MURRAY, George Alexander Hugh
| Service Number: | 1379 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 October 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia, 1893 |
| Home Town: | Warracknabeal, Yarriambiack, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Warracknabeal State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 30 March 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery, Foncquevillers Plot I, Row A, Grave No. 8. "ALSO IN MEMORY OF 5147 PTE. W. J. G. MURRAY 58TH BTN. KILLED 27.3.17 "IN DEATH UNDIVIDED" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Warracknabeal War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Oct 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1379, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Sergeant, 1379, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Sergeant, 1379, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Melbourne |
Help us honour George Alexander Hugh Murray's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
George Murray was a a farm hand and driver prior to enlisting in 1914. George landed with unit at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was wounded in action two days later with a gunshot wound to the left knee. Evacuated to England he recovered at the Epsom Convalescent Camp and rejoined his unit on 25 March 1916. Murray served right through 1916 and was with the 4th Division Signal Company from 10 January 1917 until 16 October 1917. He was then promoted to Temporary Sergeant and transferred back to the 14th Battalion. Murray was killed in action at Hebuterne, France, on 30 March 1918, “fearfully knocked about by a whizz bang”. He was 25 years of age. Murray's younger brother 5147 Pte William James Gunn Murray, 58th Battalion, had been killed in action at Lagnicourt, France, on 27 March 1917, aged 20 years.
Murray is the only Australian buried in the Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery at Foncquevillers, France, out of now nearly 750 1914-18 war casualties.
His mother noted on his roll of honour 'Sgt G A H Murray with his two brothers answered his country's call in 1914; was in Gallipoli landing, wounded, invalided to England. Returned to Egypt then to France. Through years of active service on the Somme and Flanders he was killed in action. He was a noble upright character beloved by his comrades.'
There is a collection relating to the service of 1379 Sergeant George Alexander Hugh Murray, 14 Battalion, held by the Australian War Memorial. He was a prolific letter writer and the collection consists of 159 letters written by Sergeant Murray while on active service, to various members of his family in Australia, during the war.
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