Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Joseph Murphy Jnr was born at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham in 1895, one of 11 children of whom only 4 survived, he was the eldest of 2 sons and 2 daughters. His father Joseph Murphy Snr native of Seaham Harbour and mother Ann Kelly (known as Annie), daughter of Irish immigrants, native of Heworth, were born 1868 and 1869 respectively. Prior to his marriage to Annie in 1893 at Heworth, he and his family were living at Bowes Race, Felling where he was employed as a locomotive engine stoker. In 1901 Joseph Snr was working as a general labourer, he and his wife and children, Mary (7), Joseph (6) and Catherine (2) had moved to 19, Dorothy Street, Felling, their youngest surviving son John was born in 1908. At the age of 15 Joseph Jnr, having been educated at St. John The Baptist Roman Catholic School, had left his studies and was employed as a trapper at the colliery, his father worked as a chemical labourer, in 1911 the family lived in 2 rooms at 10, Back Patterson Terrace, Felling. Joseph’s mother Annie Murphy nee Kelly died during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1914.
He enlisted at Felling in late September 1914 assigned as Private 13399 to the Durham Light Infantry joining the regiment at their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The new recruits travelled by train to Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire where they were formed into the 14th and 15th Battalions. Joseph was assigned to the 14th Battalion, October 3rd 1914 they were moved to a tented camp at Halton Park where both the 14th and 15th battalions were attached to the 64th Brigade, 21st Division. Training was slow and little more than basic drill due to bad weather, no khaki uniforms, dummy rifles and few experienced officers. By December they had moved to billets in High Wycombe where training began in earnest after the issue of uniforms and rifles. Early April 1915 both battalions marched back to Halton Park for final training and by July 1915 were ready for service overseas.
September 11th 1915 the main body of men departed for France, landing at Boulogne, Joseph did not join them until he had turned 19, He landed in France October 8th 1915 joining the regiment which had participated at the Battle of Loos. At the end of November 1915 they were transferred to the 6th Division and moved to the Ypres salient in Belgium along with the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry seeing action at Hooge. August 1916 they left Belgium and moved south to the Somme where they participated during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette September 18th-22nd, the Battle of Morval September 25th-28th and the Battle of Transloy October 1st-18th 1916
Having risen through the ranks, the now, Sergeant 13399 Joseph Murphy Durham Light Infantry is presumed to have died September 24th 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 72,246 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating servicemen from Britain and South Africa who died on the Somme 1915-1918 who have no known grave. He was 20 years old and single.
Joseph had nominated his father as sole and legal beneficiary, as such he received all monies due to him along with his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, sent to their home address of 6, Pattinson Terrace, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham.
Joseph Murphy Snr died at Gateshead in 1925 registered as 54 years old, he was in fact 57 years of age.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
His death was reported in Heslop's Local Advertiser 22/12/1916
Joseph Murphy is remembered at Felling on F32.06 and F32.24
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 260
