Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An important and outstanding Great War ‘Moeuvres 1917’ D.S.O. and inter-war North-West Frontier operations Bar, Great War ‘Flanders 1915’ M.C. group of twelve awarded to Major-General D. M. Murray-Lyon, G.O.C. 11 Indian Division, late Highland Light Infantry and C.O. of 2/4th Gurkha Rifles

His notable gallantry in the Great War and as a Gurkha C.O. on the North-West Frontier in the 1930s aside, Murray-Lyon found himself - as G.O.C. Indian Troops - facing the Japanese onslaught that swept down the Malayan peninsula in December 1941: on one occasion three enemy motor-cyclists sped up to his Divisional H.Q. - quickly drawing his revolver, he shot one of them dead

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse of the suspension bar privately engraved, ‘Moeuvres / 30.11.17’; Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved ‘D. M. Murray-Lyon, H.L.I., Flanders 1915’; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. D. M. Murray-Lyon, High. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. D. M. Murray-Lyon); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1930-31 (Maj. D. M. Murray-Lyon, 2-4 G.R.); India General Service 1936-39, 2 clasps, North West Frontier 1936-37, North West Frontier 1937-39, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. D. M. Murray-Lyon, 2-4 G.R.); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1937, mounted court-style as worn, slight enamel damage to D.S.O. central wreaths and the Great War awards somewhat polished, otherwise generally very fine or better (12) £5000-6000

D.S.O. London Gazette 18 February 1918:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the enemy attacked and penetrated the line after intense fighting and continual bombing attacks, by his courage and personal example he succeeded in driving them out and held his position against further heavy attacks with splendid coolness and determination.’

Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 21 December 1937:

‘For distinguished services rendered in the Field in connection with the operations in Waziristan, during the period I7 January to I5 September, 1937.’

M.C. London Gazette 14 January 1916.

David Murray Murray-Lyon was at Ford, Northumberland in August 1890, the eldest son of Dr. T. M. Murray-Lyon. Having attended Watson’s College, David followed in his father’s footsteps, and studied medicine at Edinburgh University. It was in the same period that he served briefly as a Gunner in the City of Edinburgh Volunteer Artillery in 1907-08 and as a 2nd Lieutenant in the City’s R.G.A. in 1909: he decided to abandon his studies and apply for a regular commission and, following a probationary appointment in the 3rd Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers, he was gazetted as a subaltern to the Highland Light Infantry in India in December 1911.

The Great War - twice wounded - Battalion C.O. - D.S.O. and M.C.

Advanced to Lieutenant in March 1914, Murray-Lyon went to France with the 1st Battalion at the end of the year and was slightly wounded in the face at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. Subsequently appointed a Company Commander, he was severely wounded - ‘spine and abdomen’- at Richbourg Ste. Vaast on 22 May 1915 and was evacuated to England. He was awarded the M.C. and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 January 1916, refers).

Returning to France in December 1916, as Second-in-Command, he remained on active service in that theatre of war until the War’s end, latterly holding three separate Battalion Commands. The award of his D.S.O. for gallantry at Moeuvres on 30 November 1917 aside, he was thrice mentioned in despatches (London Gazettes 21 December 1917, 24 May and 28 December 1918, refer). Of this period of active service, his obituarist in The Journal of the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret’s Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment), states:

‘In December, 1916, he was appointed Acting Major and posted as Second-in-Command of the 2nd Battalion. In France during the Winter of 1916-17 the Germans had been preparing their new “Hindenburg Line” which was intended to considerably straighten their front line from Arras to Soissons, thereby releasing many divisions for an attacking role. In some cases withdrawal was over 25 miles and so once again our cavalry was called into action and the Battalion got used to liaison with the Essex Yeomanry, ‘Hodsons Horse,’18th Lancers and King Edward’s Horse.

On 26 April 1917, the Battalion went into action in front of St. Quentin and lost 14 officers and 269 other ranks; further action followed at Bourlon Wood and in other parts along the Canal de Nord.

On the 20 November, 1917, he assumed command of the 1st Battalion, The King’s Regiment, with the rank of Acting Lieutenant-Colonel and remained with them until April 1918, at which time he was appointed to command the 2nd Battalion, H.L.I. During 1917 he was mentioned in despatches for the second time.

