The Man With the Donkey: John Simpson Kirkpatrick, the Good Samaritan of Gallipoli

John Simpson was a stretcher-bearer in the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance.

He came ashore during the Anzac landing of 25 April 1915 and was killed less than 3 weeks later. Simpson used donkeys to transport wounded men from the fighting in Monash Valley down to the dressing (first-aid) station at Anzac Cove. He was probably the first stretcher-bearer on Gallipoli to use a donkey to transport wounded men. The donkey used by Simpson was landed on the first day of the Gallipoli campaign, one of a number brought ashore to carry water. Simpson later used a second donkey. It is believed that Simpson called the donkey in this photograph Duffy although other records indicate that either this or the other donkey was known as Abdul or Murphy.