John Kenneth Murphy R/194169 Sergeant Royal Canadian Air Force March 21, 1921 Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia September 24, 1942 Montreal, Quebec Maplewood Ave., Montreal, Quebec Sydney, Nova Scotia 19 5 feet, 9½ inches Ruddy Hazel Brown Clerk Roman Catholic Single Caroline Murphy (Mother) Sydney, Nova Scotia December 1, 1943 20 Notre Dame Des Neiges Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec Sec. M. Lot 3410. Grave 2755 Commemorated on Page 197 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 22 John Kenneth Murphy (Ken) was the son of Gerald Francis Murphy and Caroline Anne (MacDonald) Murphy of Montreal, Quebec, and the brother of Flight Sergeant Gerald Francis Murphy, who was killed in action on July 2, 1944, while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Ken attended St. Henry’s School in Corner Brook, Newfoundland between 1930 and 1939 completing his 11th grade. He then attended Scarsdale High School in New York, US, completing his 12th grade in 1941. He was then employed as a clerk with Canadian International Paper, in Montreal, Quebec until his enlistment with the RCAF. He began is training in September 1942 at Lachine, Quebec. He trained in Hagersville, Ontario from November 26, 1942, in Toronto from April 3, 1943, and at Cap de la Madeline from June 13, 1943. He then was assigned to Moncton from August 21, 1943, and to No 8 Service Flying Training School, located at Moncton, New Brunswick. On December 1, 1943, Harvard aircraft FE995 left the training base at Moncton at 1 pm with John Kenneth Murphy and his Flying instructor Flight Officer Joseph Kenneth McMorris of Saskatchewan on a routine training flight. They failed to return to base and were presumed to have crashed; however, despite extensive search efforts the plane could not be located. In August 1944 a Certificate of Presumption of Death was issued. In May of 1946, the wreckage of the aircraft was discovered by Laurie Black, President of J. L. Black Lumber Company who was surveying timber with two guides near St. Andre, 20 miles from Sackville, New Brunswick. They discovered the aircraft in the midst of very dense timber land, at least one and a half miles from the nearest rural dirt road. Access to the aircraft was only possible by the use of a blazed trail through the dense woods, made by the guides on the way out of the woods. From the condition of the wrecked aircraft and as a result of the coroner's examination of the two crew members, there was no doubt death was instantaneous. Flight Officer Joseph Kenneth McMorris is buried in Regina, Saskatchewan. John Kenneth Murphy is buried in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec.

Sources: Library and Archives Canada Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave

Wreckage of Harvard FE995