John kirkpatrick simpson biography of michael

He was only 22 years old. Sources indicate Kirkpatrick was struck by a machine gun bullet that traveled through his heart. Reports also state that the donkey he had with him that day was spared from the same gunfire, with his comrades continuing to look after the animal. We treasured his last donkey and evacuated it safely at the end with a view to presenting it to Australia but it was stolen from our mule lines in Mudros.

He is credited with saving men over his 24 days of service. He has even been portrayed in films, television shows and on postage stamps. Despite his efforts, Kirkpatrick never received the Victoria Cross he was nominated for, due to a clerical error, one which has never been remedied. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University.

Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department. Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way.

John kirkpatrick simpson biography of michael

With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book. He served from the time of the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April until he was killed in action on 19 May.

Simpson became famous for his work as a stretcher-bearer. Using one of the donkeys brought in for carrying water, he transported wounded men day and night from the fighting in Monash Valley to the beach on Anzac Cove. He did so, according to Charles Bean, through "deadly sniping down the valley and the most furious shrapnel fire". He was killed by machine-gun fire while carrying two wounded men and was buried on the beach at Hell Spit.