It was on 21 March 1918 that the Germans launched their heaviest attack since 1914. It was intended to drive the Allies right back to the Channel Ports. In the initial stages this was against the Third and Fifth British Armies right down to the Junction with the French in Picardy. The 2nd Battalion, after the few days, was heavily involved at Berlin Court and fought a courageous rearguard action along the valley of the Ancre. The enemy had involved a new system of attack by “Infiltration”. Pinning down forward posts with intense machine-gun and mortar fire, his enfilade parties worked right round to as far as Battalion H.Q. Colonel Murray-Lyon handled the Battalion during these difficult times with great skill and himself led the bombing counter-attacks when his Battalion H.Q. was attacked. The Germans were finally halted when some 40 miles short of Paris. He then built-up the Battalion again into a strong fighting unit which was to give a great account of itself in the final British Offensive which began in August of the same year.

During this battle the French reinforced the British Sector with numerous Reserve Divisions and we saw, many of us for the first time, British 18-pounders and French 75s firing in consort. The 2nd Cavalry Division was also in action. In June of the same year he was appointed to the command of the 5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers which took part in the successful Allied Offensive from early August until the final capitulation of the German forces on 11 November 1918. Later the Battalion moved forward to the occupation of the Rhine and he remained in Command until April 1919.

He was awarded the D.S.O. and mentioned in despatches for the third and fourth times and also became a Brevet Major.’

The inter-war years: transfer to the Indian Army - Gurkha Battalion Command - D.S.O.

In 1920, Murray-Lyon became Adjutant of the 6th Battalion H.L.I. in Glasgow and held this appointment successfully until September 1923, when he rejoined the 2nd Battalion in Cairo. In 1925 the Battalion was sent to Bangalore in India, where he was selected as O.C. of the Advance Party. He remained with the Regiment until 1927 when he transferred in the rank of Major to the Indian Army, taking up an appointment in the 2nd Battalion, 4th P.W.O. Gurkha Rifles.

Having witnessed active service in the North-West Frontier operations of 1930-31 (Medal & clasp), Murray-Lyon was given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1932 and then advanced to the substantive rank of Lieutenant-Colonel with command of the 2/4th Gurkhas in April 1936. Three further years of campaigning on the North-West Frontier followed (Medal & 2 clasps), not least in 1937, when the Battalion was constantly in action in Waziristan. As one fellow officer would later recall:

‘For most of us this was our baptism of fire and, no matter how difficult the situation was, M-L’s foresight, his thoroughness, his coolness in command, gave confidence to all. It was for his leadership and the unfailing courage he showed in that arduous campaign that he was awarded a Bar to his D.S.O.’

So, too, his fifth mention in despatches (London Gazette 18 February 1938, refers).

The 1939-45 War: G.O.C. Indian Troops, Malaya 1941

Soon after the renewal of hostilities, Murray-Lyon was appointed a Colonel on the Staff. A Brigade command followed and by the time of the disastrous Malayan campaign in 1941, he held the temporary rank of Major-General with command of the 11th Indian Division at Kedah: as such he was G.O.C. Indian Troops.

Much has been written about the swift success of the Japanese invasion of Malaya in late 1941, as a consequence of which not a few senior commanders were relieved of their command: the anger occasioned by this heavy-handed creation of ‘scapegoats’ is no more evident than in official correspondence containing Murray-Lyon’s account of the circumstances and events that befell 11th Indian Division. He strongly countered remarks made by his immediate senior, Lieutenant-General A. E. Percival, G.O.C. Malaya Command, pointing out the enemy’s superiority in armour and aircraft: in fact his Division had none.

That Murray-Lyon led from the front during those desperate days of December 1941 is beyond dispute, even Percival having to admit that ‘he did his utmost by personal example to restore confidence in the troops and to stabilize the situation.’ Colonel A. M. L. Harrison, M.C., a fellow ex-officer of the 4th P.W.O. Gurkha Rifles, who was with Murray-Lyon, later recalled:

‘My outstanding memory of Murray in Malaya is of his loyalty (even when he disagreed with the policies of Whitehall and the decisions of Higher Command) and his bravery. During those first two weeks of that tragic Malayan campaign, he was essentially a Front Line General who did not seem to know the meaning of fear. Indeed, on one occasion, when he discovered that a jittery battalion had fled, he was the front line. Arming himself with an anti-tank rifle, he mounted a Lanarkshire Yeomanry carrier and started a tank hunt - as I was accompanying him, I confess that I was greatly relieved when he drew a blank. His departure from the Division saddened all who knew, admired and loved him.’

