John Simpson Kirkpatrick (centre) with his donkey.

John (Jack) Simpson Kirkpatrick (July 6, 1892–May 19, 1915) was a stretcher bearer with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign, in World War I. After landing at Anzac Cove on April 25, 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". Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x1558, 333 KB) Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick (centre) with his donkey Duffy carrying a soldier wounded in the leg during the Battle of Gallipoli. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x1558, 333 KB) Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick (centre) with his donkey Duffy carrying a soldier wounded in the leg during the Battle of Gallipoli. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Medical team at work during the Battle of Normandy. ... The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that was formed in Egypt in 1915 and operated during the Battle of Gallipoli. ... Combatants British Empire Australia British India Newfoundland New Zealand United Kingdom Egyptian labourers[1] France Senegal  Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Ian Hamilton Lord Kitchener John de Robeck Otto von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Strength 5 divisions (initial) 16 divisions (final) 6 divisions (initial) 15 divisions (final) Casualties 252,000[2] 195... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, see Evolution of the British Empire. ... Simpson and his donkey statue by Peter Corlett outside the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. ...

Early years

Kirkpatrick is probably one of the best known soldiers of the First Australian Imperial Force. However, like many members of the AIF, he had been born in the UK; at South Shields, County Durham, England to a Scottish couple, who had moved to England in 1886.^[1] The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from August 15, 1914, following Britains declaration of war on Germany. ... , South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne, with a population of about 90,000. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Scottish people as an ethnic group. ...

Statue of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey in Ocean Road, South Shields

In common with many of his peers, Kirkpatrick did not attend high school, instead working as a milkboy. He was briefly a member of the Territorial Army (the British Army reserve corps), when he joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 17, working as a stoker and steward. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 393 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (475 × 724 pixel, file size: 171 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A statue of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey which stands in Ocean Road, South Shields. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 393 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (475 × 724 pixel, file size: 171 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A statue of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey which stands in Ocean Road, South Shields. ... A milk truck A milkman is a person who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. ... The Territorial Army (TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Merchant Marine. ... Abraham Bram Stoker (November 8, 1847–April 20, 1912) was an Anglo-Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. ... The terms steward or stewardess can refer to a number of different professional roles. ...

On May 13, 1910 he "jumped ship" — that is, broke his employment contract — at Newcastle, New South Wales. He travelled, often on foot, to Queensland, where he worked as a sugar cane cutter and station worker. He worked a passage from Cairns to Sydney, and became a coal miner in the Illawarra region. is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. ... Cairns redirects here. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the mining of coal. ... Lookout from the Illawarra Escarpment above Wombarra over the northern Illawarra plain viewing Austinmer, Thirroul, Bulli, Wollongong up to Port Kembla in the far. ...

During 1911, Kirkpatrick went to Western Australia for a short period, and worked there on the Yilgarn Goldfield. Year 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06)  - Product ($m)  $107,910 (4th)  - Product per capita  $53,134/person... Southern Cross townsite. ...

For a few years, he worked as a steward, fireman and greaser on ships travelling between the Australian ports. An only son, he always sent money to his mother and sister in South Shields. Kirkpatrick was also a trade union activist and a socialist, writing to his family of his hopes for a political revolution in the UK. The Lawrence textile strike (1912), with soldiers surrounding peaceful demonstrators A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions, forming a cartel of labour. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ...

Gallipoli

On August 25, 1914, in Perth, Western Australia, he joined the AIF and the Australian Army Medical Corps, under the name of "John Simpson", as a stretcher bearer. He was given the service number of 202, indicating that he was the 202nd person to enlist in WA and underwent basic training at Blackboy Hill Camp. He was assigned to C Section, 3rd Field Ambulance Company. Other members of the AIF, mistaking his Geordie accent for an Irish one, nicknamed him "Murphy". is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Location of Perth within Australia This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... The Australian Army Medical Corps (AAMC) first served under that name in the Boer War. ... Blackboy Hill, Western Australia Is the name of the an ANZAC memorial and the locality now absorbed into Greenmount, Western Australia. ... This article is about the people and dialect of Tyneside. ... Hiberno-English is the form of the English language used in Ireland. ...

Kirkpatrick believed that the AIF would be sent to Western Europe, to fight German Empire forces, and his main motivation in joining up was the prospect of a free passage to England. However, the AIF stopped en route, in Egypt, for training in preparation for the invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula, in Turkey, at that time the heartland of the Ottoman Empire. For German colonial territories, see German Colonial Empire. ... Combatants British Empire Australia British India Newfoundland New Zealand United Kingdom Egyptian labourers[1] France Senegal  Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Ian Hamilton Lord Kitchener John de Robeck Otto von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Strength 5 divisions (initial) 16 divisions (final) 6 divisions (initial) 15 divisions (final) Casualties 252,000[2] 195... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320...

Simpson and donkey statue (1988) by Peter Collett outside the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. There is another sculpture of Simpson and his Donkey by Wallace Anderson (1935) at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance.

