Charles William MURRAY

Regimental number1590
Place of birthOrange, New South Wales
SchoolOrange Superior Public School, New South Wales
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationStone mason
AddressEdgar Street, Auburn, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation23
Height5' 8.25"
Weight154 lbs
Next of kinFather, William Joseph Murray, Edgar Street, Auburn, New South Wales
Previous military serviceServed in School Cadets.
Enlistment date14 July 1915
Place of enlistmentLiverpool, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name30th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/47/2
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on 9 November 1915
Rank from Nominal RollCorporal
Unit from Nominal Roll30th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Miscellaneous details (Nominal Roll)Final rank incorrectly entered on Nominal Roll as Private.
Place of death or woundingFleurbaix, France
Age at death23
Age at death from cemetery records23
Place of burialFromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
117
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Commemorated in Orange Cemetery, New South Wales. Father: William Joseph (d. 30 July 1946, aged 82; bu. Orange Cemetery); Mother: Emily (d. 17 March 1943, aged 74; bu. Orange Cemetery)
Family/military connectionsForty two of the Murray descendants. Sixteen cousins from the Orange district.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Sydney, 9 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 11 December 1915.

Taken on strength, C Company, 30th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 15 February 1916.

Promoted Corporal, Ferry Post, 1 April 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Reported missing, 20 July 1916.

Note on Form B103: 'Identity Disc received from Germany. No particulars were afforded except that Soldier was deceased. May now be reported "KILLED IN ACTION" 20/7/16.'

German report, 30 July 1916: 'austr. Sold. Murray, C.W. 30. Batt. (Australier) am 19.7 in Gegend Fromelles gefallen.'

Identity disc forwarded to next of kin, 8 November 1917.

Note on Red Cross File No 1860909: 'The above name appeared on German death list dated 4-11-16.'

Statement, 684 Pte F. HALL, C Company, 30th Bn, 28 August 1916: 'I sawhim fall, shot through the thigh on the night of the 19th July, at Fleurbaix. This was on the parades (sic) of the 1st. line of German trenches and he could not move. We had then to retire along the trench as the Germans had got in on our right and were bombing us. There was only one Cpl. Murray in C. Co. and he came from Orange, N.S.W.'

Second statement, 1180 Lance Corporal S. BROOK, C Company, 30th Bn (patient, Beaufort War Hospital, Bristol, England), 9 December 1916: 'I saw Cpl. Murray wounded in the thigh as we were running across the open at Fleurbaix on the 19th July. He fell but I cannot say whether he died or what happened to him further.'

Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2011) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Miscellaneous detailsFather's address incorrectly entered on Embarkation Roll as Auburn, Victoria. Father's address subsequently 71 Piesley Street, Orange, New South Wales.
SourcesNAA: B2455, MURRAY Charles William
Red Cross File No 1860909