Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

A Great War Somme operations M.C. group of four awarded to Captain L. Murphy, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Irish Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R.; 1914 Star, with clasp (918 2/A.M., R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt., R.A.F.) good very fine (4) £800-1000

M.C. London Gazette 21 December 1916: ‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. After the failure of a torpedo, he cut his way through the hostile wire under heavy fire, and reached the enemy’s trenches with his party. He set a splendid example to his men.’

Louis Murphy, who was born in September 1891, joined the Royal Flying Corps as a direct entrant in September 1913 and served out in France from 13 August 1914 as an A.C. 2 with No. 2 Squadron. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Regiment in May 1915, he went on to win the M.C. with the 2nd Battalion on the Somme, most probably for the operations on Bazentin Ridge, or at Ginchy.

In March 1917, Murphy was seconded for service in the Royal Flying Corps, and was appointed a Flying Officer (Observer). Placed on the Unemployed List in April 1919, he was re-seconded to the Royal Air Force for two years that August (London Gazette 27 April 1920 refers), and found himself back on active service out in India as a Flying Officer with No. 27 Squadron, with whom he won entitlement to the India General Service Medal 1908-35 for ‘Mahsud 1919-20’ and ‘Waziristan 1919-21’.