Monday, December 17, 2012

Australian War Memorial Canberra Simpson and his Donkey


Outside the AWM Canberra is this statue of Simpson and his Donkey. John "Jack" Simpson Kirkpatrick (6 July 1892 – 19 May 1915), who served under the name John Simpson, was a stretcher bearer with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. After landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, he obtained a donkey and began carrying wounded British Empire soldiers from the frontline to the beach, for evacuation. He continued this work for three and a half weeks, often under fire, until he was killed. Simpson and his Donkey are a key part of the "Anzac legend". Wiki

5 comments:

  1. What a sad but brave story, thank you for sharing it here.

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  2. I was amazed on my most recent trip to the memorial to realise that his mercy mission lasted just 3.5 weeks. He sure made an impact way beyond that short time.

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