Murphy Family Father & Son Second China War and Boer War Medal Group – 1st Dragoon Guards
£995.00
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A family group to father and son, Regimental Sergeant Major William Alfred Murphy and Regimental Sergeant Major Reginald Leslie Murphy, including a regimentally unique one clasp China Medal.
Group One (Father):
1615 Regimental Sergeant Major William Alfred Murphy, 1st Dragoon Guards
Second China War Medal (Clasp – Pekin 1860) named to T.S. Major Wm. A. Murphy, 1st Dragn Gds.
Victorian Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal named to 1615 Sergt. Mjr. W.A. Murphy 1st Dragoon Guards
William Alfred Murphy was born in October 1833 in Canterbury, Kent and enlisted in the 1st
Dragoon Guards at the age of 19 on 18 October 1852. He quickly rose through the ranks being
promoted to Corporal on 1 July 1855, Sergeant on 6 August 1857, and Troop Sergeant Major on
15 July 1860. Although the regiment served during the later stages of the Crimean War, Murphy
remained with the depot until he traveled out to China to rejoin the 1st Dragoon Guards. Murphy
was present at the charge at Chang-Kia-Wan (near Pekin). The 1DG received 317 China Medals
with 2 clasps. Murphy’s single-clasp China Medal is confirmed on the medal roll and is unique to
the regiment.
After the war, Murphy returned to England and was appointed Regimental Sergeant Major on 17
February 1869. He received the LS&GC Medal with the maximum gratuity of £15 on 18
November 1872. He remained the 1st Dragoon Guards’ RSM until appointed RSM of the East
Lothian Yeomanry on 26 April 1877. He was discharged from the Regular Army on 5 June 1877
but continued to serve as the East Lothian Yeomanry’s RSM until his death on 29 July 1885.
Group Two (Son):
3126 Regimental Sergeant Major Reginald Leslie Murphy, Lothian & Berwickshire Imperial Yeomanry (late Sqaudron Sergeant Major, 1st Dragoon Guards)
Queen’s South Africa Medal (4 Clasps – Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902) named to 3126 Serjt. R.L. Murphy, 1st Dragoon Gds.
Edward VII Army Long SErvice & Good Conduct Medal named to 3126 S.S.Mjr. R.L. Murphy 1/ Dgn. Gds.
Reginald Leslie Murphy was born in 23 February 1873 in Dublin, Ireland, the oldest son of RSM
William Alfred Murphy, 1st Dragoon Guards. RSM Murphy’s early death in 1885 almost
certainly created a financial hardship for the family and his son enlisted as a boy in his father’s
old regiment on 5 January 1887. Like his father, he did well and was promoted Lance Corporal 24 February 1891, Corporal 19 April 1892, Lance Sergeant 23 November 1897, Sergeant 4
February 1898, and Squadron Sergeant Major 1 December 1902. Murphy served with the 1DG
throughout the Boer War and was recommended for the LS&GC Medal on 1 July 1908.
Murphy was posted to the Lothian & Berwickshire Imperial Yeomanry on 30 June 1906 and
retired on 4 August 1914. Murphy was re-employed during World War I. He was appointed
Acting Regimental Sergeant Major of the Lothian & Berwickshire Imperial Yeomanry on 20
October 1914 and confirmed as Temporary Regimental Sergeant Major for the duration of the
war on 2 May 1917. Murphy was mentioned in the Secretary of State’s War Office List on 24
February 1917 “for valuable services in connection with the War”. A search of the Medal Index
Cards and his service records confirm that Murphy did not receive any medals for World War I.
Murphy was discharged on 2 January 1920.
Murphy died on 4 May 1945 in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
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