Cyril Bassett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cyril Bassett, April 1916 | |
| Born | 3 January 1892 Mount Eden, Auckland, Colony of New Zealand |
| Died | 9 January 1983 (aged 91) Stanley Bay, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service | New Zealand Military Forces |
| Years of service | 1909–29 1941–43 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Victoria Cross |
Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett, VC (3 January 1892 – 9 January 1983) was a New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that could be awarded to British and Empire forces at the time. He was the only soldier serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) to be awarded the VC in the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War.
Born in Auckland, Bassett was a bank worker when the First World War began. A member of New Zealand's Territorial Force, he volunteered for service abroad with NZEF and was posted to the New Zealand Divisional Signal Company as a sapper. He saw action on the opening day of the Gallipoli Campaign, and during the Battle of Chunuk Bair he performed the actions that led to his award of the VC. Medically evacuated due to sickness shortly after the battle, he later served on the Western Front and finished the war as a second lieutenant. Bassett returned to the banking profession but was recalled to active duty during the Second World War. He served on the Home Front and by the time he was taken off active duty in December 1943, he had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was commander of signals in the Northern Military District. When he retired from his banking career he became a justice of the peace in Devonport. He died in 1983 at the age of 91.