Pte 18489 William Murphy

• Age: 31
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

William Murphy was born on 04th December 1885 in Liverpool, the son of William Murphy and his wife Elizabeth (nee Murphy) who were born in, and probably married in Ireland. He was baptised on 08th December 1885 at St Sylvester's Church, Liverpool.

The 1881 Census shows the family living at 2 House 6 Court, Tatlock Street, Liverpool. His father, William, is aged 42, a sailor born in Ireland, mother Elizabeth is aged 32, also born in Ireland. They have five children in the household, all born Liverpool; Annie 11, John 9, James 7, Alice 5 and Ellen 3.

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Tatlock Street, Liverpool. His mother, Elizabeth, is now shown as aged 45, born 1846 is a machinist tailoress. She has stated that she is married but William her husband is not listed. She has six children at the time of the Census, Mary A. aged 15, born 1876 and Ellen aged 13, born 1878 are machinist tailoresses, Patrick aged 7, born 1884 and William aged 5, are both scholars, eldest daughter Annie Helms aged 22 has a new born Elizabeth Helms was born in 1891.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 10 Tatlock Street, Liverpool. This is their eldest daughters home. Their daughter Annie aged 33 is living with her husband Charles aged 37, born in Liverpool in 1864 and employed as a dock labourer. They have five children Elizabeth aged 11, born 1890, Ernest aged 8, born 1893, Mary aged 7, born 1894, William aged 4, born 1897 and Annie aged 2, born 1899. William Murphy is aged 63, born 1838 in Ireland and his wife Elizabeth aged 56, have no occupation listed. They have their two sons Patrick aged 18 occupation seaman and William aged 16 with no occupation listed living with them.

The 1911 Census shows William and his father living at 81 Hornby Street Liverpool. This is his sister Ellen Ormandy’s home. Their daughter Ellen aged 33 is living with her husband Thomas aged 43, born in Liverpool in 1868 and employed as a stoker. They have five children Elizabeth aged 13, born 1898, Veronica aged 11, born 1900, Ellen aged 9, born 1902, Thomas aged 7, born 1904 and William aged 5, born 1906 are all at school. William is aged 25 and employed as a oil cake mill hand and his father William aged 73 is a widowed pensioner. 

His father died, aged 74, in the September quarter of 1912.

He enlisted on the 03rd September 1914 in Liverpool and was aged 28 years and 273 days, he gave his occupation as a mill hand. He was described as being five feet and five and a half inches tall, weighed 114 lbs with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He stated his religion as Roman Catholic.

On 04.9.15: he embarked for France.

He was hospitalized with dysentery between 21/10/16-02/3/17 (132 days in Western General Hospital, Manchester) and 02/3/17-20/4/17 (50 days convalescence at Barton, New Milton, Hampshire).

He was transferred and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 18489 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 31 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

18^th Battalion Diary

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18^th Battalion was part of 21^st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21^st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18^th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2^nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21^st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90^th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2^nd Lieutenant Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken.  Not far away from this action,  an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18^th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men wounded. They were relieved on the 2^nd August.

A letter on behalf of his platoon to his sister Ellen Ormandy, 30th August 1917 reads:

"he died a noble death, fighting for his Country, you will be glad to know it was instantaneous" 

William was originally declared Missing, however he was reported killed in the Weekly Casualty List on the 23rd October 1917

William's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium. He was aged 31.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

William earned his three medals.

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