A Heroic Donkey Named Murphy

A photograph of 3/258 Richard ‘Dickie’ Henderson, NZ Medical Corps, attending to a wounded soldier, taken by 3/210 James Jackson.

Murphy was one of several donkeys who worked tirelessly alongside his kiwi stretcher bearer 3/168 Private William (Bill) James Henry to successfully rescue the wounded from the rugged terrain of the hills at Gallipoli.

On 25 April, under a cold grey sky, Pte Henry landed on the beach of Anzac Cove with the first group of stretcher bearers as a member of No. 1 Field Ambulance. New Zealand and Australian dead and wounded were clearly seen on the beach. Above was incessant rifle fire and the smoke of shrapnel bursts; noises, dust, and strange smells was both exhilarating and confusing. Once on the beach, the stretcher bearers went to work. Men were cleared from the beach and taken to the transports where they were treated on deck. Pte Henry organised two stray donkeys that were ‘souvenired’ on the beach into an independent unit for evacuating wounded from the forward positions.

In the words of Pte Roland Chadwick of the NZ Medical Corps, “A stretcher bearer was the name given to those who carried the wounded from where they lay to the first aid posts dotted about the hills. Some stretcher bearers used donkeys to aid in carrying their loads in Gallipoli; while others worked in pairs with stretchers or whatever they could find to complete the task.”

As darkness fell, the bearers moved up Walker’s Ridge and through Shrapnel Gully. It was difficult to see, as the ‘bull’s-eye’ lanterns could not be used without drawing fire from snipers. Morphine was given by the mouth and improvised splints made up of rifles and bayonets were adjusted with triangular bandages. Water was scarce and it took two hours to get down from the hill. Rifle and machine gun fire was present all night but the men stuck to the task.

For Pte Henry and Murphy, they provided gallant service in moving the wounded to safety often under heavy Turkish fire. Pte Henry’s brave devotion to duty was recognised with the awarding of the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). The citation reads:

“For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 25th April 1915 at Gaba Tepe (Dardanelles). During and subsequent to the landing, Private Henry attended on the wounded under a very heavy fire, allowing no danger to interfere with his duties. He invariably showed the greatest courage and presence of mind.”

Pte Henry was also mentioned in General Hamilton’s despatch of 20 May 1915 for further gallantry and devotion to duty.

Murphy is believed to have been the original inspiration for the painting ‘Man with the Donkey’ by Sapper Moore-Jones. Although a contentious Trans-Tasman debate, it is said that Pte Henry (not the Australian, Pte John Simpson) named one of the donkey’s Murphy and that Murphy, along with ‘Dickie’ Henderson, were the ‘models’ for Sapper Moore-Jones’ famous painting. Regardless, Murphy’s actions were nonetheless vital for those soldiers who he carried to the medical aid posts. 

Remember the bravery of a donkey named Murphy this Purple Poppy Day, and honour all the unsung heroes who have served loyally alongside our soldiers.

2001.99.7: A picture of Murphy, Private William James Henry’s donkey at Gallipoli in WWI, with a lookalike Victoria Cross around his neck. National Army Museum Te Mata Toa.