Discharged Returned Soldier Badge: Staff Nurse J Bassetti, Australian Army Nursing Service

Circular brass badge, in the centre of which is the rising sun and 'A.I.F' surrounded by the words 'ISSUED BY DEPT OF DEFENCE RETURNED FROM ACTIVE SERVICE'. The badge is surmounted by a King's crown. The reverse of the badge is impressed with the maker's details and the serial number '173408'.

Associated with the service of Staff Nurse Jessie Bassetti. Bassetti was born in Redfern, NSW, in 1881 and was a nurse on enlistment in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) on 10 May 1917. She had previously nursed at the Penrith Cottage Hospital before moving to the Nepean Cottage Hospital.

Embarking for overseas service aboard RMS Mooltan on 9 June with the rank of staff nurse, Bassetti arrived 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.