Identity bracelet : Staff Nurse J Bassetti, Australian Army Nursing Service

Silver identification bracelet consisting of an oval shaped identity disc attached to a link chain bracelet, one attachment link is broken. Stamped onto one side of the disc is 'JESSIE BASSETTI A.A.N.S SALONICA' while engraved on the other side of the disc is 'Capt A. McKean A Company 18th Battalion. P.'

Associated with the service of Staff Nurse Jessie Bassetti. Bassetti was born in Redfern, NSW, in 1881 and was a nurse in Penrith, NSW on enlistment in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) on 10 May 1917.

Bassetti was given this identity bracelet by Captain Alexander McKean prior to her embarkation. It is believed the pair met when McKean was invalided back to Australia in January 1916. See REL/06469 for further information on Captain McKean's military service.

Bassetti embarked for overseas service aboard RMS Mooltan on 9 June, with the rank of staff nurse, arriving at Suez on 19 July. Travelling to Alexandria via train she embarked for Salonika aboard the Osmanieh, arriving on 14 August. Attached for duty with 52 British General Hospital Bassetti nursed with this unit until 27 April 1918 when she was admitted to the Sisters Convalescent Camp suffering debility.

Resuming her nursing duties with 50 British General Hospital on 11 May Bassetti remained with this unit until the end of the war apart from three weeks in July when she was attached to 60 British General Hospital.

On 12 February 1919, she boarded HMT Wyreema for England, arriving in Southampton on 25 February. Bassetti was attached to 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford until 31 March when she was granted leave to attend a course in Domestic Economy at the Polytechnic, Chelsea. At its conclusion, on 7 July Bassetti received a certificate stating she had undergone a course in domestic subjects including the theory and practice of cookery, laundry work and housecraft.

On 8 July 1919, she embarked for Australia aboard HT Friedrichsruhe arriving in Sydney on 4 September. She was discharged from the AANS on 3 November.