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An Anzac's childhood: John Simpson Kirkpatrick (1892–1915)

John H Pearn and David Gardner-Medwin
Med J Aust 2003; 178 (8): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05259.x
Published online: 21 April 2003

John Simpson Kirkpatrick, generally known as "Simpson", is one of the most famous Anzacs of the Gallipoli campaign.1-3 From the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915 until his death 25 days later, Simpson and his donkey retrieved perhaps 300 casualties from the battlefield. He did this work independently, sometimes in disregard of orders, and frequently with a disregard for danger that kept the onlooking soldiers in the trenches enthralled as they watched him moving calmly to rescue wounded soldiers while under direct fire from the enemy. He is often thought of as the quintessential larrikin Anzac, although he was born in England and only spent four years in Australia before enlisting in the Australian Army Medical Corps in 1914.


  • 1 Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Herston, QLD.
  • 2 Station Road, Heddon-On-The-Wall, UK.


Correspondence: 

Acknowledgements: 

We thank particularly Dr Christopher Gardner-Thorpe, Consultant Neurologist of Exeter, for much encouragement; Mr John Moreels of the Ward Philipson Group, Gateshead; and Mr James Fell and the Tyne and Wear Museums for gracious permission to publish photographs.

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  • 4. Ward's Directory of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, North and South Shields. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: R. Ward and Sons. Annual Ward's Directories from 1888. [South Eldon Street, John Kirkpatrick's birthplace address, was not listed in Ward's Directory for South Shields until 1891–92, page 248].
  • 5. Public Record Office, UK. The 1891 Census for England and Wales. Administrative County of South Shields, Civil Parish of Westhoe, Municipal Ward of Tyne Dock. Census entry for 10 South Eldon Street. [Robert Kirkpatrick, head of family. Lists children and Ettie Crozier, a 15-year-old domestic servant].
  • 6. Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, UK. Birth certificate of John Kirkpatrick, born 6 July 1892 at 10 South Eldon Street, Westhoe. Son of Robert Kirkpatrick and Sarah Simpson, domestic housekeeper. Certificate No. 223, birth registered 3 August 1892. Registration District of South Shields, sub-District of Westhoe, Counties of South Shields and Durham, Copied Cert No. CM 365464 dated 16 Sept 2002.
  • 7. Public Record Office, UK. The 1901 Census for England and Wales. Administrative County of Durham, Civil Parish of South Shields, Ward Borough of Dean's Ward. Entry for South Frederick Street [Nos 127-153]. PRO Reference No. RG 13/4736.
  • 8. Memorandum Book of the South Shields School Board. Ref T116/1-8 [487-557].
  • 9. Tyne and Wear. The County Archives. Admission Register. South Shields Barnes Road Board School [School No. 1416]. Boys Department Ref T116/1-8 (Unpag). School record of John Kirkpatrick.
  • 10. Tyne and Wear. The County Archives. South Shields School Board: Barnes Boys' School. Memorandum Book [Ref T116/I-unpag].
  • 11. Hogg OFG. The history of the 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery, now part of the 274th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) 1860–1960. South Shields [Durham], The Northern Press Limited, undated [c.1970]: 41.
  • 12. Moran C. The anatomy of courage. London: Constable, 1945.

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