Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Dairy entry:

"29 January 1941

It’s a weird feeling to embark for active service abroad and the only man who knows what it is like is the soldier who has actually done it. As I watched line after line of our fellows filing slowly onto the Ferry by the dimly lighted water side I had a strange feeling that Longstaffs picture “Menin Gate at Midnight” had suddenly become a living scene and that is was being re-enacted right in front of my eyes."

Supporting notes:

Extract from Ivor's diary which is in my possession (David Murphy - nephew)
29 January, 1941 he left Sydney Harbour on the "Queen Mary" an 81,500 ton luxury liner in peace time which had been converted to a Troop Transport.

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Diary entry:

"9/7/1941

Wednesday night and we have just left Fremantle. We pulled out about 5 O’clock this afternoon and it is a rough night. It is now a case of :-

“A rudderless Barque is drifting Through shoals and quicksands shifting. In the end shall the nightwork lifting Discover the shores unknown”

For we are certainly steaming out into the unknown now. Where, we know not, for how long we know not, whether we will ever see Australia again we know not, but we’re steaming out.

Out into the night."

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