Otha Everleigh Bassett

M, #113, b. 12 September 1890, d. 3 July 1916
FatherAlfred Bassett b. 2 Jan 1864, d. 26 Sep 1944
MotherEmma Theresa Whiley b. 24 Apr 1867, d. 23 Sep 1938
RelationshipGreat-uncle of Keith Graham Bassett
Last Edited7 Mar 2019
Birth*12 September 1890 Condobolin, NSW, Australia 
News-Arct2 May 1902 "The Lachlander", Condobolin, NSW, Australia;
Police Court.
Friday, 25th April, 1902.
(Before E. A. L. Sharpe, Esq., P.M.)
N. Z. Loan Association v. William Bassett—Trespass on Borambil holding.
Mr. Driffield appeared for the plaintiff Company.
The accused pleaded guilty and was fined 5s with 4s 10d costs, £1 1s professional costs, and 2 witnesses at 5s each.
Police v. Alfred Bassett—Cruelly illtreating a horse.
Constable Parker deposed that on 7th April he saw accused riding a chestnut mare which was suffering with a sore back and girthgall; the sore on the back was about the size of a half crown; told accused he would summons him; he replied: "Don't be too hard on me."
The accused pleaded guilty, but wished to state that the mare in question was very tender skinned and she had a slight girthgall from a 14 mile ride two days previous. William Bassett gave evidence to the effect that the mare was not badly used; had a bit of a scald and no hair removed.
Fined £2 and 4s 10d costs of court.
Police v. A. Bassett—Charged with stealing. a saddle cloth valued at about 3s, the property of J. J. Gleeson.
Constable Parker stated that on 7th April last he proceeded along the Forbes road and overtook defendant; asked him if he would mind being searched; accused replied; "No"; found the saddle cloth (produced) on the mare he was riding; when asked where he got it he replied that his boy picked it up at the 4 mile gate and gave it to him; the property was claimed by Mr. Gleeson.
John Joseph Gleeson stated that he kept his horse at Mrs. Munro's stable; he gave information to the police that he had lost a saddle cloth; he identified the cloth produced as his property; he left the cloth in the stable with the saddle on the 6th and afterwards saw it on a chestnut mare in the same stable; gave no one permission to touch it.
Alfred Bassett stated he arrived at Condobolin at 8.30 a.m. on 7th instant; his son was standing near the stable; he put his horse in and asked for some feed; the boy pointed to a bag, with a small quantity of chaff, and in giving it to the horse discovered the cloth; asked the boy where he got it; he replied at the 4 mile gate, hanging on the fence, and put it into the chaff bag so that it would not be lost; he (defendant) then placed it on the mare in the stable.
Othar Bassett, son of defendant, remembered his father arriving at about 8 o'clock at Mrs. Munro's stable; he saw a bag there with a saddle cloth in it; the cloth was the same one that he found at the 4 mile gate.
The Bench stated that the evidence was not sufficient against the defendant, but very much doubted the reliability of the youth and cautioned defendant (his father) to be careful how he conducted himself in future.
Case dismissed, saddle cloth ordered to be handed over to J. J. Gleeson.
N. Z. Loan Association v. Othar Bassett—Being illegally on Borambil and giving a false name.
Mr Driffield appeared for the plaintiffs.
Defendant pleaded guilty and was fined £2, 4s 10d costs of court, and £1 1s professional costs.1 
Description*6 May 1915 Sydney, NSW, Australia;
Description on Enlistment
Age: 24 years 7 months
Height: 5 feet 11 1/2 inches
Weight: 196 lbs
Chest Measurement: 40 - 42 3/4 inches
Complexion: Dark
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Religious Denomination: Pres
Distinctive Marks: Oblique scar on back of right leg2 
Enlistment*12 May 1915 Liverpool, NSW, Australia;
Regimental number: 2465
Place of birth: Condobolin, New South Wales
Name: BASSETT, Otha Everleigh
Religion: Presbyterian
Occupation: Farmer
Address: Condobolin, New South Wales
Marital status: Single
Age at embarkation: 24
Next of kin: father, Alfred Bassett, Condobolin, New South Wales
Enlistment date: 11 May 1915
Rank on enlistment: Private
Unit name: 3rd Battalion, 7th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number: 23/20/2
Embarkation details: Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A67 Orsova on 14 July 1915
Rank from Nominal Roll: Driver
Unit from Nominal Roll: 3rd Battalion
Other details from Roll of Honour Circular: Enlisted 8 May 1915 - 3rd Bn, 7th Reinforcements Taken on strength, 3rd Bn, 5 September 1915
Fate: Killed in Action 3 July 1916
Place of death or wounding: Fromelles, France
Age at death: 25
Place of burial: rue-David Military Cemetery (Plot I, Row E, Grave No 15), Fleurbaix, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial: 35
Other details: Medals: 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Miscellaneous details: Given name incorrectly entered on Embarkation Roll as Otta3 
Note26 June 1915 Liverpool, NSW, Australia;
CHARGE against Pte. Bassett. O, 7th Rein. 3rd Batt.
