George Murray was a farmer in the Nelson area when he enlisted in the Army in August, 1914. He served in the Canterbury Infantry Regiment for all of three weeks, then for a reason that does not appear in his service record, he left New Zealand and made his way to France and the British Army, serving with the Royal Fusileers and the Royal Flying Corps.
PERSONALIA
Mr G. S. Murray, of Nelson, left Wellington last evening for Sydney, en route to England. -NZ Times, 30/1/1915.
Lt. G. Scott Murray, Royal Fusiliers, attached to the R.F.C., is still out in East Africa, where he is seeing a considerable amount of duty as an airman. -Evening Post, 2/3/1918.
George Murray served with 26 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, in the East African campaign. It was a difficult time and place to be a flyer. The planes were obsolescent - but with no enemy opposition in the air, that was one of their smaller problems - the tropical heat and damp rotted the organic parts of the structure and rusted the metal ones. Ironically, one of their greatest problems was the lack of decent roads. Aeroplanes soared above the jungle but supplies and ground crew needed to be transported by truck. There were also the endemic tropical diseases to be contended with, notably malaria and it might have been that which led to George Murray's being eventually invalided out of the Army.
GALLANTRY REWARDED.
Mrs F. Barnes, of Cridland street, Kaiapoi, has received advice from the Minister of Defence that Regimental Sergtant-major T. S. West, has been awarded the Croix de Guerre for gallantry on the field action. Sergeant-major West left New Zealand with the Main Body, and took part in the landing and evacuation at Gallipoli, where he was wounded. He went through the battles of the Somme and Messines without mishap, and is at present studying for a commission at Keble College, Oxford.
Information has been received that Captain Roland Fulton, R.A.M.C., eldest son of Lieutenant-colonel R. Fulton, of Dunedin, has been awarded the Croix de Guerre for meritorious services as regimental medical officer attached to the 13th Middlesex Regiment during the engagements at Ypres.
Flight-lieutenant George Scott Murray, of the Tasman district, who was awarded the Military Cross for services rendered during the East African campaign, has been promoted to the rank of captain. Captain Murray received his decoration at the hands of the King, and and in latest advices he was leaving England for France. -Otago Daily Times, 5/4/1918.
Among the decorated officers who recently returned was Captain G. S. Murray, R.F.C. Captain Murray joined the Imperial Army in England, and was attached to the Royal Fusiliers. He was later sent to German East Africa with the Royal Flying Corps, from where he has been invalided home to New Zealand. He was awarded the Military Cross in January last for "repeatedly carrying out bombing raids and obtaining valuable information regarding the enemy." Captain Murray was decorated by the King at Buckingham Palace in January last. He is a Nelson boy, and left New Zealand to join the Royal Flying Corps. -Auckland Star, 20/5/1918.
COUNTRY NEWS.
TASMAN
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
Captain G. S. Murray, of the Flying Corps, who has had over three years' active service, including some sensational experiences in German East Africa and in France, is enjoying a well earned furlough of six months. Captain Murray is at present spending a few days on his orchard at Tasman. -Colonist, 29/5/1918.
SHIPMENT FOR S.S. SOMERSET
Captain G. S. Murray, of Tasman, who has been in Wellington since Saturday last in connection the despatch of fruit to Glasgow, per s.s. Somerset, is delighted with the arrangements made for the loading of the fruit. The fruit had been precooled and was placed on board the steamer at a temperature of 42deg., and the handling was all that could be desired. Fruit was stacked with plenty of ventilation between the cases, and the engineers stated that the whole shipment could be reduced to a temperature of 30deg. within a few hours of sailing. -Nelson Evening Mail, 29/3/1922.
A SAD DEATH
CAPTAIN SCOTT MURRAY
A painful shock was experienced by the Tasman district yesterday when it became known that Captain Scott Murray, who since the war has suffered severely from his experiences, had met his death by his own hand, being found shot through the heart.
The late Captain Murray saw considerable service in East Africa as a captain in the flying corps and his trying experiences there greatly affected his nerves and he had not been the same man since. Despite his disabilaties however he took an active part in the fruit industry and was well and favourably known throughout the whole district. His is an end considerably delayed it is true, but none the less attributable to the ravages of the war.
Widespread sympathy will be extended to the bereaved widow and child. -Nelson Evening Mail, 26/5/1924.
Latest News From New Zealand
Captain Murray was found dead in his house in the Tasman district, Nelson, with a bullet in his heart. He was a captain in the flying service in East Africa, where his experiences caused a nervous breakdown. -Samoanishce Zeitung, 30/5/1924.
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