Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

MURPHY  Henry (Harry) Patrick  # 4095. 31st Battalion
 
There are three men named Murphy on the Caboolture Roll of Honour. Two of them, Henry and Bernard would appear to be brothers but there is no clear association with the Caboolture area. Henry Murphy stated he was 18 years and 4 months old when he enlisted on 19th July 1916. This is probably not correct as his brother, Bernard, who was older stated his age as 18years and 1 month when he enlisted in October 1915.
 
Henry or Harry as he appears to call himself was of slight build, measuring 5’ 3 ½” in height and with a 29” chest. In all probability Harry was 17 when he enlisted. He gave his occupation as butcher and named his mother, Bridget, as his next of kin. Harry’s address was Mary Street, Gympie.
 
Harry was allocated as a reinforcement for the 31st Battalion and boarded the “Boonah” in Brisbane on 21stOctober 1916 for overseas. He had allocated 4/- of his daily pay to his mother.
 
Harry arrived in Plymouth on 10th January 1917 and after a three month stay in the 11th Training Battalion proceeded across the Channel where he joined up with his battalion on 12th April. The 31st Battalion was part of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Division AIF. The 5th Division had been hastily thrown into an ill conceived attack at Fromelles in July 1916 suffering almost 50% casualties. Consequently, the entire division had to be rebuilt and the battalions that made up the division reinforced. It was felt by the army commanders at the time that the 5th Division should be spared any heavy combat engagement for at least a year.
 
When Harry joined the 31st, the battalion was resting in the area around Albert on the Somme. Harry spent a month in the 5th Division Rest Camp in June 1917. The 5th Div was called up to the assembly areas in Belgium in preparation for going into the line for the first time in over a year.
 
The battalion war diary records the preparations for the attack on Polygon Wood on 25th September. Plans for the attack were very detailed and included a scale model of the ground over which the troops were to advance. The 31st set off under the creeping artillery barrage for their assigned objective but were soon exposed to enfilading fire from the right flank as the British Division which was to protect the Australians failed to advance in accordance with the orders. Such failures would become more common as the British Army relied more heavily on its conscripts who were inadequately trained.
 
The Polygon Wood attack lasted for just two days, after which the 31st Battalion was relieved. In those two days, the battalion which had gone into the action with 690 men suffered 418 casualties, 76 of whom were killed in action. The battlefield was under constant artillery and machine gun fire even after the new position had been secured and retrieval of dead and wounded was severely hampered.
 
One of the 76 killed on 26th September was Harry Murphy. There is no note in his file about a burial. Harry Murphy is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres along with 54,000 other British and Dominion soldiers who died in Flanders and have no known grave. To honour the sacrifice of these men, the citizens of Ypres conduct a ceremony at the Menin Gate every evening at 8:00pm which includes the recitation of the Ode and the playing of the Last Post.