Orders, Decorations & Medals - Aust. Groups

Lot 3183    SESSION 13 (2.30PM THURSDAY 25TH MARCH)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Aust. Groups

Estimate $5,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

DCM TRIO: Distinguished Conduct Medal (GVR type 1); British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19. 2776 Sjt: J.Murray. 7/F.Coy Aust:E. on first medal, 2776 T/C.Q.M.Sjt J Murray. 7 F.C.E. A.I.F. on second medal, 2776 T-CQMS. J.Murray. 7 F.C.E. A.I.F. on last medal. All medals impressed. The first two toned, good very fine - extremely fine.

Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 45 Part A (lot 1206), part.

DCM: Second Supplement to LG 18/7/1917, p7271; CAG No.189 8/11/1917, p2941, to 2776 Sergeant Joseph Murray, 7FCoy Aust Engineers.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He displayed great coolness and courage in assisting an officer to mark out and excavate a support trench, moving along the line under intense shell fire to encourage the men.

Joseph Murray, cooper, age 27, born at Sydney, NSW; Enl.13Sep1915 at Sydney, NSW in 7 F.Coy Engineers; to Sapper 13Sep1915; to L/Cpl 16Oct1915; Emb.30Nov1915; to T/Cpl 22Aug1916; to Sgt 05Feb1917; Trf to AIF HQs 05Dec1918; RTA and Disemb.17Nov1919; Disch.16Jan1920; Died 28Apr1944 at Gloucester House (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital), Camperdown, Sydney, NSW.

Joseph (Joe) Murray was a representative rugby league footballer who played as a lock forward and also a second rower. His debut game was with Newtown in 1908, the first year of the newly established NSWRL competition. Two years later, in 1910, he was a member of the Newtown team that won the club's first ever premiership. They drew with South Sydney 4-all in the grand final but were declared premiership winners because they had finished the season in first place.

In 1911 Murray was selected for the Australasian Kangaroos' tour of England, however, he only played 7 matches on the tour. As well as playing for Newtown he represented NSW in 1910 and on consecutive tours of New Zealand in 1912 and 1913. In 1915 he transferred to the North Sydney team but in that same year he enlisted in the AIF and went overseas to the Great War. After the war he returned to play one last season with North Sydney in 1920. In total, Murray played 60 matches for Newtown and 17 matches for North Sydney.