Frederick Edwin Murphy

Frederick Edwin Murphy

Western Mail 28 May 1915 page 2s
Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known "not known" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Place of Birth	Moonee Ponds, Victoria
Death	3 Oct 1971
Place of Death	Subiaco, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	19 years, 11 months
Description	5'8¼" (1.73m) tall ; 142 lbs 64.41 kg ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; black hair
Occupation	Clerk
Religion	Church of England
Address	14 Lombard Chambers, St Georges Terrace, Perth
Next of Kin	Father , Mr F.E. Murphy
Military Information
Reg Number	504
Date of Enlistment	15 Aug 1914
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit/Formation	5th Machine Gun Battalion
Date of Embarkation	22 Dec 1914 ‒ ? Jan 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A32 Themistocles
Date of Return	1 Dec 1918
Ship Returned On	RMS Adriatic
Date of Return	24 Dec 1918 ‒ 14 Jan 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Sonoma San Francisco to Sydney
Date of Return	3 Apr 1919
Ship Returned On	RMS Osterley Sydney to Fremantle
Fate	Wounded in Action 25 Apr 1915 Gallipoli Landing Returned to Australia
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

2 years pre war service in a Machine Gun unit

War Service

An original member of the 11th Battalion, having joined them 2 days after entering Blackboy Hill camp. Promoted Corporal on 1 Sep 1914.

Travelled with the 11th Battalion to Egypt and then on to Mudros and Gallipoli on 2 Mar 1915 aboard HMAT A23 Suffolk. Wounded at Gallipoli on 25 Apr 1915. His records show him entering the Hospital at Heloun in Egypt with a GSW on 12 May 1915 before being discharged to duty on 15 Jun 1915 and transferred to a list of Supernumerary NCOs.

Promoted Sergeant from 19 Aug 1915. On 21 Apr 1916 he was transferred to the 15th Brigade's 15th Machine Gun Company and sent to the School of Instruction at Zeitoun in Egypt where he reverted to private, before again bein promoted when he returned to his unit.

Embarked for France on 17 Jun 1916 aboard HMT Kalyan, and two months after arrival in France on 24 Jun 1916, Fred was promoted several ranks to Company Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer Class II) on 21 Aug 1916.

Granted leave from 1 - 12 Oct 1916, he remained with is unit until admitted to 10th General Hospital Rouen with an abscess on a tooth, via the 36th Casualty Clearing Station on 12 Jan 1917. Released to the 2nd Convalescent Depot, Rouen on 29 Jan 1917, he transferred to the Machine Gun Base Depot on 9 Feb 1917.

Having rejoined his Company on 4 Mar 1917, he was on 24 Mar 1917 selected to attend the Machine Gun Corps School in England commencing 2 Apr 1917. By 25 Jul 1917 he had completed a course at Tidworth to qualify him for commissioned rank in the Machine Gun Corps, and he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant.

Proceeding back overseas to France on 5 Aug 1917, he was hospitalised in the 20th General Hospital at Dannes Camiers with septic dermatitis on 18 Aug 1918 and evacuated to England 20 Aug 1917 on HS Princesse Elisabeth where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital. Released to the 5th Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 2 Oct 1917 he was on 5 Nov 1918 back at the Overseas Training Brigade in Longbridge Deverill.

on 27 Nov 1917 Fred again left for France, this time via Folkestone, and on 28 Nov 1917 was on his way to join the 15th Machine Gun Company once more.

Fred was promoted Lieutenant on Christmas Day 1917 and remained with his until until 25 Jun 1918 when he was attached to the Machine Gun Signal Section at Grantham in England.

As one of the originals, he was an early returnee to Australia, leaving on the RMS Adriatic on 1 Dec 1918 for San Franciso where he boarded SS Sonoma on 23 or 24 December 1918 for Sydney. There he boarded RMS Osterley on 28 Mar 1919 for Fremantle with his appointment terminated on 13 May 1919.

Notes

Only two F. Murphy's enlisted in Western Australia. Frederick George, a deserter and Frederick Edwin. Frederick and his father both used a business address in St Georges Terrace, Perth. Connection to Banjup not established, but is only option.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial