Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

1967 ANZAC Commemorative Lapel Badge and Certificate of Pte. William John BEER 1509

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Australian Government

1967

Overview

A circular bronze badge surmounted by the Queen's crown. The obverse shows a portrayal of Simpson and his donkey assisting a wounded man bordered on the lower half with a laurel wreath above the word 'ANZAC'. The reverse has an attachment clip and is engraved with the name of the recipient. The metal is slightly oxidised.
The badge is accompanied by an A5 size printed certificate. The proforma information is printed in blue ink on a cream parchment type paper. At the centre top of the paper is printed the Australian Coat of Arms. The reverse of the certificate is blank. The paper shows several stains and folds.

Historical information

In March 1967 the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Harold Holt, announced that a commemorative medallion and badge was to be issued to surviving members of the Australian Defence Force 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. The medallion and badge were to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ANZAC Gallipoli landings in 1965.
The lapel badge is in the form of a small replica of the medallion with the recipient’s name engraved on the back. This badge is not issued to other applicants.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2022.1.13.a-b

Item type

Certificates

Medallions

Themes

War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Bronze (Metal)

Paper

Width

24 mm

Height or length

35 mm

Weight

10 g

Inscriptions and markings

Medallion obverse “1915 / ANZAC” and reverse “W . J . BEER”.

Contextual information

An image of Private John Simpson of the Army Ambulance Corps, aiding a wounded soldier on his donkey at Gallipoli, is featured on the front of the medal. Simpson became renowned for his work as a stretcher-bearer and as the man with the donkey at the Gallipoli battlefield who saved many lives. He landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was killed less than four weeks later. Simpson used donkeys (landed for water carrying) to transport wounded men from the front line fighting to the beach on Anzac Cove, working in extreme conditions of heavy fighting. He died in action on 19 May from machine gun fire, as he was guiding down two wounded men. Simpson's actions demonstrated the qualities of courage and mateship that have become associated with the term 'Anzac'.

Keywords

Gallipoli Campaign

First World War

Place made

Australia

Year

1967

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Object’s condition or completeness