During the Great War many noble deeds of bravery were done. Here is an account of how a British soldier and his donkey saved many lives. Private Simpson went to the war with the first Australian soldiers and was among the first of our brave fellows to land at Anzac. He belonged to the Ambulance Corps whose duty it is to render first aid to the injured and bring them as quickly as possible out of danger.
Wherever the bullets rained the thickest, there Simpson was to be found bandaging the wounded or holding a refreshing flask of water to the parched lips of some dying soldier. For several weeks Simpson and his donkey "Murphy" were known to every Australian on the Peninsula.
It was on the second day after landing that the two met. About one hundred donkeys had been brought ashore to carry tins of water to the soldiers, and "Murphy" was among them. The animals did their work very well.
From the moment of their first meeting, Simpson and Murphy became fast friends, and were after wards always to be seen together. Every day they set out with a tin of water, and on their way back searched for some poor wounded comrade who might be lying on the ground, perhaps bleeding to death.
Sometimes they would succeed in bringing back fifteen soldiers in a day. On reaching the top, Simpson used to leave Murphy just under the brow of the hill,Drawn by Tom V. Carter
An Errand of Mercy
while he himself dashed forward, under heavy fire, to save the wounded. After giving first aid, Simpson, with the help of the donkey, took them to a place of safety.
Day after day the two did their noble work. The animal seemed to know that he must tread carefully to avoid the bumps and jolts over a long and tiresome road. Had he not done so the journey would very likely have meant death to a badly injured soldier.Often a man would be lying wounded, perhaps with a broken leg, and no one else would know of it until Simpson found him or the donkey scented him out.
For some time this life-saving work went on, but one day the animal was struck by a bullet, and had to be left behind. Then Simpson and some of his comrades halfDrawn by Tom V. Carter
"He was seen sniffing at a form lying quite still on the ground."dragged and half carried the poor beast back to the lines. A few days later, Murphy, although slightly lame, was again at his work and as keen as ever.
One day, however, he came down the gully carrying a wounded man on his back, but his master was not there. As soon as he had delivered his burden, he trotted back again up the gully. Not long afterwards he was seen sniffing at a form lying quite still on the ground. It was Simpson, who had been shot through the heart while returning slowly with a wounded comrade.
Thus died one of England"s noblest sons, and deeply did the Anzacs mourn for him. Though his voice is now silent, he has left us an example that will never die, and the story of Simpson and his donkey will long be remembered among the bravest deeds of Anzac.
About the Author.-The name of the author is not known.
About the Story.-Find the Gallipoli Peninsula on the map of Europe. The Australian soldiers landed there on the 25th of April, 1915. "Ambulance Corps" (pronounced kor), section of the army whose work is to look after the wounded on the battle- field and to get them to hospital.