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Our logoIn Memory of Simpson & his Donkey John Simpson Kirkpatrick was born on 6 July 1892 at South Shields. The legend of Simpson’s deeds at Gallipoli was forged in only 24 days at Anzac Cove. It is believed that he rescued and retrieved more than 300 casualties, sometimes as many as 20 in one day, many under conditions of mortal risk to himself. On 29 May 1915, while making his fourth rescue of the day under heavy fire, he was killed instantly by machine gun fire at a point known as Bloody Angel in Shrapnel Gully. His donkey, “Duffy” still carrying the original casualty returned alone to the Advanced Dressing Station of 3 Field Ambulance. One of his biographers, Sir Irving Benson, wrote: “He has become the symbol of valour, courage, and ingenuity which characterised the Australian [and New Zealand] soldier throughout the [Gallipoli] campaign. It is significant that this young man should have attracted the glowing admiration of the troops…”
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