KENNETH RITCHIE MURRAY
Regimental No. 23717
24 December 1886 – 26 November 1917
Kenneth Ritchie/Richard MURRAY was born on 24 December 1886 at Wanganui. He was the youngest son of the 11 children of James Fraser and Mary Ann (nee ROBERTSON) MURRAY. James and Mary Ann, both born in Scotland 1840, had married in Dundee, Scotland in 1863. They had eight children born in Dundee, three of whom died young:
James Fraser 1864-1870
Thomas Robertson 1866-1870
Margaret Smith 1868
Peter 1870-1870
David Adamson 1871
William Black 1873
Catherine Scott 1875
Robert Baxter 1877
In August 1879 Kenneth’s parents left Scotland aboard the sailing ship ‘Arethusa’ for New Zealand with their 5 surviving children. They arrived in Wellington on 7 December 1879.and travelled on to Wanganui where James’ brother David who had arrived in New Zealand a few years earlier was living with his wife and sons. James was an engine fitter and his brother David an engineer with his own business.
A further three children were born to James and Mary Ann in Wanganui:
Mary Ann Robertson 1881
Alexander Smith 1882
Kenneth Ritchie 1886
By 1905 James and Mary with children William, Alexander, Mary junior and Kenneth had moved to 21 Jessie Street, Wellington. Ken went to live and work as a bricklayer in Auckland for a short time, before returning to live at 4 Devon Street, Wellington in 1910. His parents had moved to Karepa Street, Brooklyn by 1911 and were living with their youngest daughter Mary and her husband William Paterson and their family.
Ken’s father, James Fraser Murray died 24 February 1912 at the age of 72 and he was buried at Karori cemetery.
By the time Ken enlisted in the N.Z. Engineers No.2 Field Company on 8 February 1916 he had moved to 79 Boulcott Street and was working as a bricklayer for Trevor Brothers at the Police Barracks in Wellington.( http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/1408)
On his enlistment papers Ken’s ‘apparent age’ was 30 years and 1 month. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, had fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His religious profession was Presbyterian. His medical examination showed that he had good eyesight and hearing; his colour vision was normal and his teeth ‘sufficient’. He was free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, and contagious skin disease. He was declared fit to serve and given the regimental number 23717.
While doing basic training at Trentham, Ken was admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis for 6 days in March 1916. He was vaccinated there a week before he embarked from Wellington on the ‘Willochra’ on 31 May 1916 and was vaccinated again on board on 12 June. He spent 5 days in the ‘Willochra’ ship’s hospital from 24 to 30 June 1916 with an unspecified illness.
After docking at Devonport on 26 July 1916 Ken was marched first to Sling for some more basic training, but was then moved on fairly rapidly to the NZ Engineers Reserve Depot at Christchurch. This was where the Royal Engineer Training Centre for the Southern Command had been set up, and where great opportunities for improvement were afforded by the extensive stores and equipment available for training purposes and by the number of highly qualified officers and N.C.Os. on the instructional staff. Extensive information about the setup and activities at the Depot are available online in the “Official History of the NZ Engineers During the Great War 1914-1919” available online at: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Engi-t1-body-d14.html
On 24 October 1916 Ken was again hospitalised for 4 days, at Brightlingsea, Essex where the Reserve Depot was being relocated. After leaving hospital he returned to Sling until 2 May 1917 when he left for France. He had been in training for nearly 12 months, and had not yet seen any action. He was in camp at Etaples from 4 to 30 May when he marched out to Division and was in the field during the Third battle of Ypres from 3 June until 25 November 1917 with the No.2 Anzac Field Company. It was on this date he received a gun shot wound to his left thigh that was to prove fatal. He was evacuated to the No.2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, France or Belgium (as per the record in Ken’s military personnel file) where he died from his wounds on 26 November 1917. The death report on his military personnel record initially stated he died on 27 November, but this was corrected to 26 November. However, the date was sometimes later said to have been 27 November (e.g. reference In Memoriam notice in the Wanganui Herald and Wairarapa Age below). This mistake was perpetuated on the commemorative plaque installed on the ledger (concrete floor) of the Murray family plot at Karori Cemetery (see photo gallery below).
