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Bmdr. Richard Murphy DCM, MID.
British Army 59th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:Wexford, Ireland
My Grandfather, Richard Murphy was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1890. He left Ireland in 1906, and lived temporarily with his elder brother, who was a coal miner, in South Wales. He joined the army in 1909 at Swansea, and was posted into the Royal Garrison Artillery, with the 59th Siege Battery.
He was posted to India, date unknown, prior to 1911, where 59th and 81st Siege Natteries were based at Roorkee, India. They returned to England sometime in late 1914 or early 1915, and entered the war in France approximately April 1915.
He fought in the Battle of Loos, apparently deployed near the town of Vermelles. During the opening days of the battle, he went into hostile territory to repair field telephone lines between his company's guns and observation point, whilst under fire. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. During his service he was promoted to the rank of Corporal, which I believe is Bombardier in artillery terms, date unknown. It is believed he was injured at some point in the war, and is known to have been a signalling instructor at, or near Winchester, where he married in 1918.
He survived the war to raise a family in Oxford, where he died aged 80, in 1970.
