For all you Aussies

[NIGEL]

Just something i read

As a parade is held in the home town of a stretcher-bearer who died in action as he rescued soldiers on his donkey, the BBC news website looks at the remarkable life of Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick.

Private Kirkpatrick, of South Shields, and his donkey Murphy became household names when they rescued injured soldiers at Gallipoli during World War I.

Pte Kirkpatrick was born in South Eldon Street in the town in 1892 and his attachment to donkeys began when he was young and worked at a fair running penny rides for children.

He would then ride one of the donkeys the two-mile journey home and the animals seemed to respond to his kind and gentle manner.

As young man he joined the merchant navy, but deserted it in Sydney.

But when the World War I began, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1914, where his subsequent actions more than compensated for the manner in which he left the merchant navy.

In 1915, Pte Kirkpatrick served at Gallipoli for just 24 days before he was shot dead, but in that short time he became a hero in the Australian Army Medical Corps.

Donkeys came to war with soldiers to be water carriers and Pte Kirkpatrick put his donkey Murphy to an equally vital use, transporting wounded men, day and night, through heavy gun fire in Monash Valley to the beach on Anzac Cove.

He saved the lives of more than 300 soldiers, before his death on 19 May.

He was 22 years old.

Animal honour

Although he was twice recommended for the Victoria Cross and the Distinguished Conduct Medal, he was never decorated for his actions.

However, his donkey Murphy was posthumously awarded a Purple Cross - the highest award available for animals - by the RSPCA.

In South Shields a bronze statue of Pte Kirkpatrick and Murphy commemorates his sacrifice, and there have been renewed calls for him to receive the VC.

Proud tribute

On Sunday, firefighters from the North of England and Scotland will parade their standards in honour of all war dead.

During World War II three fire fighters from Tyne and Wear area were awarded the George Medal for gallantry.

Other emergency services including the North-East Ambulance Service and Northumbria Police will also take part in the parade.

Event organiser, sub officer Arthur Lockyear, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are all very conscious of the losses suffered by the armed forces, the merchant navy and others 60 years ago and since, and we are proud to pay our part in this sincere tribute."

Private Kirkpatrick will later be honoured, along with other fallen comrades, at a service at St Hilda's Church in South Shields.

[Gary Samson]

Tony Brenton has an article in the March 2005 issue of The Great War magazine on John Simpson Kirkpatrick. He and his donkey made quite a team!

Gary

[robbie]

THanks Nigel and Gary. Very interesting. Every child in Oz learns about Simpson and his donkey in primary school. I did not know however, thathe was so young. I pictured him as middle-aged, but then again a 22-year-old is "middle-aged" to a young child. A fabulous Aussie hero.

Do you know how he came to use a donkey rather than a horse? and where would he have bought it?

Robbie

[aconnolly]

Robbie

There were donkeys roaming around on Gallipoli, so Simpson probably simply grabbed one. No horses were taken over, at least not early in the campaign, they were all left in Egypt. Simpson landed on 25 April and apparently began his work immediately, so the donkey was probably Turkish! Several/many other medics also used the donkeys as the campaign went on. Apparently a common question in the first 2-3 weeks was "has the bloke with the donk stopped one yet?"

Regards

Andrew

[Ozzie]

For some additional info on this topic.

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=564

One reply is quite detailed and will some questions here.

Cheers

Kim

[marina]

That's a wonderful story.

Marina

[robbie]

For some additional info on this topic.

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=564

One reply is quite detailed and will some questions here.

Cheers

Kim

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some intersting material on this forum thanks Kim.

So, did Simpson get his donkey(s) from the local Turks or from the Indians?

Robbie

[NIGEL]

Some intersting material on this forum thanks Kim.

So, did Simpson get his donkey(s) from the local Turks or from the Indians?

Robbie 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I told you about Aussie Light Horse ages ago Robbie, you never listen

[michaeldr]

Quote; So, did Simpson get his donkey(s) from the local Turks or from the Indians?

None of the above

From ‘Across the Bar’ by Tom Curran [iMHO probably the best biography of Simpson - written by a man who was born a Geordie, studied pharmacology at Edinburgh, enlisted in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps and in 1969 he commanded an Australian field medical unit in Vietnam]

“A number of donkeys had been landed, along with their Greek drivers, primarily to carry kerosene tins of water for the troops. Some of these donkeys had been deserted by their drivers and now sought what shelter and grazing there was to be had in amongst the overgrown gullies.”

It was from these ‘Greek’ donkeys that Jack enlisted his work-mate on day two, 26th April 1915.

Several donkeys were killed while working with Jack – you cannot tell a donkey, [who is carrying a wounded man,] to duck!

Lt-Col Fergusson DSO of the Indian Mountain Battery said Jack had ‘many’ donkeys, but his Medical Officer, Capt T. J. Evans remembered only three animals. They had a variety of names too – Duffy, Murphy, Abdul, and ‘even Queen Elizabeth.’

Regards

Michael D.R.

[Mr BJ]

For your information...

Simpson's medals (WWI trio and MID), dog tags and Galllipoli plaque are held in the Australian War Museum in Canberra together with his Donkey's medal and Red Cross band.

You can view pictures of them by doing a search of the collection for "simpson" at:

www.awm.gov.au

Cheers,

Brad