The 3rd Field Ambulance travelled to Gallipoli with the Australian 3rd Brigade aboard RMT Devanha and transferred to Royal Navy destroyer HMS Ribble for the landing. The 3rd Brigade was the first ANZAC unit ashore. Kirkpatrick was the only member of his bearer section of four to reach the beach unscathed. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (895x1236, 143 KB) Summary Simpson and his donkey supporting a wounded man. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (895x1236, 143 KB) Summary Simpson and his donkey supporting a wounded man. ... The Australian War Memorial is Australias national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... USS McFaul underway in the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Kirkpatrick found a donkey, which he named variously "Duffy", "Murphy" and "Abdul", that had been landed by a field artillery units, and began operating independently. Accounts vary as to whether he had received official approval for this practice at the time. For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ...

Leading this donkey, he began his journeys from the beach, up "Shrapnel Gully" and "Monash Valley". On his way up he would carry water, on the way back wounded, particularly those with leg wounds. At night he camped with an Indian Army field ambulance unit, near the beach. A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ...

Simpson's grave at Beach Cemetery, Gallipoli.

There was literally nowhere at Gallipoli that was safe from fire and Monash Valley was particularly bad, as Ottoman forces held the heights at the end of the valley and could fire down its length. On the morning of May 19, the day after a major attack had been repulsed, Kirkpatrick began his usual routine. He was returning down Monash Valley with two wounded men, when they was came under machine gun fire near "Steele's Post". The three men were killed, Kirkpatrick being hit in the heart. Headstone of the grave of Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick, AIF, in Beach Cemetery, Gallipoli. ... Headstone of the grave of Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick, AIF, in Beach Cemetery, Gallipoli. ... Beach Cemetery. ...

Kirkpatrick is buried in Beach Cemetery at Anzac Cove. Beach Cemetery. ... Anzac Cove looking towards Ari Burnu, 1915. ...

He was Mentioned in Despatches for "gallant and distinguished service in the field". Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service. ...

The Simpson legend

The "Simpson" legend grew largely from an account of his actions published in a 1916 book, Glorious Deeds of Australasians in the Great War. This was a wartime propaganda effort, and many of its stories of Simpson, supposedly rescuing 300 men and making dashes into no mans land to carry wounded out on his back, are demonstrably untrue. In fact, transporting that many men down to the beach in the four weeks that he was at Gallipoli would have been a physical impossibility, given the time the journey took.^[2]) However, the stories presented in the book were widely and uncritically accepted by many people, including the authors of some subsequent books on Simpson. 1967 Chinese propaganda poster from the Cultural Revolution. ... Note: No mans land may also be understood as Terra nullius. ...

The few contemporary accounts of Simpson at Gallipoli, speak of his bravery and invaluable service in bringing wounded down from the heights above Anzac Cove through Shrapnel and Monash Gullies. However, his donkey service spared him the even more dangerous and arduous work of hauling seriously wounded men back from the front lines on a stretcher.

There have been several petitions over the decades to have Simpson awarded a Victoria Cross (VC) or an Australian Victoria Cross. There is a persistent myth that he was recommended for a VC, but that this was either refused or mishandled by the military bureaucracy. However, there is no documentary evidence that such a recommendation was ever made. The case for Simpson for him being awarded a VC is based on diary entries by his Commanding Officer that express the hope he would receive either a Distinguished Conduct Medal or VC. However, the officer in question never made a formal recommendation for either of these medals. Simpson’s Mention in Despatches was consistent with the recognition given to other men who performed the same role at Gallipoli. For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ... The Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) was (until 1993) the second level military decoration awarded other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries. ...

Notes

1. ^ http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-heroes/simpson.htm
2. ^ Wilson, Graham, The Donkey Vote. A VC for Simpson – The Case Against, Sabretache: The Journal and Proceedings of the Military Historical Society of Australia, vol. 47, no. 4, December 2006, pp. 25-37

References

• Adam-Smith, Patsy (1978). The ANZACs. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-7343-0461-7. 

• E.C. Buley, Glorious Deeds of Australasians in the Great War, Andrew Melrose, London, 1916

• Curran, Tom, Across The Bar: The Story Of ’Simpson’, The Man With The Donkey: Australia and Tyneside’s great military hero: Ogmios Publications, Yeronga, 1994

• Cochrane, Peter, Simpson And The Donkey: The Making Of A Legend, Melbourne University Press, Burwood, 1992.

• Wilson, Graham, The Donkey Vote. A VC for Simpson – The Case Against, Sabretache: The Journal and Proceedings of the Military Historical Society of Australia, vol. 47, no. 4, December 2006, pp. 25-37.

• Mark Greenwood (2008). Simpon and His Donkey. Walker Books Australia. ISBN 978-1-9211-5018-0. [1]

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ... Ernest Charles Buley (1869 - 1933) was an Australian journalist and author. ...

External links

• Australian War Memorial page on Simpson (and see also AWM biographical data and Roll of Honour data)
• Digger History page on Simpson with many images and information on New Zealander Richard Henderson, and his donkey.

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John Simpson Kirkpatrick