Place and Date of Offence: Liverpool 26/6/15
Offence: Absent without leave
Name of Witness:
Punishment Awarded: Fined pay for time absent £15/-
By whom Awarded and Date of Award: G H Kirkland
Length of Service: 46 days
Number of Good-conduct Badges:
Date of last entry in Conduct Book:
General Character: Good
Date of last entry for an act of, or an equivalent of an act of, drunkedness:
Number of cases of drunkenness within the last twelve months:
Number of cases of drunkenness since enlistment:
Award entered in Conduct Sheet:2 
Note10 July 1915 Sydney, NSW, Australia;
Saturday, July 10th
Wrote out witness' evidence for Creech, Drain, Bassett and Duggan.4 
Note5 September 1915 Anzac, Gallipolli, Turkey;
Taken on strength2 
Note1 October 1915 Anzac, Gallipolli, Turkey;
To be Temry. Corporal attached to 9th. Bn. Composite Coy.2 
Note30 October 1915 Anzac, Gallipolli, Turkey;
Rejoined Unit from Reinforcement camp, to which Tempry. Attached
Reverts to private on rejoining 3rd. Bn.2 
Note29 December 1915 Alexandria, Egypt;
Disembarked ex "Simla" at Alexandria2 
Note22 February 1916 Tel-el-kebir, Egypt;
Promoted Driver2 
Note6 March 1916 Serapeum, Egypt;
To on Tempry. Detachment2 
Note22 March 1916 Alexandria, Egypt;
Arrived at Alexandria at 0730 and detrained on the wharf. At 1200 the H.M.T. "Grampian" pulled in and we embarked, 22 O.R. deserted, and were still absent at 1730 when we put out to sea. 1st M.G. Coy, 2nd Bde F.A., & 1st Div. Sig. Coy, are also aboard. Major O.G. Howell-Price, O.C. Troops and Major D.T. Moore A/g O.C. 3rd Bn. All ranks were at once shown alarm stations, sentries posted.5 
Note28 March 1916 Marseilles, France;
Arrived at Marseilles at 1200. Entrained at 1400, 28 Off. 940 O.R. - 5 O.R. to Hospital. 7 O.R. left as Baggage guard over base Kits.5 
Note*12 May 1916 Western Front, France;
Friday, May 12th
"Went out about the same time tonight, taking eight coils of barbed wire and a number of long iron corkscrew pegs. Tiny Basset was working on our left with a party from B Co. One of his men picked up a German rifle, which was probably dropped by one of the party which approached B Co's. listening post on Tuesday night. Bringing the rifle to where we were, the finder opened the bolt, and we found that the magazine was full. Then there was such a scramble for bullets as souvenirs. Our troubles about German machine guns when there were souvenirs to be got! While we were still gathered around it a flare went up, and we were down in an instant, lying like so many logs in the grass. I managed to get one of the bullets from the magazine".4 
Note13 May 1916 Western Front, France;
Saturday, May 13th
"We had not long started work when Bassett came over and told me that their covering party had seen some Germans out in front, and that the whole party had gone in. I told him to report the matter and then come out and let me know what was to be done, and in the meantime I would lie low.
