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 3716 |
| Date of Enlistment | 30 Aug 1915 |
| Rank | Driver |
| Unit/Formation | 11th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division |
| Date of Embarkation | 22 Nov 1915 ‒ 14 Dec 1915 |
| Ship Embarked On | RMS Mongolia |
| Date of Return | 28 Feb 1919 ‒ 7 Apr 1919 |
| Ship Returned On | HMAT A68 Anchises Port of return was Albany |
| Fate |
Wounded in Action 27 Jul 1916 at Pozieres Returned to Australia |
| Monument | none as yet |
| Medals |
1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
Electoral Roll entries: 1911 at Woodlupine, farmer; 1916 at Maddington, farmer.
War Service
Six weeks after entering Blackboy Hill camp Peter was allocated to the 12th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion and he travelled with them to Egypt aboard RMS Mongolia. On 2 Mar 1916 he joined the 11th Battalion at Habieta in Egypt and was posted to 'A' Company. Along with the rest of his unit he boarded HMT Corsican in Alexandria on 29 Mar 1916 and arrived in Marseilles on 5 Apr 1916.
On 20 Jul 1916 the 11th Battalion moved into the front line at Pozières and prepared to launch an attack on German trenches. On the 23rd the attack took place, and after took all their objectives, they dug themselves in amongst the ruins of the village. On the 24th the Germans began to shell their positions, slowly at first but later with an intensity during the 24th and 25th never before experienced by Australian troops. On the 26th the battalion was relieved and on 27 Jul 1916 Peter reported to the 1st Field Ambulance with what was diagnosed as a 'contused foot' seemingly a solid hit from a piece of shell that while not breaking the skin caused significant damage.
Sent on to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 28 Jul 1916 he was quickly sent on to the 20th General Hospital in Camiers. On 4 Aug 1916 he was released to the 6th Convalescent Depot in Boulogne to recover, returning to the battalion on 29 Sep 1916 after a few weeks in the Base Depot. Peter then remained with the battalion until 29 Sep 1917 when he was for a short time seconded to the 1st Australian Mobile Vet Section. On 23 Jan 1918 Peter reported ill to the 2nd Field Ambulance and was able to rejoin the battalion on 31 Jan 1918.
Peter was granted leave in the UK on 23 Aug 1918 after the battle for Lihons. Percy had been promoted Driver on 28 Aug 1918 in his absence before he rejoined the battalion on 14 Sep 1918 in time to participate in the Battalion's final action, an attack on German positions near Jeancourt on the morning of 18 Sep 1918. Achieving their objectives their final position overlooked the Hindenburg Line near Bellicourt, and the tunnel on the Canal du Nord. Peter left the battalion for England on 29 Jan 1919, arriving there on 4 Feb 1919 to prepare for his return to Australia where he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 3 Jun 1919.
Post War
Electoral Roll entries: 1925 - 1931 Gosnells, farmer; 1937 - 1954 Maddington, farmer
Notes
Peter's brother 12268 Driver Bertie Frederick Bassett served with the 4th Division Ammunition Column and he returned to Australia on 4 Jun 1919.