James Anthony (Jim) Murphy, Philip (Fip) Murphy, Harry and Philip Carney – serving on Western Front, and medics in The Great War.

James Anthony (Jim) Murphy. My Great Uncle Jim emmigrated to Canada in 1911 aged 18 years, and worked on the railways. He was originally from Blackrock, Co. Louth, Ireland. He joined the Canadian Army in 1916 and trained in Camp Hughes in Canada. He was sent on the 'Olympic' to England in 1916 and trained/remained in Whitley and Seaford camps. There was a rubella quarantine so he did not go to France until 1917. He was sent to dig tunnels in Vimy Ridge. He then joined the 8th Battalion Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment. In the Battle of Arleux in April 1917 he was wounded in the shoulder by a sniper's bullet. He was wounded again by shrapnel in the right arm in the Battle of Hill 70 on the Western Front in August 1917. He was hospitalized for several weeks. He returned in October 1917 to his Battalion and was preparing to go North. His letters stop at the end of October and it is believed he was killed on 10th November. His body was never found. It is believed he was killed by artillery (there were statements by another soldier to the Red Cross re same). Philip (Fip) Murphy. My Great Uncle Fip was also from Blackrock, Co. Louth, Ireland. He was a doctor by profession and trained in Dublin. He served in St. Vincents, The Coombe and Camberwell Infirmary in England. Initially he was refused admission into the army due to heart problems, but he managed to enlist in 1917 as Captain. He was sent to Egypt, Palestinian Front. He travelled on the S.S. Transylvania from Marseille which was torpedoed by a German sub. He survived – many died – and was brought to Savona, Italy. He wrote home to describe the incident. He came from a very catholic family and believed that his wearing of the green scapula at the time saved his life. He served in the 3rd General Hospital from June 1917 to mid-1919. He was then demobbed and sent home. Alongside dealing with the wounded from the Front he also cared for people with Spanish Flu. He returned to Norwich, England and continued to practice as a doctor. He returned to Co. Louth in Ireland in the 1960’s. Harry Carney – First Cousin – served with the Royal Dublin’s from mid-1917 to 1918. He got pleurisy in the trenches, was sent home but died in 1919. His brother Philip Carney was a doctor and served with the Tyneside Irish, Northumberland Fusiliers. He won a Military Cross in March 1918 for removing wounded under fire. He was sent home, but returned to the war for 100 days. He fought in the Second Battle of the Marne and won the Croix de Guerre. He remained in the army and served with the Connaught Rangers and was posted to India. He would survive and return to Ireland to continue working as a doctor.