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My avatar: with Simpson and his donkey

By Pip_c

16 Oct, 2009
13 likes

This pic was taken on our annual holiday to Canberra, Australia's capital. The statue is out the front of the War Memorial, and it shows this bloke called Jack Simpson, who had a donkey during WW1 (or WW2, I can't remember). He'd go out on the battlefield and risk his life by carrying the wounded back to camp on the donkey. (He did get killed eventually.) Or at least, that's the basic tale: I may have forgotten a few details, as it has been around for donkey's years lol

Comments on this photo

Bernieh

His is a great story Pip - even though we regard him as one of Australia's greatest heroes he wasn't exactly an angel and he wasn't born here.

He was born in north-eastern England, round Newcastle, where he joined the merchant navy. He deserted, then tramped around Oz working odd jobs, before joining the Australian Infantry hoping that this would get him back to England. Unfortunately, he found himself at Anzac Cove and was killed less than four weeks later, aged 22.

While he was at Anzac Cove he never carried any arms and spent his time recovering the wounded, carrying men down from the front line on a donkey often under fire. He has become the most prominent symbol of bravery and courage at Gallipoli and is forevermore part of our Anzac story.

16 Oct, 2009