Soldier profiles

Name : MURPHY, THOMAS REX
Service Number : VX48525
Date of Birth : 24/11/1918
Place of Birth : CASTERTON, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : LABOURER
Date of Enlistment : 27/07/1940
Locality on Enlistment : MERINO, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : MURPHY, ANNIE
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : N/A
Date Died : 16/01/1943
Age at Death : 24
Community Roll of Honour : CASTERTON (VIC)
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, MYANMAR. A12. A. 14. / AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL COMMEMORATIVE AREA PANEL 73
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : 16/01/1943 / DIED FROM WOUNDS AFTER BOMB NEAR MISS ON HELLSHIP MOJI MARU 15/01/1943 / AT SEA BAY OF BENGAL (NEAR MOULMEIN)
P.O.W. Camps (details) : BICYCLE (JAVA), CHANGI (SINGAPORE)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : NO
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial Death Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6131031 [DIGITISED], Barcode 20946158 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Australian War Memorial, AWM_P08253.001.jpg, Past article (size 26kB)

Background : Son of Daniel and Annie Murphy, of Casterton, Victoria, Australia. Brother of Mary Ellen Hutchins, John Daniel Murphy, James Arthur Murphy and Francis Patrick Murphy. Initially buried by French priest at St. Patrick's Church, Moulmein, Burma 17/01/1943.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. Blue eyes, light brown hair.

Service record
27/07/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
20/09/1940 Transferred to 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion Hamilton, Victoria from Recruit Reception Depot.
01/01/1941 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
02/01/1941 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion from Pioneer Training Battalion.
07/03/1941 Change of address of next of kin.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
17/06/1941 Wounded in action - gunshot wound right thigh.
19/06/1941 Evacuated to 1 Australian General Hospital and transferred to X list.
16/12/1941 Evacuated from 1 Australian General Hospital with gunshot wound right thigh and hammer toe to 1 Australian Convalescent Depot.
12/01/1942 Discharged from 1 Australian Convalescent Depot and marched out to Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
12/01/1942 Marched in ex 1 Australian Convalescent Depot.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
01/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
16/01/1943 Accidentally killed whilst prisoner of war result aircraft bombing Japanese ship Moji Maru between Penang and Moulmein.