Pte
Percy Nicholas Bassett
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1897 |
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Place of birth: Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Day laborer |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: G/12641 |
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Enlistment date: 01/04/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), 8th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/08/1917 |
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Place of death: No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, Brandhoek, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Died of wounds (D.O.W.) |
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Age: 20 |
Cemetery
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Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Plot: 17 Row: F Grave: 7A |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
On Friday the 10th of August 1917 the 24th Division made an attempt to capture Lower Star Post, a German strongpoint in Shrewsburry Forest, West of the village of Gheluvelt. The attack should have taken place on the 9th of August but was postponed till the next day, due to bad weather.
The attack was carried out by 47 other ranks of B company of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 8th Battalion at 4.35 a.m. The attacking party was subjected to heavy shelling at their assembly point. At 4.38 a.m. 3 minutes after zero hour the British artillery opened up a barrage on the German positions. Even one battery failed to open fire till 1 ½ minutes later. The delay of the barrage had had serious consequences and had cost the attacking party twelve casualties, greatly disorganizing the attack. Nonetheless the party advanced. On arriving at the position they found the Germans already out of their dugouts, waiting for the attack. When the Germans opened fire the commanding officer and all the NCO’s except one were wounded. Lance Corporal Simson, the only remaining NCO opened fire with his Lewis gun and ordered the party to attack. However the Lewis gun jammed and the Germans rained down hand grenades on the attacking party.
By this time the party had lost nearly two third of its men making it neigh to impossible to capture the German strongpoint. The party therefore retreated to the British lines. Five men had lost their lives during the attack, twenty-three were wounded and three men were reported missing. Private Bassett Percy Nicholas was one of the twenty-three men who were wounded during the attack. He died two days later of his wounds at Remy Siding No. 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. Private Bassett Percy Nicholas fell victim to a gunshot wounds on chest on the 12th of August 1917 and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
The attack was carried out by 47 other ranks of B company of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) 8th Battalion at 4.35 a.m. The attacking party was subjected to heavy shelling at their assembly point. At 4.38 a.m. 3 minutes after zero hour the British artillery opened up a barrage on the German positions. Even one battery failed to open fire till 1 ½ minutes later. The delay of the barrage had had serious consequences and had cost the attacking party twelve casualties, greatly disorganizing the attack. Nonetheless the party advanced. On arriving at the position they found the Germans already out of their dugouts, waiting for the attack. When the Germans opened fire the commanding officer and all the NCO’s except one were wounded. Lance Corporal Simson, the only remaining NCO opened fire with his Lewis gun and ordered the party to attack. However the Lewis gun jammed and the Germans rained down hand grenades on the attacking party.
By this time the party had lost nearly two third of its men making it neigh to impossible to capture the German strongpoint. The party therefore retreated to the British lines. Five men had lost their lives during the attack, twenty-three were wounded and three men were reported missing. Private Bassett Percy Nicholas was one of the twenty-three men who were wounded during the attack. He died two days later of his wounds at Remy Siding No. 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. Private Bassett Percy Nicholas fell victim to a gunshot wounds on chest on the 12th of August 1917 and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
Sources 1
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 39. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/433831 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=342de10b-6fd0-4ee0-85e3-d68b8c20bb5d |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/232926 |