Basil Ross was born in Clunes and enlisted from Ballarat. He was 21 years old, single, and employed as an electrician. He had worked for the Ballarat Electric Supply Company for 3 years. Basil was active in the community. He was Captain of the Wendouree Star Football Club, and a member of the Wendouree Recreation Club and the Wendouree Fire Brigade. Private Ross, as a member of the 8th Battalion, took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove in the second wave ashore on 25th April 1915. He survived those first few confused days of heavy fighting and confusion. They moved onto the ships about 2 am. on 16th July and reached Imbros about 8 am. The camp was just 10 minutes walk from the beach, and apart from an hour's camp fatigue duty each day the men were free to do as they wished.

Six days later they were just back in their base area in the mouth of Shrapnel Gully, when a German Taube aeroplane bombed the beach area. The battalion helped defend the beachhead and in August was involved in the battle of Lone Pine. On 22nd September 1916 he was appointed Lance Corporal. The battalion had been involved in the fighting for Pozieres and Mouquet Farm, and had returned to the trenches on the Somme for the winter and reinforcements and promotions were needed to bring the battalion up to fighting strength. On the 7th May 1917 Corporal Ross was wounded in action. He was admitted to the 13th General Hospital at Boulogne in France with a gun shot wound to his left shoulder on 10th May. Tree 38, an elm, was planted by Miss E. Cleverley, a 'Lucas Girl', on 4th June 1917, in the Ballarat Avenue of Honour
Tree No. 231 was planted in the Ballarat Shire Avenue of Honour in his name.