Crawford Gaol aka Wellington Prison - and an incorrigible rellie

[Lucy2]

Hi Carol

(Patrick ) Timothy MURPHY actually died in Auckland ... and correct date of death was
5 July 1944   (not 19 July, the date given in the Police Gazette).

Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland   (Service persons section I think this must be ?)

12948 -- MURPHY - Patrick - 1914-1918 War - 5482  A.I.F. [Regt. details]   Emblem -  Plot 59
Ang (Anglican ?)

Died on 5 July 1944 - Buried on 8 July 1944 :

   ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Funeral Notice(s) - Patrick MURPHY  [akaTimothy Patrick MURPHY ]

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19440708.2.7

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19440707.2.2.3

*  Just need to further explore why the cemetery details give his A.I.F. Regimental number ... and these funeral notices give what appears to be " a New Zealand Regt. number" 
**  Will get back to you on that.   **   Explantion now added below  > >

    ~  Lu

Added :     These newspaper notices give the WRONG Regimental details for this Patrick MURPHY whom we now know was the Timothy Patrick MURPHY being sought here.     It is not the fault of the newspaper - the information would likely have been given by the  NZ R.S.A. (Returned Services Assn) - no doubt in the absence of next-of-kin.   Their task would have been probably to locate a record for a New Zealand-born soldier.    Oddly enough, there are similarites - both physical features and an almost common date of birth - between these two men.    But there endeth the "match".  A little more attention to the file of soldier "17/389 " would have shown he was born in Dundalk, Ireland.    At least, the correct Regimental details are recorded by Waikumete Cemetery.
And, not the first time I've encountered the NZ RSA making this kind of error !!
Anyway, here's the  link to "17/389's " file ... in case anyone's interested.    https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE18360676   

[Lucy2]

More from the newspapers ... death of Patrick MURPHY

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19440707.2.87

There's Inquest details to come too ... PapersPast not loading well at the moment, so will add later.

   ~  Lu

[dragonlady403]

AAAAW Lu!!!!!  I don't know whether to cry, or clap

How on earth did you unravel all that tangle of threads?  I was looking around the Wgton area and within a year or two of his Wgton Prison incarceration --- assuming, he was in such rough shape he wouldn't have lasted much longer and was staying "close to home in his final years".  I underestimated Tim's resilience once again.

I would never have even recognized the issue with the Regimental numbers - that's some seriously diligent and dedicated investigative work.  WELL DONE AND OUR FAMILY IS (and will for future generations be) GRATEFUL TO YOU:)

To be honest, I am a bit shocked Tim lasted into his 60's.  I mean he joined the war in his 30's and look at that 30 year "journey" he had.  To end up homeless, in a gully in a different city, is a very sad conclusion to a very challenging and colourful life.

I checked the place of death "Grafton Gully"...it seems like a bit of a wilderness area and a place where the homeless would set up:

From Wiki:
"Grafton Gully is a deep (about 50 m) and very wide (about 100 m) gully running northwards towards the sea through the volcanic hills of the Auckland volcanic field in New Zealand. It divides the CBD from the suburbs of Grafton and Parnell in the east.

History
The Grafton Gully was formerly home to the Waipārūrū Stream, known to early European settlers as the Graveyard Spring.[1]"

I was however, heartened to see that when he was buried his military service was recognized.  He, at least, deserves that.

I will go through your links and download everything I can so his life's struggles and very unusual journey will be recorded for him; so he won't just be some barely known, elderly, homeless drunk found in a gully. 

I need a stiff drink, thanks again Lu!!!


 

[spades]

Congratulations! You've found him. Well done Lucy2

Just in case, here's an Army file for another Timothy MURPHY who also happens to be 6'2".

https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE20717922

Spades

[Lucy2]

Thanks Carol. 

There were of course, other contributors too, (acknowledged earlier).

It was really great to have your constant input with updated information, answers to questions, further clues, etc.   That style of support keeps us enormously interested and more determined to find answers.   

Certainly a sad tale, and your Timothy Patrick sure did possess (perhaps unexpected) resillience.

There's always something extra to be learned from this type of search (... in fact, from any search) but Timothy's Tale was especially poignant.

Happy for you and your family that he was eventually found and that his story can be written.   

    ~  Lu

[Lucy2]

Thank you Spades         

Yes ... 6 foot - 2    .... and that soldier ... also had eyes of blue !   
Certainly were a lot of very similar MURPHY's to sift through.

   ~  Lu