Kenneth was buried in grave XXVI. A. 13 in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium which is 12 km from Ieper/Ypres. It is the second largest military cemetery in Belgium, and contains 9,875 Commonwealth burials[i] of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. Lying beside Kenneth is Michael MORIARTY, a Rifleman with the NZ Rifle Brigade, who died the next day. One other NZ soldier died the same day as Kenneth - William GRUNDY, of the Wellington Regiment.
Kenneth’s mother received his British War and Victory medals in November 1921 and his plaque and scroll in November 1922, while she was living with youngest daughter Mary Paterson at 16 Karepa Street, Brooklyn. Mary Ann died 5 September 1926 at the age of 85 years. She was buried in Karori cemetery and the gravestone commemorates her, her husband James, and Kenneth’s deaths.
Kenneth’s death was reported in the Manawatu Standard of 3 December 1917 as brother of Messrs R. D. and A and Alex Murray of Palmerston North. The Patriotic Society passed a resolution of sympathy for his relatives on 7 December 1917.
IN MEMORIAM – Wanganui Herald, 27 November 1918
Murray – In loving memory of Sapper Kenneth R. Murray, wounded in France on 25 November; died 27th* November 1917. The death report is dated 27 November which may have caused confusion.
In a distant land he lies at rest in a soldier’s grave;
His battle fought, his name enrolled on the scroll of the deathless brave.
A lonely grave in a far-off land, a grave we may never see;
But while life and memory lasts we will ever remember thee.
(Inserted by his loving mother, brothers, sisters and sister-in-law (Mrs R. Murray).
ROLL OF HONOUR – Wairarapa Age, 27 Nov 1919
Murray – In loving memory of Kenneth R. Murray, youngest son of Mrs J F Murray, who died of wounds in France on November 27 1917.
Not a loved one stood beside you, dear Ken
To hear your last farewell;
Not one word of comfort could you have
From those you loved so well.
Inserted by his loving mother, sisters and brothers.
Researched and written by Anne Walker
[i] There are also 671 French, 212 Germans, 28 South Africans, 3 Americans and 3 Indians, and a section with 35 graves for workers of the Chinese Labour Corps who died in the area of Ypres and Poperinge during and just after the First World War.
Regimental No. 23717
24 December 1886 – 26 November 1917
Kenneth Ritchie/Richard MURRAY was born on 24 December 1886 at Wanganui. He was the youngest son of the 11 children of James Fraser and Mary Ann (nee ROBERTSON) MURRAY. James and Mary Ann, both born in Scotland 1840, had married in Dundee, Scotland in 1863. They had eight children born in Dundee, three of whom died young:
James Fraser 1864-1870
Thomas Robertson 1866-1870
Margaret Smith 1868
Peter 1870-1870
David Adamson 1871
William Black 1873
Catherine Scott 1875
Robert Baxter 1877
In August 1879 Kenneth’s parents left Scotland aboard the sailing ship ‘Arethusa’ for New Zealand with their 5 surviving children. They arrived in Wellington on 7 December 1879.and travelled on to Wanganui where James’ brother David who had arrived in New Zealand a few years earlier was living with his wife and sons. James was an engine fitter and his brother David an engineer with his own business.
A further three children were born to James and Mary Ann in Wanganui:
Mary Ann Robertson 1881
Alexander Smith 1882
Kenneth Ritchie 1886
By 1905 James and Mary with children William, Alexander, Mary junior and Kenneth had moved to 21 Jessie Street, Wellington. Ken went to live and work as a bricklayer in Auckland for a short time, before returning to live at 4 Devon Street, Wellington in 1910. His parents had moved to Karepa Street, Brooklyn by 1911 and were living with their youngest daughter Mary and her husband William Paterson and their family.
Ken’s father, James Fraser Murray died 24 February 1912 at the age of 72 and he was buried at Karori cemetery.
