Simpson and his donkey

 

John Simpson is considered a national hero for what he was doing at ANZAC Cove when the Australians and New Zealanders took on the Turkish. He is best known by the story “Simpson and his donkey” where he collected wounded men from the battlefield to take them to get medical help. He also carried no weapons, and his sacrifice was a vital contribution.

His actions showed the courage and mateship Australians have as he was often in the line of fire when he was trying to get wounded men out of the front line and he was putting his life on the line for the life of others. This courage and mateship is still reflected in Australians and definitely in the army today with an SASR soldier recently receiving a Victorian Cross medal for saving his squadron from heavy fire. Victorian crosses are awarded for “conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour of self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy”. This goes to show that the principals of Simpson and his donkey are still living strong in the Australian armed forces today and even in society. Eleven ANZAC men were awareded Victorian Crosses for their work at Gallipoli.

ANZAC soldiers are often remembered as being very brave and couragous and many of them had come from farms and country towns to sign up for the war. Often people refer to the "ANZAC spirit" which is the characteristics people believe the ANZAC soldiers had which were : endurance, courage, good humour, mateship, and larrikinism. Even though the battle was lost, the ANZAC soldiers still showed the ANZAC spirit which is often reflected in society even these days during hard times.

Simpson and his donkey. Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

https://cas.awm.gov.au/screen_img/J06392