Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Hamilton John Murray was born in West Maitland Victoria in 1895 and enlisted on the 11.5.15 at Blackboy Hill, aged 19 years 9 months. He had previous service of 12 months as a senior Cadet and 2 years in the Citizen Forces infantry. Hamilton was allocated service number 940 with the 28th Infantry Battalion C Company. His father was James Murray, of 29 Bellvue Tce Fremantle, who died aged 76 on the 5.12.1935 and was buried in Fremantle Presbyterian Mon EE 0212 with Hamilton’s brother, Andrew.

Hamilton’s occupation was a Driver and his denomination Presbyterian. He was described as being 5 feet 6¼ inches tall, with a chest measurement of 32-36 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. He embarked on HMAT Ascanius at Fremantle on 29.6.15. On the 2.7.15 he was admitted to hospital with measles. On the 28.9.15 at Gallipoli, he was wounded in the right forearm and treated in Malta, then Gibraltar. On the 6.11.15 he was admitted to the 2nd stationary Hospital in Bristol and treated for tonsilitis and dysentery.

On the 29.1.16 Hamilton was reprimanded for travelling without a ticket from Charing Cross to Abbey Wood and Waterloo to Weymouth stations in London. On the 31.1.16, he was reprimanded for obscene language. He was admitted to VDSC Tel-el-Kebir (between Cairo and Suez Canal) on the 12.4.16 and began treatment for VD. He was off duty for 7 months. On the 9.6.16 he was transferred to the 14th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir. Hamilton was appointed Bugler on the 26.6.16 and on the 27.6.16 to the 3rd light horse training regiment. On the 6.7.16 he was transferred to the 3rd Double Squadron. He was again admitted to hospital on the 5.9.16 with debility from diarrhoea. Hamilton was transferred on the 27.9.16 to the 3rd Light Horse training regiment, then on the 12.10.16 to the 16th Light Horse Regiment, on the 2.11.16 to the 10th Light Horse Regiment and the next day to the 3rd Machine Gun Squadron.

In 1917 he served or was treated in Moascar, Cairo, Gaza, Kaulara, Abassia, EEF and Zagazig.

On the 9.1.17 with the 3rd light Machine Gun Squadron he was wounded in action at Rafa, with a gunshot wound to the hand. The bullet entered his right hand between the 1st and 2nd fingers, and he was off duty for 6 weeks. On the 10.2.17 Hamilton was discharged back to the 3rd LH Brigade MG Squadron. On the 19.4.17 he was injured and sent to hospital. He also had diarrhoea. Having mainly been a Private, he was appointed driver EEF on the 25.5.17 then was appointed trooper Corporal and on the 6.6.17 he rejoined his unit. On the 25.6.17, he was again sent to hospital after he was kicked in the thigh by a horse and the wound turned septic. He returned to the machine gun squadron on the 31.8.17.

Hamilton was detached to Shaluf on salvage duty on the 24.3.18. On the 24.7.18 he was reprimanded for being in town without a pass. On the 5.8.18 his doctors diagnosed conjunctivitis, on the 25.5.18 he was classified A defective vision and was off duty for 3 months.

He was again sent to hospital on the 20.8.18 after being kicked by a horse 14 days prior. Treated for an abscess, he also received dental treatment. On the 19.4.19 in the 14th AGH hospital his Wasserman test for VD was negative.

On the 2.8.19 he embarked on the “Delta” at Kantara Italy, for return to Australia and he was discharged on the 26.8.19. Hamilton died on the 18.11.1942, aged 47 in Glen Osmond, Adelaide. The Coroner's Court concluded that the strychnine that killed him was self-administered. At the time of his death, he was a munitions worker, living alone in a hut in the hills. He was buried at Memorial West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, 161 West Terrace. AIF section LO Road: 1S, Site # 9.