Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

     Arthur Simpson was born on the 24th February 1891 at Ipswich, Queensland, the second eldest son of Robert and Susannah Simpson.  Arthur had twelve other siblings, seven brothers and five sisters.  He attended the Ipswich Central Boys School then at age 15 he became an apprentice tinsmith and plumber to Mr V J Pye.

     Arthur enlisted on the 27th July 1915 in Brisbane aged 24 years and 7 months as a Private.  On his service records he is described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall with brown eyes and dark brown hair and for his religion he wrote “Believer in Jesus Christ”.  His home address at the time of enlistment was Junction Street, Clayfield, Brisbane.  Arthur did his training at the Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane and was posted to the 1st Division, 3rd Field Ambulance, 11th Reinforcements with his service number being 1709.  It was here that he met my grandfather, Cyril Morsley (SN 1707) who was also posted to the 3rd Field Ambulance.  Cyril began writing a diary the day he arrived at the Enoggera Barracks and he mentions Arthur in that diary.

     On the 4th October 1915 Arthur embarked from Sydney on the ship Mashobra and after a two month sea journey arrived at Anzac Cove on the 7th December.  Over the following eleven days he would see and hear things he’d never encountered before being evacuated on the 18th December.  He was detached from the unit as a baggage guard and in early January rejoined his unit at the camp at Tel-el-kebir, Egypt. 

     On the 27th March 1916 the 3rd Field Ambulance embarked from Alexandria for France on the ship “Kingstonian”.  On the night of the 30th, during the voyage, they lost overboard one of the men from their unit, Private Percy Fennell.  His body was never recovered.  Cyril records in his diary that Arthur preached a message on the ship on the 2nd April.  The following day the 3rd Field Ambulance disembarked at Marseilles, France.

     The next entry in service records stated that Arthur was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 3rd June 1917 then a month later in July he took leave to England for 12 days.  On his return he was detached from the unit for temporary duty at the 2nd Army workshops for 5 days in August then rejoined his unit.  He took 3 weeks leave to England in late August to mid September.  When he returned from leave he was detached again for temporary duty to the 1st Army workshops for a week in mid October.  His service record stated that he had trench fever in 1917 but doesn’t indicate when that was.

     The following year Arthur was awarded the Military Medal.  The official document reads:                                                         “For bravery and devotion to duty during the attack near Villeret on 18th September 1918, Lance Corporal Simpson was in charge of a party of stretcher bearers and did valuable work evacuating wounded from the forward positions under artillery and machine gun fire.  By his coolness and utter disregard of danger he set a splendid example to the men under his charge.”

     Three months later just 3 days before Christmas Arthur takes 4 weeks leave to Paris.  Upon his return in early January he was once again detached for duty at the workshops.  On the 20th March 1919 Arthur embarked for England for return to Australia.  He arrived at Weymouth the following day.  A month later in April he proceeded to the training camp at Heytesbury where he stayed for a week before proceeding to the training camp at Fovant.  On the 15th May 1919 Arthur embarked from England on the ship “Yparinga” and arrived in Australia on the 5th July.  He was discharged on the 29th August 1919.

     After the way Arthur returned to the old shop in Ipswich where he had worked prior to enlisting only now it was under new management and called “Smith & Molloy”.  He later worked for a Mr Cutler of Booval.

     Arthur became associated with the Ipswich Gospel Hall in East Street which was a Brethren Church.  In 1928 he was commended for the work of the Lord and became a missionary at Ipoh, Malaya.  It was here that he met an English missionary named Pearl Matthews and they were married on the 21st July 1931 in Elim Hall at Ipoh.  Pearl had previously adopted a 4 month old Chinese girl in 1924.  When the second world war broke out Pearl was evacuated to Australia but Arthur remained in Malaya.  He was captured during the fall of Singapore and imprisoned at Changi.  Because of his usefulness in mechanical craftsmanship he was allowed much scope within the prison camp and in his contact with fellow prisoners and so continued his mission work.  While imprisoned he contracted Beri Beri.  Over the next several years he would suffer from repeated attacks of this.

     After the war Arthur returned to Australia.  A newspaper item in the Queensland Times dated 10th November 1945 advertises a “Welcome Home” afternoon tea at the Ipswich Gospel Hall for Arthur and his wife.  The following year in March 1946 a newspaper item has Arthur preaching at the Gospel Hall in Ipswich.  Later that year, after a long period of convalescence for Arthur, he and Pearl return to their missionary work at Elim Hall in Ipoh, Malaya.  The following year they move to a nearby place called Kampar.  In June 1950 Arthur entered hospital for an operation for complications from repeated attacks of Beri Beri.  He never recovered and died, aged 59, at the Batu Gajah Hospital, Malaya.  A headstone was erected at Batu Gajah Christian Cemetery marking his years of missionary service in that area from 1928 to 1950.

Arthur Simpson was awarded:

1914/1915 Star 5845

British War Medal 6303

Victory Medal 6227

Military Medal – This was instituted March 1916 and awarded retrospectively for gallantry and devotion to duty performed by non-commissioned officers and other ranks of the Army. In June 1916 it was extended to women of all nationalities for "bravery and devotion under fire".

The Anzac Commemorative Medallion was instituted in 1967 by Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt.  It was awarded to surviving members of the Australian forces who served on the Gallipoli Peninsula, or in direct support of the operations from close off shore, at any time during the period from the first Anzac Day in April 1915 to the date of final evacuation in January 1916.  Next of kin, or other entitled persons, are entitled to receive the medallion on behalf of their relatives if the medallion has not been issued.

The medallion is cast in bronze and is approximately 75 millimetres high and 50 millimetres wide.  The obverse of the medallion depicts Simpson and his donkey carrying a wounded soldier to safety.  It is bordered on the lower half by a laurel wreath above the word ANZAC.  The reverse shows a map in relief of Australia and New Zealand superimposed by the Southern Cross.  The lower half is bordered by New Zealand fern leaves.  The name and initials of the recipient is engraved on the reverse.  The medallion is issued in a presentation box.

(Australian Government - Department of Defence)

Sue Smith September 2016