Australian Defence Force Health Service Memorial
S 34° 54.935 E 138° 35.956
54H E 280682 N 6133687
A memorial of Francis Bonner and John Simpson of the 3rd Field Ambulance.
Waymark Code: WMNQ2Z
Location: South Australia, Australia
Date Posted: 04/16/2015
Views: 14
This is a memorial to those who have served in the Australian Defence Force in a medical capacity. The statue by Robert Hannaford depicts ANZAC legend Simpson with his donkey, and also pays tribute to Francis Bonner who was stretcher bearer for Simpson. Both formed part of the 3rd Field Ambulance at Gallipoli.
Below is an excerpt taken from the speech given by then Governor Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce RANR:
It wasn't until after the great losses of the First World War that the practice of widespread commemoration took centre stage. Communities then began to erect war memorials listing those men and women who had gone to war and not returned.
So in modern times the main intent of memorials was to honour the fallen rather than to glorify war. And with that thought in mind, the Australian Defence Health Services Memorial was first conceived at a ball to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Australian Army Medical and Nursing Corps in 2003.
From the very beginning it was envisaged that this would be a tri-service memorial because this was how most medical and nursing deployments were conducted.
When one reflects upon the South Australian contribution we see that:
- In World War I, doctors from the Royal Adelaide Hospital formed the bulk of 1st Australian General Hospital which was established in Cairo.
- In Vietnam 25% of the doctors that served were from South Australia despite our population only being less than one-tenth of the nation.
- In 2001 a medical unit from the South Australia, 3rd Health Support Battalion was the first reserve unit of any kind to be deployed overseas since World War II.
- For the first time in the Boer War, Australian nursing sisters accompanied Australian troops; and nine of those nurses were from South Australia.
- By 1914 all States in Australia had been provided with Lady Superintendents and Matrons within the Australian Army Nursing Service. During World War I, 2139 nurses deployed overseas, 423 served in Australia, 25 died and 388 were decorated with Military Medals for their courage under fire. Approximately 300 South Australian nurses served in World War I.
- During the World War II, 3477 nurses served, 499 were from South Australian, nine of whom were massacred at Bangka Strait. And I am delighted that we still remember this sacrifice at a commemorative service held around this time each year.
- Since World War II South Australian nurses have served in all conflicts and peacekeeping deployments in which Australia has been involved from Korea to Afghanistan.
Private Simpson (Kirkpatrick) landed on Gallipoli with the covering force at dawn on 25 April 1915 and quickly befriended a donkey to carry leg wound casualties to the dressing station.
Day and night he worked cheerfully and unconcernedly amid fierce shrapnel and rifle-fire, carrying the wounded from the head of Monash valley down Shrapnel gully to the beach.
So valued was his work that he was allowed to operate separately, camping with his donkey at the Indian mule-camp. His name immediately became a byword for courage. However, this inspirational work and good fortune were to be short lived. On 19 May he was shot through the heart in Monash Valley and was buried on the beach at Hell Spit.
Please take a photo of yourself or your GPS (enabled) device at the memorial and take the time to reflect on the service of all those medical servicemen and servicewomen to whom this memorial honours.