William J. Murphy (RAF officer)

William J. Murphy (1916 – 4 September 1939) was the first British Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot to be shot down and killed during World War II.[1] [2]

For other people named William Murphy, see William Murphy (disambiguation).

Murphy was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork in Ireland to William Joseph Murphy and Katherine C. Murphy.[3]

World War II

Murphy was the officer pilot of flight N6188 OM, a Bristol Blenheim Bomber, part of 107 Squadron, which was taking part in the RAF's first bombing raid of the war against enemy ships in the German port of Wilhelmshaven on 4 September 1939, the day after war was declared on Germany. A navigator on another plane that day was Larry Slattery from Thurles in County Tipperary, who survived along with another officer, Sergeant G. F. Booth. Slattery became the longest-serving British POW of World War II.[2]

Fifteen Blenheim medium bombers of 107 and 110 Squadrons flew a mission to attack German ships. Several planes had to return to base having failed to find their target. Of the five remaining planes of 107 Squadron, four were shot down over Wilhelmshaven. Murphy was killed alongside two fellow crewmen, Sergeant L R Ward and AC2 E Patemam.[4][5] Murphy was 23 years old.[6]

He was buried in Sage War Cemetery, Germany.[3]

References
  1. Team, Fujitsu/Oireachtas Lotus Notes/Domino Development. "Parliamentary Debates". oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie.
  2. "The forgotten Irish who fought in WW2 - Independent.ie".
  3. "Casualty". Cwgc.org. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  4. "Per Ardua Ad Astra - South Tipperary Military History Society Forum". stmhs.proboards.com.
  5. "No.107 SQN RAF - Squadron Profile". www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. "An Irishman's Diary". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
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