Warned the other chaps, and we lay on the wet ground for some time, waiting for Bassett to return. But he seemed a long time, and there was no fun lying in the wet grass, so we decided to carry on and risk the consequences. A fellow might as well be shot as die of pneumonia. Later on a party from B Co. came over and said they had been out looking for Germans, but could find nothing. Got through a decent bit of work tonight, using eleven coils of barbed wire and thirty iron stakes. It was after midnight when we came in".4 
Note2 July 1916 Western Front, France;
Sunday, July 2nd
"After tea we got our wire ready. Can't do much tonight, as a bombardment starts soon after midnight, and we have to be in by 12. There is to be a raid from the 52nd Battalion's lines. They are immediately on our right, and it will be pretty lively here. All the parties have received orders to be in by midnight."4 
Death*3 July 1916 Fleurbaix, France3 
Note3 July 1916 Western Front, France;
Monday, July 3rd
“Heard that B Co’s wiring party and patrol were not warned about the bombardment, and consequently were out in front all the time, suffering many casualties. It was a terrible blunder on somebody’s part, and those men were simply murdered through carelessness.”

“Coming back we learned more particulars of B Co’s terrible blunder. Poor old Tiny Bassett was one of the victims. He and Ireland, who were in the wiring party, were blown up by the one shell. They were both killed instantly. A young fellow named Green who was out got tangled in the barbed wire, and while struggling there was fairly riddled with bullets. Frost was also out, and got three machine gun bullets in the hip. Roach told me that he was to have gone out, but being ill was exempted.”4 
Burial*3 July 1916 Rue-David Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, Nord Pas de Calais, France3
News-Arct*23 August 1916 "The Lachlander", Condobolin, NSW, Australia;
A SOLDIER'S LETTER.
The following letter was received by Mr. P. A. Bassett on 5th. inst., from his brother, Private Ootha Bassett, who was killed in action on 3rd. July last, in France :
Dear Brother,— I have just received your letter of 17th. May and I was pleased to hear from you, and to know that things are all right. The last I got from you was about two months ago. No, I have not been knocked yet though I may be before morning, for all I know. I can hear the guns roaring, and one might hit just here any minute, but I hope it doesn't bother though. They throw a lot of iron rations about at times, issue them out pretty freely. It is mid-summer here now, and, about as hot as it is in winter in N.S.W. The days are very long, there are only five hours darkness. It is nearly always raining here and seems to be good seasons.
There is grass, wheat, and oats near the firing line (where there is no stock) three and four feet high around old broken up farm houses, which are all brick with tiled and thatched roofs. I am known in the company as tiny, the hun, the wirer. I have been putting out barbed-wire entanglements between the two firing lines at night which is not a very safe game, a couple of my mates were wounded pretty badly one night, I could tell you dozens of exciting personal experiences I have had, but they seem a bit too shaky, so I will leave them untold, in the hope that I get back to tell them.
I was nearly trapped by the huns once, that is why they call me the hun, they say I go out and have a yarn with them at night. This is a fine place, a great pity to see a war here breaking it up. I have seen places blown to pieces in less than two seconds. Buildings as big as Tasker's Royal Hotel, Condo, about five or six high explosive shells drop on it at the same instant, and everything is down on the ground in a heap of debris. There is very fierce fighting going on in places at present. One that has not been here could not imagine what it is like, and it is more than I dare write about for it is not in the agreement. I suppose things are much in the same boat with the Germans by the number of shells that our artillery send over to them free of charge, they never say if they get them or not, but I expect they get some of them safely enough. I saw a few letters in the "Lachlander" by Percy Shephard.
Remember me to the folks at home.
Your loving brother,
OOTHA BASSETTT,
France, 17-6-16.6 
Note9 August 1923 Australia;
The sending of the Victory Medal completed Otha's entitlement of World War I medals
Otha's 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and corresponding miniatures

Citations

  1. [S1565] Trove digitised newspapers, online http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/, The Lachlander, Friday, May 2, 1902.
  2. [S1286] National Archives of Australia.
  3. [S1613] The AIF Project, online https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au, Otha Bassett.
  4. [S1711] The World War I Diary of Percy Smythe, online http://www.smythe.id.au/diary/index.htm
  5. [S1616] Australian War Memorial, online http://www.awm.gov.au/, 3rd Battalian unit Diary AWM4 23/20/17.
  6. [S1565] Trove digitised newspapers, online http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/, The Lachlander, Wednesday, August 23, 1916.