Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Life before the War:                                                                      

Henry (Harry) William Murray was born on the 1st of December 1880 in Launceston, Tasmania. He helped his father Edward Kennedy Murray and his mother Clarissa (Littler) Murray run the family farm. At the age of 19, Murray moved to Western Australia, where he worked as a mail courier on the goldfields.

Life in Service:                                                                      

At the age of 30, Henry enlisted on the 30th of September 1914 in Perth, Western Australia to the Australian Field Artillery. He landed at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 as a member of the 16th Battalion’s two machine-gun crew. The 16th Battalion AIF was raised from 16 September 1914, six weeks after the outbreak of the First World War. Henry was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 13th of May and won the distinguished conduct medal for his bravery from the 9th to the 31st of May.

He was wounded several times, receiving a gunshot wounded to his right knee. His surgery took place on the 10th of June in 1915 at the Alexandra Hospital; the ‘satisfactory’ procedure was done by Dr. Wilson. He was discharged from hospital on the 25th of June. He was wounded again on the 8th of July and a month later experienced a remarkable series of promotions.

By 1 March 1916 Murray had reached the rank of Captain and soon after sailed for France with the 13th Battalion, fighting at Bullecourt where again he survived. He received the Distinguished Service Order for his role in the fighting at Mouquet Farm, where he was twice wounded. For Captain Henry Murray’s fighting in World War One, he became one of the ‘highest decorated soldiers in the British Commonwealth’ in the First World War and earned the nickname ‘Mad Harry’. His nickname ‘Mad Harry’ was given to him for his amazing tactics an ability to continue fighting while wounded.

After World War One:                                                                    

With World War One over, Henry Murray toured England where he studied agricultural methods. His service in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) ended on 9 March 1920 and he settled on a grazing property at Muckadilla in Queensland. Murray enlisted for service during the Second World War and commanded the 26th Battalion in north Queensland until August 1942. He retired from the army in early 1944 with his last rank of Lieutenant Colonel. At the age of 88, Murray died of a heart attack after an accidental car crash in Miles, Queensland on the 7th of January 1966. Henry Murray was cremated at ‘Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens & Crematorium’ in Holland Park, Queensland. 

Murray, Henry William (Harry) (1880–1966)
by Merrilyn Lincoln

Henry William Murray (1880-1966), soldier and grazier, was born on 1 December 1880 at Evandale, Tasmania, son of Edward Kennedy Murray, farmer, and his wife Clarissa, née Littler. His father died when he was young and after leaving Evandale State School Harry helped to run the family farm. His military career began with six years service in the Australian Field Artillery (militia) at Launceston. At 19 or 20 he moved to Western Australia, working as a mail courier on the goldfields, travelling by bicycle or on horseback. When he enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force on 13 October 1914, describing himself as a 'bushman', he was employing men cutting timber for the railways in the south-west of the State. He was handsome, tall, solidly built with dark hair, modest but strong-willed in character, resourceful and a natural leader.

Murray was posted to the 16th Battalion and belonged to one of the unit's two machine-gun crews when he landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 with his mate and Number 1 gunner, Lance Corporal Percy Black. Next day both gun-crews on the rear slope of Pope's Hill sniped at the Turks creeping onto Russell's Top. Charles Bean recorded that 'The 16th Battalion machine-guns were in charge of men of no ordinary determination'. Both men, though wounded, refused to leave their guns on that day or through any of the heavy fighting of the next week. Murray, from wounds received on 30 May, was evacuated and rejoined his unit on 3 July.

https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/murray-henry-william-harry-7709 (adb.anu.edu.au)