Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War D.S.O., M.C. group of seven awarded to Brigadier-General C. F. de S. Murphy, Royal Berkshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps, commanding Second (Corps) Wing in France
Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., in case of issue; Military Cross, G.V.R., in case of issue; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, S.A. 1902 (Lieut., R. Berks. Regt.); 1914 Star (Capt., R.B.R. Attd. R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt.Col., R.F.C.); Belgium, Order of the Crown, 4th class breast badge, in case of issue with named label attached (Officer Commanding Aerodrome Northolt [Ruislip, Mdx.]); together with two bronze sports medals ‘Woolwich versus Sandhurst’, both named and cased; Royal Life Saving Society, bronze medal (Lieut., 2nd R. Bks. Rgt. Feb. 1910); F.A.I. Aviator’s Certificate, No. 599, dated 20th August, 1913; Royal Aero Club Competition Permit for 1913, No. 427; Invitation to attend Buckingham Palace Garden Party, 1924; Warrant Card and relating lapel badge of the Cambridge Special Police, issued during the General Strike of 1926, and a companion set of seven miniature dress medals, nearly extremely fine (17)

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January, 1917.
M.C. London Gazette 3 June, 1916.
M.I.D. London Gazette 22 June, 1915, and 4 January, 1917.
Order of the Crown of Belgium London Gazette 24 September, 1917.
Cyril Francis de Sales Murphy was born in Cork on 17 May, 1882, and educated at Beaumont. Commissioned Second Lieutenant, Royal Berkshire Regiment, 18 January, 1902, and served in Cape Colony, April-31 May, 1902; Lieutenant, 1 July, 1904; Captain, 3 June, 1911; Army Gymnastic Staff 1910-13; Aviator’s Certificate No. 599 obtained at Bristol School, Salisbury Plain, on 20 August, 1913; appointed Flying Officer, Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) 30 June, 1914; Wing Commander (T/Lt. Col.) 12 April, 1916. In July 1916 he is shown as Commanding 13th (Army) Wing, comprising Nos. 11 and 23 Squadrons, and in April 1917 Commanding 2nd (Corps) Wing, comprising Nos. 6, 21, 42, 46 and 53 Squadrons. He served throughout the War on the Western Front at Ypres, Messines and on the Somme. After the War he commanded R.A.F. station at Northolt, and was at the Air Ministry during the Second World War, 1939-44; present at the National Institute of Agriculture and Botany, Cambridge, 1922-27 and 1944-47. Brigadier-General Murphy died on 7 January, 1961.