FACT AND LEGEND ABOUT SIMPSON AND HIS DONKEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 69, 18 September 1937, Page 27

FACT AND LEGEND ABOUT SIMPSON AND HIS DONKEY

The story 'of Private- - .Simpson, D.C.M. of the Third Field Ambulance Army Medical Corps,, and of his key "Murphy,"- is the story of one of the bravest men ■at Anzac (says an article by an Anzac, which has been sent to "The Post", by a reader, with the comment that "it may possibly be true"). ; Simpson must have .carefully thought out how best he could help the wounded before he went to the front at all, for when he was leaving Egypt on active service he arrived at the transport leading a small donkey. He was stopped as he was going on board and was told that the animal could not be taken on the ship. Nothing daunted, Simpson led the donkey away. Some time later he appeared again, this time with a large sack on his back. He was allowed to take his burden on board Without any questions being asked. And that is how "Murphy" finally got to Anzae.

Soon Simpson and Murphy became well known. When the.woUhded were lying helpless on the battlefield the first call would be "Murphy! Where's Murphy?" '

Simpson and Murphy were tireless in their good work. They would take the wounded down to the beach and then get a supply of fresh water and return up the fire.-swept hills to plod patiently from place to place, giving water, and help to! as many 'wounded as they possibly could. ■ :

They did not know what fear was. Once poor Murphy, was hit with a spent bullet, but the wound was only a slight one, and after a little attention he was able to resume duty.

Then Simpson managed, to get hold of another donkey to help Murphy. This donkey was called Murphy' No. 2. For weeks the three worked among the wounded, taking them water and carrying them to the beach, where they were attended to and sent to the hospitals. Then poor Murphy No. 2 was shot dead.' Still Simpson and the original Murphy Went daily to and fro, doing all they could. -

On May 19, 1915,; ; when Murphy was called for, he did riot answer the call, so a party went in search of him. They found the faithful little beast standing by the side of his Vmaster,; who had been shot dead—it is believed by a Turkish sniper. . ;.

Unfortunately the- official history does not bear but' this; picturesque story in all its details..-. .According to the version of Simpson's ;work given by Captain C. E. W. Bean in the first volume of the "Offlcial History of Aus-

tralia in the Great War," Simpson, obtained his donkey, ih a, Quite different manner, A number of donkeys Avith Greek drivers had been landed ■ on April 25 for water-carrying. The Greeks were soon deported and after a few days the donkeys ceased carrying- and; fed idly in the' gullies till they gradually disappeared. Private Simpson, of the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance (whose real name was Kirkpatrick, and who was known to the troops as "Scottie" oj "Murphy") had the idea that one of these donkeys might be used to move men who had been wounded in the leg. He commandeered an animal' and each day, and half of every night, he worked between the head of Monash Valley and the beach, his donkey carrying a brassard round its forehead and a wounded man on its back. He escaped death^Tmany times and was completely fatalistic—the deadlx sniping down the valley and most furious shrapnel fire did not stop him... The colonel of his unit, recognising the value of his work, gave him freeddm of action. He camped in the Indian mule-camp, the drivers of which took his donkey (known as "Duffy") away with them after the evacuation, and he had to report only once a day. Presently he annexed a second donkey. On May 19 he went.up the valley, past the water-guard where he generally had his breakfast which was not ready. He called "Get me a good dinner when I come back." He never came back. With two patients he was coming down to the creek-bed when he was hit through the heart and both the wounded men were wounded again.

Another correspondent sends details of seeing Simpson's mother home after she had been showing him all the official correspondence relating to Simpson's passing: "A grand old lady in humble circumstances, she rerused to touch a penny of a large sum gathered by a London flag day for her. Now I was given to understand that this money was used then to order a painting to be taken care of by the Australian Government. At that time there was a small bronze replica of the monument in Australia in the South Shields Museum Buildings which was very similar to the painting in 'The Post.' The accuracy of the figure in the painting can soon be settled. Packy Kirkpatrick was a 'Geordie' seaman on the coast of Australia when the war broke out and was fully convinced that he would see his home town before he went into action. He sailed straight to Galilpoli."