Date of birth:

January 13th, 1922 (Leigh, England)

Date of death:

April 25th, 1944 (Zuilichem/Gelderland, the Netherlands)

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Zuilichem
Row: 1. Grave: 1-3.

Service number:

J/22084

Nationality:

Canadian

William Murphy was born January 13, 1922 in Leigh, England, the son of James Murphy and Margaret Murphy-Morrison (both English) of Georgetown Ontario. They were married in Leigh England on August 7, 1920. He was the brother of Elizabeth Jessie and Clara Alice Murphy.

He attended Georgetown Public School from 1927-1935 and then Georgetown High School from 1935-1938. He was a turning intern at the Smith & Stone and a member of the Roman Catholic Church. His hobbies were aircraft modeling, experimenting with radio, baseball and ice hockey (intense) and rugby, basketball, swimming and softball and Canadian football (average).

He served three years in a Cadet Corps and he then enlisted in the RCAF in Toronto on November 4, 1941. On December 12, 1941, he received the Air Gunner's Badge and went overseas to the UK on June 4, 1943. He participated in his squadron's various air operations to NW Europe after arriving in the UK.

William died on Tuesday, April 25, 1944 at the age of 22 yrs. as a result of a crash near the south bank of the river Waal near the village of Zuilichem following an attack on Karlsruhe Germany. Their Halifax bomber was damaged by debris from another aircraft, making it an easy target for a night fighter.

He was buried in the Zuilichem Municipal Cemetery in collective grave row 1, 1-3. The other fallen crew members buried in the same Coll. grave were W/O Edward V. Webb, age 21, F/O Alfred S. Redmonds, age 23 and F/O Douglas D. Watterson age 22, all RCAF and Arthur Hansford, RAFVR, age 36. The other RCAF crew members Sgt Ray G. Tanner and Sgt Bryan M. Cassidy were able to save themselves by parachute and were made prisoners of war. Both survived the war.

On his tombstone: ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO HIM, O LORD. MOM, DAD, ALICE, JESS

On November 26, 1946, he was posthumously awarded the Operational Wings and Certficate in recognition of gallant service against the enemy. He served with The 420 Sqdn Royal Canadian Air Force.

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• Photo 1: Edwin van der Wolf
• - Flying Officer William Murphy | War Casualty Details 2648402 | CWGC
  

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