Obituaries Australia

Brian Simpson, c.1915

Hermes, August 1918, vol. 14, no. 2, p 147

Lieut. Brian George Cassan Simpson was the son of Mrs. Ashburton Thomp­ son (widow of the late Dr. Ashburton Thompson). He was born at Sydney in 1892, and educated at North Sydney Church of England Grammar School, which he entered in 1903, leaving in 1909 to enter upon his University training. At the “ Shore” he passed the Junior and Senior Public Examinations, was Senior Prefect in his last year at school, and was one of the best shots in the “Shore” rifle team. At the University he went into residence at St. Paul’s College, was prominent in College sport, and repre­sented Paul's in the rifle team sent to Melbourne. He graduated B.A. in 1913, and was in England studying sculpture when war was declared. On the 4th August, 1914, he joined King Edward’s Horse, and later was attached as Lieu­tenant to the Royal Horse Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division, British Expeditionary Force, for France. When volunteers were called for from the Artillery for the Trench Mortars, Lieut. Simpson offered. He was killed in action in Fland­ers, July, 1915. He gave his life through an act of initial bravery, climbing a tree in full view of the Ger­man lines, near Hill 60. to shoot a sniper —he himself was hit coming down. For his courage and cheerfulness under all conditions, Lieut. Simpson was loved by his fellow officers and men, and is buried at Pepeseinghe, Flanders.