Hello All, I am new here and hoping to find out a little about this man William B Murphy who was torpedoed on an Atlantic run and received a medal for saving life. I have tried putting up an image before maybe this time I will succeed. At long last. I think it might be a Sea Gallantry Medal ???
22/03/1921 in Belfast if the dates are right. Thank you ive been trying to put the photo up from your last message without sucess. Eddie
Welcome Edward. The ribbon doesn't look right for the Sea Gallantry Medal... maybe the Lloyd's Medal for Meritorious Service which were awarded to officers and men for extraordinary services in the preservation of vessels and cargoes from peril.
Could this be him Name: Murphy , William B . Date of birth: 22 March 1919 . Place of birth: Belfast .... | The National Archives Reference: BT 373/1096 Description: Name: Murphy William B. Date of birth: 22 March 1919. Place of birth: Belfast. Occupation or rank: Able Seaman. Prisoner of war number: Not provided. Date of loss of ship: 10 April 1940 Note only year of birth is different Is this him? UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: W Murphy Rank: Greaser Army Number: R36404 Regiment: Merchant Navy : Officers, Ratings & Foreign Seamen POW Number: 47 Camp Type: Marlag und Milag Nord (Milag) Camp Number: Mil. N. Camp Location: Poland Name of Ship: Australind Section: Merchant Navy : Officers, Ratings & Foreign Seamen or it may be this man New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 Name: William Murphy Gender: Male Ethnicity/ Nationality: Irish Age: 23 Birth Date: abt 1919 Departure Port: Belfast, Northern Ireland Arrival Date: 18 Jul 1942 Arrival Port: New York, New York, USA Ship Name: Empire Chapman
Thank you Tricky. Its more likely to be the first as William Broderick Murphy was his full name. Very likely lied about his age in order to join. So that is looking promising. I will look at Ancestry and see what comes up if anything on his Merchant number. Second one is unlikely to be him if he was torpedoed and arriving in the USA. Will try and identify the medal and see if that helps.
Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958 Name: William Broderick Murphy Date of Registration: 1919Apr-May-Jun Registration district: Belfast Birth Country: Ireland Volume: 1 Page: 144 FHL Film Number: 101078 England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: William Broderick Murphy Death Age: 71 Birth Date: 22 Mar 1919 Registration Date: Jan 1991 Registration District: Knowsley Inferred County: Merseyside Volume: 36 Page: 161
Thought I had found the medal. Lloyds war medal for saving life at sea. There is a list but No William Murphy. Looked at the Albert Medal ribbon looked good but the medal is the wrong shape. Tricky yes now corrected. Should not rely on family to get things right. Thank you.
Hi Eddie, His Seaman’s Pouch is held at Kew in piece BT 372/76/118 - R140886 MURPHY W B 22/03/1919 BELFAST | The National Archives His CRS 10 is held at Kew in piece BT 382/1293 - Murphy William to Murray David | The National Archives Best obtained by visit or via a researcher. Both the above files will list his sea career including any torpedoed ships. It is difficult to make out the correct medal but I would suggest it is the Lloyd’s Meritorious Service Medal Type 4 as mentioned in #4 by Richelieu which was issued after 1935 in silver and bronze. I have all the recipients of the Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea and he is not listed. Similarly, I have all the recipients of the Albert Medal and again he is not listed. It looks like he was interred in Sweden when his ship RIVERTON was seized by German forces at Narvik in 1940. Regards Hugh