Garry Parnell emails from Perth, Western Australia. "For the previous five years I have been assisting with research for an upcoming book about Australia's most famous First World War soldier, John Simpson Kirkpatrick.
"As part of this research, I would like to contact anyone who knows the whereabouts of Joan Simpson Claridge or the family of Mrs Claridge, whose last known address was Warrior Square, St Leonard's on Sea, Sussex, as of 1975.
"An Englishman born and raised in South Shields, Kirkpatrick is known in Australia as Simpson, the man with the donkey'. Simpson landed at Gallipoli with the Australian 3rd Batallion 3rd Field Ambulance Unit. He served at Gallipoli for four weeks working independently of his unit as a donkey man. Simpson saved up to 300 Allied lives in acts of selfless courage and sacrifice until he was killed by sniper fire on May 19, 1915.
"Statues commemorate Simpson's brave deeds at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the Shrine Of Remembrance in Melbourne and in home town of South Shields."
If you can help, please email garryparnell@hotmail.com.
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