Page 273 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Obituaries
BASSETT - Nelson, WO1 (RSM) Nelson Bassett
died on 13th November 2016 (Remembrance Sunday). ‘Nelly’, as he was affectionately known by many members of the Regiment, will be for ever regarded as one of those great regimental characters of the modern era.
Nelson Bassett was a Cornishman, through and through. He was born into a family of dairy farmers in Helston on 14th October 1941. His father died when he was young, so his early life was tough. He was a keen sportsman from a young age, excelling as a goal-keeper on the football eld. He was selected for the youth section of Bristol Rovers FC and, if he had not joined the Army in 1960, he might well have followed a career in professional football. As a youngster, he possessed a considerable talent and passion for art and his greatest wish was to go to Art College. This was, however, not what his family could afford. What may have been the art world’s loss became the Army’s gain. He had always been keen on the Army and had joined the local detachment of the Army Cadet Force at a young age.
In October 1959, just 9 days after the Amalga- mation of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and the Somerset Light Infantry, he was the second man to enlist into the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry. So began a career which would last for 22 years and would see him reach the highest non-commissioned rank in the Army.
His rst posting, with the 1stBattalion, was in Osnabruck, West Germany. It was here that he started to develop and nurture his military skills and to con rm himself as a ne ri e shot. Since his days with the cadets, he had always been a marksman and he went on to be a regular member of the Battalion shooting team, competing at Bisley on many occasions. He was also a member of the Battalion team which won the BAOR Small-Bore Champi- onship in 1974. Nelson Bassett was goal-keeper for the Battalion Football team and also ran in the Cross-Country team. It was not surprising that one of his early appointments within the Battalion was as a PTI (Physical Training Instructor).
His early years of service were spent in Osnabruck, Gibraltar and Berlin. He soon showed signs of leadership and was promoted to Corporal in 1963. He was posted to the LI Training Depot in Shrewsbury a year later as a weapon instructor. After a brief period back with the Battalion in Gravesend, he was promoted to Sergeant, before returning to the Depot as a training platoon sergeant. In 1970, he re-joined his Battalion (which, in 1968, had been re-titled 1 LI) as the Mortar Platoon Sergeant. He remained with the Mortar Platoon for 5 years, being promoted to C/ Sgt in 1972. During this period, Bassett deployed on no less than 3 operational tours of Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. The rst tour in 1972 saw 1 LI deployed to Belfast; the second tour, a year later, the Battalion was deployed to Crossmaglen and County Armagh; the third (a much shorter tour) saw the Battalion deployed to the Protestant areas of Belfast to assist in the maintenance of law and order during the Ulster Workers’ strike.
In 1975, he was appointed Company Sergeant Major of C Coy, 1 LI based in Colchester. From there, he ew with his Company to Canada to take part in Ex POND JUMP. This was a chance to experience severely cold winter weather conditions and basic arctic warfare. The Battalion was then posted to
Hong Kong in 1976 where his Company washeavily involved in dealing with illegal immigrants who were attempting to cross the border from the Chinese Republic. After yet another posting to the Light Infantry Depot in Shrewsbury, this time as Training Company CSM, he re-joined the Battalion in Tidworth. He was promoted to WO1 and appointed RSM in early 1977. Later that year, the Battalion undertook a further operational tour in Northern Ireland, deployed in the Turf Lodge, Whiterock and the Lower Falls areas of the province. He was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
In the Spring of 1979, he led a mini-KAPE Team tour of his beloved Cornwall, seeking out recruits from what he felt was ‘God’s own country’! He was very successful and many potential recruits were identi ed. Whilst in Tidworth, Bassett undertook a further Ex POND JUMP, before ying out to Cyprus at the start of a 6-month unaccompanied tour with the United Nations in Cyprus (UNFICYP). His last Regimental Parade was the UN Medal Parade when all ranks of the Battalion received their United Nations medal. This was a tting way to leave the Battalion which he had served so loyally for such a long time.
Bassett then had 18 months to serve before completing his Army Service. He commanded 18 Cadet Training Team in Plymouth from May 1980 until his departure from the Army in October 1981, thus bringing to an end his 22 years of military service.
On leaving the Army, Nelson Bassett moved back to his beloved Cornwall. He underwent a course in cabinet making and designing and, from 1985-90, he was a retail manager for NAAFI. In 1990, as a complete change, he became a postman. All this time, he was enjoying exercising his artistic talents. He was an excellent artist. His water-colour paintings were of a high quality, as were his drawings and calligraphy. He was also skilled in woodworking, cabinet making and marquetry, all of which he carried on up to the time of his death. He moved with his beloved wife Suzanne (Sue) to Hampshire in 2006 and became a keen gardener, working in an allotment. Apart from the great affection that he showed for his old Regiment, he enjoyed a ful lling and loving relationship with his family which included 4 children and 7 grand-children. We send our sincere sympathy to Sue and to his extended family at their sad loss.
He was always a loyal and enthusiastic member of the Light Infantry Regimental Association (Somerset). Up to the time of his failing health, he was a regular supporter at the annual Regimental Reunion in Taunton. He loved to regale his friends and regimental colleagues with tales of his experi- ences of life in the Regiment during his active service. He was a keen supporter of the 1 LI Associ- ation and of the recently formed Buglers’ Associ- ation (there were no less than 12 buglers on parade at his funeral service). He would also attend the Veterans’ March-past on Remembrance Sunday at the London Cenotaph, proudly leading the 1 LI contingent.
At the Service of Celebration of Nelson Bassett’s life, one of his younger contemporaries gave a tribute, including these words: “....Nelly was a great soldier. As an NCO, he was always rm but fair and he earned the respect of all those who served with him. He was an inspiration to many and he truly was, and will remain, a legend to us all.”
“....NELLY WAS A GREAT SOLDIER. AS AN NCO, HE WAS ALWAYS FIRM BUT FAIR AND HE EARNED THE RESPECT OF ALL THOSE WHO SERVED WITH HIM.”
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS 271