Indeed, Murray-Lyon has been credited with being the only Indian Army Divisional Commander of the Second World War to have personally engaged and despatched an enemy with his revolver. Colonel A. M. L. Harrison takes up the story in his History of the 11th Indian Division in Malaya:

‘At 0930 hours a report reached Major-General Murray-Lyon (who was at Alor Star bridge with Lieutenant-Colonel Selby, Lieutenant-Colonel Steedman and Major Parker) that the 60 missing men, whom Captain Wallis had left at Anak Bukit, had reached the Alor Star hospital where they were resting. The Divisional Commander ordered the East Surreys carriers, which were halted near him, to go to the hospital and cover the immediate withdrawal of this party across the bridge. The carriers moved forward.

Fifteen minutes later two lorries and a staff car, which had broken down, crossed the bridge with three D.Rs. on motor-cycles just ahead of them. Major-General Murray-Lyon looked at them with casual interest. Suddenly the leading motor-cyclist drew abreast of the officers, turned round and grinned. The Divisional Commander shouted: “Hell: They’re Japs,” drew his revolver and fired. The officers with him followed suit. The leader accelerated and shot past unscathed, but the rear motor-cyclists both crashed headlong onto the road. An anti-tank gun opened up and the staff car piled up in the ditch. The “lorry drivers trod on the juice” and careered down the road as fast as their lorries could take them. A light automatic fired a burst.

Major-General Murray-Lyon thought quickly: “These motor-cyclists must be the forerunners of another blitz.” He ordered the C.R.E. to blow the bridge but to leave intact the railway bridge which had been converted into a road-way fit for wheels. The bridge went up with a deafening roar ... ’

Murray-Lyon was relieved of his command on 23 December 1941 and flown out of Malaya to Delhi, a fate that at least saved him from subsequent events at Singapore, following Percival’s surrender.

Retirement and anecdotes

His obituarist in The Journal of the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret’s Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment), continues:

‘After his retirement in June, 1946, ‘Murray’ turned his attention to his alpine Plants and became internationally famous. His annual trips to the Alps and Dolomites as leader were most enjoyable expeditions to all his many friends and he will be greatly missed by them all. Dressed in his Gurkha shorts, stockings and red ‘flashes’ with his Rucksack over his shoulders, he was a well-known and beloved figure on the Mountains. This, I think, will be how we will all remember him.

A born leader, a brave and skilful soldier and a true friend, these are a few of his many attributes. He was one of the few remaining great soldiers of the pre-1914 era that did so much to train and lead in the Field the many units that were raised immediately after August, 1914. We owe them our eternal gratitude.’

Colonel J. N. Mackay added in the same regimental journal:

‘‘Murray’ had been increasingly troubled by his old war wounds. This reminded me of an occasion in the Mess when he blew into a handkerchief a Bosche bullet which must have been lodged in him for 20 years.

Although he never spoke of his own deeds in the war he used to love tell anecdotes about his Jocks in the trenches. I recall two which typically illustrate these. On one occasion when the punctuation of four-letter adjectives had grown too tiresome to be endured he shouted at them to stop it. For a short while silence reigned, only to be broken quite soon by a repeat performance until the Sergeant intervened with “Will ye shut up that swearin’ you ******. Did ye no’ hear what the ******* officer said?”

Murray-Lyon, who was also a ‘fine player of the Pipes’, died suddenly in February 1975, aged 84 years; sold with extensive copied research.

Recommended reading:

Quite apart from the large archive of personal and family papers and photographs held at the National Library of Scotland (the archive inventory and full contents can be accessed on-line), recommended reading must include the best selling book Bugles and a Tiger, by John Masters: it contains numerous mentions and anecdotes about Murray-Lyon, for the author served as a subaltern in the 2/4th Gurkhas on the North-West Frontier in the 1930s.