RSA | Man and his Donkey
The image above depicts Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick of the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance and his donkey, 'Murphy'. Kirkpatrick is shown as a full-length figure, moving forwards along a cliff edge, supporting a wounded soldier seated on his donkey. Later research undertaken by the Australian War Memorial suggests that the water colour was copied by Moore-Jones from a photograph of a stretcher-bearer with the New Zealand Medical Corps, Richard Alexander Henderson. This work was reproduced by the British Historical Section (Military Branch) of the Committee of Imperial Defence, London, in July 1926. It was owned by the Commonwealth Government in London and then came back to Australia during the 1960s, where it became property of the Prime Minister's Department and from there entered the National Gallery of Australia's collections during the 1980s. The painting was presented to the Commonwealth Government through Sir John McEwan.
July 6, 1892 - May 19, 1915John Simpson Kirkpatrick, affectionately known as "the man and his donkey", was born on the 6th of July 1892 in South Shields, England.He landed at ANZAC Cove at 5 a.m. on the 25th of April 1915 and was mortally wounded in Shrapnel Gully, near the mouth of Monash Valley, on the 19th of May 1915 at the age of 22.During the 24 days he spent at ANZAC he operated as a sole unit with his beloved donkey/s and is credited with saving the lives of probably hundreds of men.He has become a part of the ANZAC folklore and though recommended for the Victoria Cross, twice, and the Distinguished Conduct Medal, he was never decorated for his actions. JOHN SIMPSON KIRKPATRICK SERVED AS202 PRIVATE J SIMPSON,AUST. ARMY MEDICAL CORPS,19TH MAY 1915 AGE 22HE GAVE HIS LIFETHAT OTHERS MAY LIVE
