MURPHY, Thomas Michael

Thomas Michael Murphy enlisted on 9 August,1916. Born in Bridgewater, near Portland, Victoria, he was aged 25 and described himself as a Cycle and Motorcycle Mechanic. He was a married man, his wife, Mary Anne Murphy being listed on his papers as his next of kin, living at 478, and later 472, Albert St., East Melbourne. They had two children, a boy, Leslie, and a girl, Nesta. He went into training at Royal Park, Melbourne on 12 September, 1916 and was attached to the 16th Reinforcements of the 24th Battalion.

The battalion embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Nestor A71 on 2 October, landing in Plymouth, England. Here, the new soldiers were given further training, with Thomas Murphy attached to the 6th Training Battalion, before being sent to France on board SS Arundel. On 24 March, 1917, Tom Murphy was taken on strength with the 24th Battalion. A month later, he was sent first to the 5th Australian Field Ambulance and then to hospital, suffering from diarrhoea.

He did not return to duty until 12 May, 1917. Less than a month later, on 2 June, 1917, he was dead, killed as a result of an accident while on the front at the Battle of the Somme. The Red Cross files tell the story:

Testimony of G.B. Mackenzie 5372, given on 9/8/1917:At Warloy Bastian, we were practising for a stunt. We were the last Coy. to go over and a Trench Mortar, the last to be fired, exploded prematurely. He and three others were killled on the spot and 2 died later. he and three others were buried in Worloy Cememery and a cross made and erected by the Pioneers.
Private A.P. Missen 5863 testified ...He was a Catholic boy and was buried by the priest. he came from Melbourne. He has a nice little grave. The Battalion put the stone up between them. He was getting transferred into the Trench Mortar Battery.
The Court of Enquiry held on 7 June 1917 concluded " That this soldier was accidentally killed as a Result of a premature Stokes Mortar bomb explosion, that the soldier was in the performance of his military duty at the time of the accident and was in no way to blame."
Thomas Murphy was buried at Warloy Baillon Cemetery. He is remembered on the Roll of Honour cards 145 and on Panel 102 in the Commemorative Area.