Arthur William Murphy
Arthur William Murphy | |
---|---|
Air Commodore | |
Unit | No. 1 Squadron AFC (1916–18) No. 3 Squadron (1925–26) |
Commands held | No. 1 Aircraft Depot (1938–40) No. 4 Maintenance Group (1942–45) |
Battles/wars | World War I
|
Awards | Mentioned in Despatches |
A veteran of World War I, Murphy served first as a mechanic and then as a pilot with the Australian Flying Corps. Based in the Middle East, he flew with No. 1 Squadron and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Murphy was the first airman on the RAAF's strength when it formed in 1921, and rose to the rank of temporary air commodore during World War II, commanding No. 1 Aircraft Depot and, later, No. 4 Maintenance Group. He was also the RAAF's first Inspector of Air Accidents. A fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Murphy retired from the military in 1946, and died in 1963 aged seventy-one.
Early life and World War I
Murphy was born 17 November 1891 in
Based in the
Between the wars
Murphy's temporary commission was terminated after the war and he reverted to the rank of sergeant to remain in the Army,[5] returning to Australia on 5 March 1919.[2] Later that year he took part in the first transcontinental flight across Australia, from Melbourne to Darwin, Northern Territory, accompanying pilot and former schoolmate, Captain Henry Wrigley. The pair departed Point Cook on 16 November and arrived in Darwin on 12 December, having travelled 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) in forty-seven flying hours. They flew in a single-engined Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 with no radio, over unmapped and often hazardous terrain, and surveyed seventeen potential landing grounds along the journey.[10][11] Murphy and Wrigley were each awarded the Air Force Cross in recognition of their achievement.[4][11] Such was the perceived danger of the expedition that while making preparations for the return flight they received a telegram from the Defence Department ordering them to desist, arrange for the B.E.2 to be dismantled and shipped back, and themselves to travel southwards by steamer.[12]
Following disbandment of the wartime AFC, Murphy transferred to its successor, the
Raised to
World War II and retirement
Murphy continued to play a leading role in aircraft maintenance and production during World War II. In 1939 he helped set up the Government Aircraft Factories and local manufacture of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber.[1] Completing his tour as CO of No. 1 Aircraft Depot, he was promoted to group captain and appointed Inspector of Air Accidents in June 1940.[17][22] The newly created position reported directly to the Chief of the Air Staff. Murphy's deputy was Flying Officer (later Sir) Henry Winneke, who found his boss's companionship "exhilarating". Murphy was, according to Winneke, "a product of the old school of airmen who could not only fly a plane but also pull it apart and put it together again", generally "amiable" but who "could act gruffly when the occasion demanded". The inspectorate was small but succeeded in reducing the number of accidents even as training expanded rapidly with Australia's participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme. Murphy led the investigation into the Canberra air disaster of August 1940, and the Brocklesby mid-air collision that occurred the following month.[22]
The RAAF formed No. 4 Maintenance Group in September 1942 to co-ordinate the efforts of maintenance units in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Murphy was appointed its commander, and held the post until the end of the war.[20][23] He was promoted to temporary air commodore in July 1943.[24] By 1945, he had passed the statutory retirement age for his substantive rank of wing commander, and was summarily retired from the RAAF along with several other senior staff and veterans of World War I including Wrigley and Williams, to make way for the advancement of younger and equally capable officers.[25][26] Discharged from the Air Force on 10 January 1946,[27] Murphy was later elected a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He died of heart disease in Essendon, Melbourne, on 21 April 1963 at the age of seventy-one. Survived by his children, Murphy was cremated at Fawkner, Victoria.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g Fraser, Australian Dictionary of Biography, p.633
- ^ a b c d Arthur William Murphy Archived 25 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine at The AIF Project Archived 11 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 24 March 2009.
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp.9–10
- ^ a b c Honours and Awards: Arthur William Murphy at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on 24 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp.32–33
- ^ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps, pp.117–118
- ^ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps, p.128
- ^ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps, pp.148–149
- ^ Recommendation for Arthur William Murphy to be awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on 24 March 2009.
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p.26
- ^ a b Wilson, The Brotherhood of Airmen, p.32
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.14–17
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.17,34–35
- ^ Roylance, Air Base Richmond, p.21
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.258–263
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.392–393
- ^ a b c RAAF Historical Section, Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, p.4
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.275,419–420
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp.275–281
- ^ a b Mellor, The Role of Science and Industry, pp.381–383
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run and Air Force, p.289
- ^ a b Coleman, Above Renown, pp.99–104
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942, p.479
- ^ Ashworth, How Not to Run and Air Force, p.291
- ^ Helson, Ten Years at the Top, pp.234–235
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp.179–181
- ^ Murphy, Arthur William Archived 9 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine at World War 2 Nominal roll Archived 5 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 24 March 2009.
References
- Ashworth, Norman (2000). How Not to Run an Air Force! The Higher Command of the Royal Australian Air Force During the Second World War: Volume 1. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26550-X.
- Coleman, Robert (1988). Above Renown: The Biography of Sir Henry Winneke. Crows Nest, New South Wales, and South Melbourne, Victoria: ISBN 0-333-47809-6.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1991). The Third Brother. North Sydney: ISBN 0-04-442307-1.
- Cutlack, F.M. (1941) [1923]. The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 (11th edition): Volume VIII – The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War, 1914–1918. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
- Fraser, Alan (1986). "Murphy, Arthur William". Australian Dictionary of Biography: Volume 10. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
- Gillison, Douglas (1962). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009.
- Helson, Peter (2006). Ten Years at the Top (Ph. D thesis). Sydney: OCLC 225531223.
- Mellor, D.P. (1958). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series 4 (Civil) Volume V – The Role of Science and Technology. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 7: Logistic Units. Canberra: Aust. Govt. Pub. Service. ISBN 0-644-42798-1.
- Roylance, Derek (1991). Air Base Richmond. RAAF Base Richmond: Royal Australian Air Force. ISBN 0-646-05212-8.
- Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: ISBN 0-19-555541-4.
- Wilson, David (2005). The Brotherhood of Airmen. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74114-333-0.