The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (388) Corporal Frank Xavier Murphy, 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Jana Johnson, the story for this day was on (388) Corporal Frank Xavier Murphy, 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, AIF, First World War.

388 Corporal Frank Xavier Murphy, 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, AIF
KIA 10 June 1918

Story delivered 25 June 2017

Today we remember and pay tribute to Corporal Frank Murphy.

Frank Xavier Murphy was born on 5 July 1896 to John and Margaret Murphy of Brisbane, Queensland. Frank had three brothers and a sister, and had had a second sister who died in infancy. His mother died when he was young. His father was the assistant manager of telegraphs in Brisbane, and went on to work as postmaster at Charters Towers.

Frank was still a student when war broke out in 1914. He was the first of the Murphy brothers to enlist for service in the Australian Imperial Force in 1915. He left Australia for active service overseas in May 1915, followed by Kevin and Inigo a month later, and Harold in May 1916.

Private Frank Murphy spent a few weeks on Gallipoli with the 26th Battalion before the evacuation in December 1915. In early 1916 the AIF went through a period of reorganisation in Egypt and as part of this process Murphy was transferred to the 7th Brigade machine guns. He joined his brother Inigo in the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, which was sent to France to fight on the Western Front in March 1916.

On 5 August 1916 Frank Murphy was shot in the shoulder near the French village of Pozières. He was evacuated to hospital in England, spending a number of weeks in Beaufort War Hospital near Bristol. It is likely that during this time he met Gladys Woodruffe. Six months later he married her in Bristol. Murphy continued to serve in England on light duties until April 1917. During this period of time he received regular promotions, reaching the rank of corporal in early 1918.

All of the Murphy brothers were seriously wounded on the Western Front, most of them more than once. In Australia it was reported that “they have hitherto shown great recuperative powers … it will be a fine thing if this grand quartette of Murphy brothers goes safely through to the end”.

Frank Murphy returned to the front in May 1917. The following September he was again wounded in the shoulder and evacuated to England. He again spent a considerable amount of time recovering before returning to the front.

On 10 June 1918 the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion supported an operation to improve the Australian position near the French village of Sailly Laurette. The operation was a success, but as the new front line was being consolidated by the infantry, the machine-guns suffered casualties, including Corporal Frank Murphy. His body was lost in later fighting, and today he is commemorated on the memorial to the missing at Villers Bretonneux. He was 21 years old. His widow, Gladys, was just 19.

Inigo, Harold, and Kevin Murphy all survived the war and returned to Queensland.

Their brother’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among more than 60,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Corporal Frank Xavier Murphy, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section