The donkey vote: a VC for Simpson--the case against.(does John Simpson Kirkpatrick deserve a Victoria Cross?)(Viewpoint essay)

The story of the AIF abounds with myths. One of the most persistent of those myths is that connected with the purported recommendation for a Victoria Cross (VC) for Private John Simpson (Kirkpatrick) of the 3rd Field Ambulance, the so-called 'Man With the Donkey', and the supposed reason for its non-award. The story, one of the most persistent connected with the AIF, goes that Simpson was officially recommended for a VC by both his company commander and his unit commander; however, goes the story, due to inexperience on the part of the officers preparing the recommendation, Simpson was recommended 'under the wrong category' and thus he was 'only' mentioned in despatches, instead of awarded the VC that he had been recommended for.

Subsequently, there have been numerous campaigns mounted to award 'poor' Simpson the VC that he 'deserved' and was 'recommended for'. The campaigners have ranged from the highest in the land, including a Governor-General, a Prime Minister and numerous politicians, to the most ordinary people. What all of these campaigners hold in common, whatever their station in society, is that they are all grossly misinformed and indeed misled.

The 'Purple Cross' for 'Murphy'

A recent impetus for the posthumous award of the VC to Simpson was the award of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty's Purple Cross to Simpson's donkey in 1997. This more than slightly precious action has been a spur to campaigners as they feel that if Simpson's donkey has been 'recognised', then so should he. One major point about this overwhelmingly twee action on the part of the RSPCA is that a single award to, putatively, 'Murphy', Simpson's donkey, despite the disclaimers of the RSPCA, largely ignores the fact that Simpson is known to have employed at least four donkeys at Gallipoli. In addition, the 'posthumous award' of the Purple Cross, over 80 years after the event and to an entity whose fate is unknown, is little more than pointless. The RSPCA's action is, of course, the explanation for the somewhat sarcastic title of this paper. The problem for all of these campaigners, however, despite the 'recognition' of Simpson's donkey, is that the story outlined above, which, unfortunately, is the generally accepted one, just does not stand up to critical examination.

Background

Before examining the VC campaigns, it is probably in place to examine the actual historical background to the situation. Although I will refer on several occasions to John Simpson Kirkpatrick by his full legal name, as he is generally referred to as 'Simpson', for the sake of clarity that is the name I will mainly use.

John Simpson Kirkpatrick was born in South Shields in the County of Durham in England on 6 July 1892. The son of a merchant seaman, he too took up the call of the sea and at the age of 17 became a merchant seaman. Employed as a fireman or stoker on small trading ships, he worked his way to Australia where, in 1910 he jumped ship, i.e. deserted. It has been suggested by at least one knowledgeable person that Simpson was in fact paid off in Australia, rather than deserted. This theory is based on the fact that articles of engagement were not necessarily for a UK to UK trip but might be for one particular leg of a voyage only, in Simpson's case, from the UK to Newcastle in Australia. The theory is not supported by the indisputable fact that Simpson enlisted into the AIF under an assumed name. Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894, deliberate failure to complete articles constituted the crime of desertion. A seaman guilty of desertion forfeited all wages due to him, not only for the ship he had deserted from, but for any other ship on which he engaged for return to the United Kingdom if he had not already been subjected to the punishment prescribed by law. In addition to loss of wages, a merchant seaman guilty of desertion under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 was liable to arrest without warrant in any British possession and a period of penal servitude up to 3 months, with or without hard labour. (2) This definitely supports the theory that Simpson was in fact a deserter as, had he enlisted into the AIF under his legal name, he was liable to arrest and detention for desertion from the merchant marine. The theory that Simpson jumped ship is supported by the man's own words. In a letter to his mother, mailed from Australia and dated 30 May 1910, Simpson quite openly admitted that he had 'cleared out' after waiting until the portion of his pay owing for the voyage out (referred to in his letter as 'the half pay'), which was due on 12 May, was paid. With the money duly paid, Simpson and 13 other members of the ship's crew deserted. (3)