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World War 11 Casualties
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Murphy Jack Donald
 Jack Donald Murphy was born in Hobart,
Tasmania on 25 April 1919. Murphy moved with his parents from Hobart to
Sydney in his youth, settling in Neutral Bay. He attended primary school
from 1925 to 1932 and intermediate high school from 1932 to 1935 in
Neutral Bay. He finished with his intermediate certificate, after which
he worked as a salesman with City Hatters in Sydney.
He enlisted for service in the army as a signalman with 1 Division
Signals in May 1940. In March 1941, Murphy applied, for and was accepted
into the RAAF reserve. He discharged from 1 Division Signals on 14
August 1941 and enlisted for full-time RAAF service the following day.
Murphy was accepted for aircrew training and after his initial training
period, he was posted for pilot training to 10 Elementary Flying
Training School (EFTS) in November. Following the successful completion
of this course, he returned to Sydney briefly and married Ivy Allen
Murphy at St Augustine Church, Neutral Bay on 7 February 1942.
In March he attended Service Flying Training Schools (SFTS) at Wagga and
Deniliquin, which he successfully passed. During this period he was
promoted to sergeant. Murphy was posted to England to fly fighter
aircraft. Murphy embarked from Sydney on 28 August 1942 and arrived at
RAF Station Bournemouth in mid-November. He began conversion training
for Spitfire aircraft and spent the next 10 months in Operational
Training units and flying schools.
In October 1943, he was posted to North Africa to join an operational
fighter squadron. He was posted to 111 Squadron, RAF based at
Capodichino, Italy in December. Murphy was promoted to warrant officer
on 26 December. When Allied forces landed at Anzio, Italy in late
January 1944, 111 Squadron was heavily involved, flying many operations
over the beach head in support of ground troops. At 6.15 on the morning
of 20 May, a flight of 12 Spitfire MK IXc aircraft, one piloted by
Murphy, took off to patrol the Anzio area.
The Spitfires were flying at 18,000 feet when two flights of 6 enemy
aircraft were spotted 5,000 feet below at approximately 6.50 am. The
spitfires attacked and the two formations engaged in a dogfight between
the Anzio beach head and the River Tiber.
As the enemy aircraft retreated, the spitfires began to reform. Murphy
was heard by his colleagues over a radio transmission saying he had to
bail out. His next transmission was a mayday and then nothing.
Murphy's fellow pilots conducted an exhaustive search of the area, but
no trace of the aircraft or Murphy could be found. He was officially
listed as missing in action the following day. After a long
investigation he was pronounced killed in action in 1946. His body was
not recovered and he is commemorated on the Malta Memorial.
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