Gerald Francis Murphy R/132905 Flight Sergeant Royal Canadian Air Force March 18, 1921 Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia October 1, 1941 Montreal, Quebec Westmount, Quebec 20 5 feet, 7½ inches Medium Brown Brown Scaler (Checker) Roman Catholic Single Gerald Murphy (Father) Westmont, Quebec July 2, 1944 23 Runnymede Memorial Panel 255 Commemorated on Page 401of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on August 28 Gerald Francis Murphy was the son of Gerald Francis Murphy and Caroline Anne (MacDonald) Murphy of Montreal, Quebec, and the brother of Sergeant John Kenneth Murphy, who was killed on December 1, 1943 while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Gerald attended St. Henry’s School and High School in Corner Brook, Newfoundland between 1927 and 1939. He then attended Scarsdale High School in New York, US, in 1940 and 1941. He was employed as a scaler and checker with Bowater Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd., in Newfoundland from October 1939 until August 1940, before returning to school. Enlisting on October 1, 1941, in Montreal, Quebec, Gerald trained in Canada receiving his Air Bomber Badge on September 17, 1943. He departed Canada for the United Kingdom arriving there on October 16, 1943, where he continued training. In May 1944 he was assigned to No. 1667 Heavy Bomber Conversion Unit. On July 2, 1944, aircraft Halifax V LL497 with a crew of seven departed RAF Sandtoft in Lincolnshire, England at 22:30 hours on a non-operational night training flight. Flight Sergeant Murphy was the air bomber on the flight. The aircraft failed to return to base and a search over the Welsh mountains and the Irish Sea failed to reveal any trace of the aircraft. The seven crew members are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial: Gorden Frederick Hutchison (Flight Officer) Pilot; J/25815 - London, Ontario; Age 30 Cecil Barber Norman (Sergeant) Flight Engineer; 2211863 - Oldham, Lancashire, UK; Age 32 Alan Orrick (Sergeant) Spare Flight Engineer; 1592436 - Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK; Age 19 Douglas John Evans (Pilot Officer) Navigator; J/35927 - West Hill, Ontario; Age 28 Gerald Francis Murphy (Sergeant) Air Bomber; R/132905 Robert Michael Pitts (Sergeant) Wireless Operator; R/194287 - Montreal, Quebec; Age 23 Ernest Clayden (Sergeant) Rear Gunner; 1029740 - Belmont, Surrey, UK; Age 20 Anthony John Bailey (Sergeant) Middle Upper Gunner; 1048169 - Sale, Cheshire. UK; Age 22

Sources: Library and Archives Canada Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave

Ruddymede Memorial