Donkey Ambulance

Description

Limited Edition – 250 only

A stretcher-bearer from the 4th Field Ambulance attached of the Australian Light Horse is evacuating a wounded soldier from Quinn’s post.These fine, unarmed soldiers, risked everything to bring the wounded to safety, and were noted for their calm, often jovial and cheering manner, bringing comfort and reassurance to the wounded and suffering. Through the horror of explosions and fear and death, the patient, uncomplaining little donkeys did double duty; they carried water, ammunition, food and medical supplies up the steep hillsides to the trenches, and then carried the wounded back down to the beach at Anzac Cove. In the background through the dust and smoke from explosions, you see activity in a hillside trench, and below that some injured soldiers being attended by a medic, while awaiting evacuation.

Although Simpson was the first and most famed to use a donkey as ambulance, he was one of many to do so at Gallipoli. The idea for this painting came from 2 sources-

1. The 1915 photo of an unidentified stretcher-bearer wearing Australian Light Horse uniform at Gallipoli, found in the Victoria Museum Collection. Perhaps he is a member of the 4th Field Ambulance attached to the Light Horse- hence his uniform. This stretcher bearer is leading a donkey loaded with medical supplies up to a dressing station below the front line, he will return with a wounded soldier on the donkey as in my painting
2. A 1915 photo from the Australian War Memorial titled “”Covering Quinn’s Post””. Quinn’s Post saw some of the fiercest fighting on the Gallipoli Peninsular, and many soldiers including Light Horse troopers lost their lives or were evacuated wounded from Quinn’s Post; some walked – if they were able, some were carried on the backs of little donkeys as in this painting, the most severely wounded were carried on stretchers born by stretcher bearers.