LCol. Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett, VC

Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett (3 January 1892 – 2 January 1983) was a New Zealander recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the first New Zealander to be awarded the VC in World War I. He was 23 years old, and a corporal in the New Zealand Divisional Signal Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 7 August 1915 at Chunuk Bair Ridge, Gallipoli, Turkey, after the New Zealand Brigade had attacked and established itself on the ridge, Corporal Bassett, in full daylight and under continuous fire, succeeded in laying a telephone line from the old position to the new one on Chunuk Bair. He also did further gallant work in connection with the repair of telephone lines by day and night under heavy fire. He is quoted "I was so short that the bullets just passed over me". He later achieved the rank of colonel. During WW2, he trained others in skills he had attained in WW1. According to his daughter, her father rarely spoke about his achievements. "It just wasn't done".

Sources

1. Laurie Barber. 'Bassett, Cyril Royston Guyton', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
2. Cenotaph Record
3. Wikipedia contributors, "Cyril Bassett," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia