"This is not about me.
"I deem it an honour to go there to honour those who were killed and fought there."
Mr Simpson (85) is one of 22 veterans chosen by ballot to form part of the official New Zealand contingent attending the Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli, the 95th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
Veterans Affairs New Zealand corporate and commemorations manager Elaine Myers-Davies said veterans chosen from the ballot were servicemen and women who had served in past wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
To be eligible for the ballot, veterans had to have a direct family link to someone who served in the Gallipoli campaign, and they must have served as a member of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Mr Simpson served with both the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy in the Pacific, and his father-in-law, Corporal Thomas Nicol, served with the Otago Regiment in Gallipoli.
Cpl Nicol survived the ordeal by the slimmest of margins: on Mr Simpson's wall is a montage including a picture of a cut-throat razor his father-in-law was carrying, and the bullet or shrapnel it stopped.
"We're very proud of his service," Mr Simpson said.
"They went through some pretty grim times."
Mr Simpson leaves for Gallipoli on April 17 for a 14-day trip he applied for, but did not expect to get.
"I got a shock when they told me I drew the marble."
