Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War D.S.O., M.C. group of seven awarded to Brigadier-General C. F. de S. Murphy, Royal Berkshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps, commanding Second (Corps) Wing in France

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., in case of issue; Military Cross, G.V.R., in case of issue; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, S.A. 1902 (Lieut., R. Berks. Regt.); 1914 Star (Capt., R.B.R. Attd. R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt.Col., R.F.C.); Belgium, Order of the Crown, 4th class breast badge, in case of issue with named label attached (Officer Commanding Aerodrome Northolt [Ruislip, Mdx.]); together with two bronze sports medals ‘Woolwich versus Sandhurst’, both named and cased; Royal Life Saving Society, bronze medal (Lieut., 2nd R. Bks. Rgt. Feb. 1910); F.A.I. Aviator’s Certificate, No. 599, dated 20th August, 1913; Royal Aero Club Competition Permit for 1913, No. 427; Invitation to attend Buckingham Palace Garden Party, 1924; Warrant Card and relating lapel badge of the Cambridge Special Police, issued during the General Strike of 1926, and a companion set of seven miniature dress medals, nearly extremely fine (17) £2000-2500

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January, 1917.

M.C. London Gazette 3 June, 1916.

M.I.D. London Gazette 22 June, 1915, and 4 January, 1917.

Order of the Crown of Belgium London Gazette 24 September, 1917.

Brigadier-General Cyril Francis de Sales Murphy was born in Cork in 1882 and was educated at Beaumont College. Commissioned into the 2nd Royal Berkshires in January 1902, he served in South Africa that same year and was on the Army Gymnastic Staff as Superintendent of Physical Training from 1910 to 1913. In 1914 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, having obtained F.A.I. certificate No. 599 at the Bristol School on Salisbury Plain in 1913. Appointed Flying Officer, Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) on 30 June 1914, he was employed at the C.F.S. and became a Flight Commander in February 1915, prior to joining No. 4 Squadron in France. From September 1915 to April 1916 he commanded No. 2 Squadron (B.E.2’s) at Hesdigneul, and flew intensively on reconnaissance, artillery and photograhic duty. Promoted Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel on 12 April 1916 and appointed Wing Commander, he commanded 13th (Army) Wing, comprising Nos. 11 and 23 Squadrons, and in April 1917 took over 2nd (Corps) Wing, comprising Nos. 6, 21, 42, 46 and 53 Squadrons, at Eecke. At the end of 1917 after a spell on the Home Establishment he commanded 6th Wing until March 1918. He served throughout the War on the Western Front at Ypres, Messines and on the Somme. A sometime commander of R.A.F. Northolt, Brigadier-General Murphy served at the Air Ministry, 1939-1944, and died at Banagher, Offaly, Ireland on 7 January 1961.