William Alford Murphy

[Sledge]

Hi
I am trying to get any information I can on my G-G grandfather, named above. He fought in the Boer War as a dispatch rider, and was a sergeant. He was involved in the battle/relief of Ladysmith (?). My great uncle has a medal of his, with '3466DR' on, 'Talana' and '6918R'

All this comes from his son's wedding certificate and the medal itself. I have no idea as to his origin, the name suggests he was in an Irish regiment. He was dead when his son married, around 1908.

Any help or pointers would be much appreciated.

[km1971]

There is the link to the battle of Talana - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Talana_Hillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Talana_Hill

Two of the three infantry battalions that attacked Talana Hill were Irish – the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Or he could have been in the cavalry (18th Hussars), RA or the small number of mounted infantry there. If the story of him being a dispatch rider is true he was either in the cavalry or the mounted infantry.

The regimental numbers of the time were four digits, so I don’t know about DR and R. If he died while serving they would have destroyed his records 20 years later, but you should check Findmypast when they publish records for men discharged 1900 to 1913 soon, just in case.

If his record has not survived you can check the medal roll on microfilm in Kew, or ask on a site such as the British Medal Forum in case a specialist of the RDF or RIF has printed off the roll.

Ken

[gortonboy]

Murphy W 3466 Driver QSA (2)
Source: Provisional list of QSAs with the clasp Talana     69th Battery, RFA

so,,,looks like he was a driver in the royal field artillery 

[gortonboy]

nice photo of the 69th field battery here

http://www.chris-simmonds.me.uk/index.html

[Sledge]

Brilliant, many thanks all. Great Uncle assumed DR was dispatch rider, and Forces reunited has a WA Murphy there who was a scout (similar to dispatch rider?) but it could well mean driver.

[Sledge]

Murphy W 3466 Driver QSA (2)
Source: Provisional list of QSAs with the clasp Talana     69th Battery, RFA

so,,,looks like he was a driver in the royal field artillery 

What is the exact source?

[gortonboy]

Found it here

http://www.angloboerwar.com/talana

[Sledge]

Many thanks for everyone's help. William Alfred Murphy (my great great uncle) was a labourer in Bristol then signed up for the Royal Artillery in April 1894. He served in S. Africa from May 1897 to June 1900, returned to the UK and died two years later from 'valvular disease of the heart' (possibly something picked up in SA) at the age of 25.

It was his father who was named as 'William Alford Murphy' on his son's (William's brother's) wedding certificate, though he had died when both were small boys. I thought the medal was his (he was an army sergeant) but I was wrong

Thanks again