REL/21665 - Medical armband said to have been worn by Simpson's donkey : Colonel A Sutton, 3 Field Ambulance, AIF
- ID number
- REL/21665
- Title
- Medical armband said to have been worn by Simpson's donkey : Colonel A Sutton, 3 Field Ambulance, AIF
- Maker
- Unknown
- Object type
- Heraldry
- Date made
- c 1914
- Physical description
- Cotton
- Collection
- Heraldry
- Description
- White cotton armband with a central red Geneva cross. The band is roughly hemmed on the reverse and tapers to 15 mm wide at each end with its widest part at 75 mm. The signature of 'Alfred Sutton' is written in black ink on the front of the band. On the reverse of the band is an oval blue ink stamp of the '1st AUSTRALIAN STATIONARY HOSPITAL', with, in the centre the word 'RECEIVED' followed by a line. The red cross on the front is made of different material to the rest of the armband.
- Summary
- A red cross armband which originally belonged to Colonel Alfred Sutton, Commanding Officer of 3 Field Ambulance at Gallipoli. It is said to have been placed across the forehead of Simpson's donkey beneath its ears and attached to the the cheek pieces of its halter(variously said to have been named 'Duffy', 'Murphy' or 'Abdul') by Colonel Sutton, as a sign that it officially belonged to the unit. The armband was bought home after the First World War by Colonel Harry Nairn Butler, who succeeded Sutton as CO of 3 Fld Amb.
Permalink: http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/REL/21665
