The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (2773) Private Leo Joseph Murphy, 21st Battalion (Infantry), 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 Meredith Duncan, the story for this day was on (2773) Private Leo Joseph Murphy, 21st Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

2773 Private Leo Joseph Murphy, 21st Battalion
KIA 24 August 1916
Photograph: DA10926

Story delivered 7 January 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Leo Joseph Murphy of the 21st Battalion.

Leo Murphy was born in the small Cumbrian town of Workington at the mouth of the River Derwent in England. He came to Australia without his family, leaving his parents in Woolwich, London. He worked for a time as a farm labourer in the Grasmere district of Victoria, but for the 12 months before he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force he was employed at Tattersalls' Hotel in Warrnambool. He enlisted in July 1915 at the age of 20, and the following October sailed for Egypt with the 6th reinforcements to the 21st Battalion.

Private Murphy arrived in Egypt at a time when the AIF was undergoing a period of reorganisation, but he remained with the 21st and sailed with them for Marseilles and the Western Front.

In August 1916 the 21st Battalion was involved in operations around the French village of Pozières and nearby Mouquet Farm. After their initial stint in the line, the men returned to the front line on the 22nd of August and proceeded to improve trenches, build new strong-points, reconnoitre forward, and salvage equipment from the battlefield. This activity was almost always conducted under shell-fire, which was virtually constant in that sector of the line.

At some point on 24 August 1916 Private Leo Murphy was killed in action. The manner of his death was not recorded and, like so many men killed in that battle, his body was lost and he has no known grave.

His parents in England were notified of his death, and in Warrnambool, where he cut a popular figure and was considered a "splendid type of young man", he was also sadly missed. His particular friend Miss Vera Deakin received word in October that he had been killed and notified the town. She wrote that his death made her heart full of sorrow, and her eyes were dammed with tears. Leo Murphy was 21 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War, and his photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Leo Joseph Murphy, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.