By the time Ken enlisted in the N.Z. Engineers No.2 Field Company on 8 February 1916 he had moved to 79 Boulcott Street and was working as a bricklayer for Trevor Brothers at the Police Barracks in Wellington.( http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/1408)
On his enlistment papers Ken’s ‘apparent age’ was 30 years and 1 month. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, had fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His religious profession was Presbyterian. His medical examination showed that he had good eyesight and hearing; his colour vision was normal and his teeth ‘sufficient’. He was free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, and contagious skin disease. He was declared fit to serve and given the regimental number 23717.
While doing basic training at Trentham, Ken was admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis for 6 days in March 1916. He was vaccinated there a week before he embarked from Wellington on the ‘Willochra’ on 31 May 1916 and was vaccinated again on board on 12 June. He spent 5 days in the ‘Willochra’ ship’s hospital from 24 to 30 June 1916 with an unspecified illness.
After docking at Devonport on 26 July 1916 Ken was marched first to Sling for some more basic training, but was then moved on fairly rapidly to the NZ Engineers Reserve Depot at Christchurch. This was where the Royal Engineer Training Centre for the Southern Command had been set up, and where great opportunities for improvement were afforded by the extensive stores and equipment available for training purposes and by the number of highly qualified officers and N.C.Os. on the instructional staff. Extensive information about the setup and activities at the Depot are available online in the “Official History of the NZ Engineers During the Great War 1914-1919” available online at: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Engi-t1-body-d14.html
On 24 October 1916 Ken was again hospitalised for 4 days, at Brightlingsea, Essex where the Reserve Depot was being relocated. After leaving hospital he returned to Sling until 2 May 1917 when he left for France. He had been in training for nearly 12 months, and had not yet seen any action. He was in camp at Etaples from 4 to 30 May when he marched out to Division and was in the field during the Third battle of Ypres from 3 June until 25 November 1917 with the No.2 Anzac Field Company. It was on this date he received a gun shot wound to his left thigh that was to prove fatal. He was evacuated to the No.2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, France or Belgium (as per the record in Ken’s military personnel file) where he died from his wounds on 26 November 1917. The death report on his military personnel record initially stated he died on 27 November, but this was corrected to 26 November. However, the date was sometimes later said to have been 27 November (e.g. reference In Memoriam notice in the Wanganui Herald and Wairarapa Age below). This mistake was perpetuated on the commemorative plaque installed on the ledger (concrete floor) of the Murray family plot at Karori Cemetery (see photo gallery below).
Kenneth was buried in grave XXVI. A. 13 in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium which is 12 km from Ieper/Ypres. It is the second largest military cemetery in Belgium, and contains 9,875 Commonwealth burials[i] of the First World War, 24 being unidentified. Lying beside Kenneth is Michael MORIARTY, a Rifleman with the NZ Rifle Brigade, who died the next day. One other NZ soldier died the same day as Kenneth - William GRUNDY, of the Wellington Regiment.
Kenneth’s mother received his British War and Victory medals in November 1921 and his plaque and scroll in November 1922, while she was living with youngest daughter Mary Paterson at 16 Karepa Street, Brooklyn. Mary Ann died 5 September 1926 at the age of 85 years. She was buried in Karori cemetery and the gravestone commemorates her, her husband James, and Kenneth’s deaths.
Kenneth’s death was reported in the Manawatu Standard of 3 December 1917 as brother of Messrs R. D. and A and Alex Murray of Palmerston North. The Patriotic Society passed a resolution of sympathy for his relatives on 7 December 1917.
IN MEMORIAM – Wanganui Herald, 27 November 1918
Murray – In loving memory of Sapper Kenneth R. Murray, wounded in France on 25 November; died 27th* November 1917. The death report is dated 27 November which may have caused confusion.
In a distant land he lies at rest in a soldier’s grave;
His battle fought, his name enrolled on the scroll of the deathless brave.
A lonely grave in a far-off land, a grave we may never see;
But while life and memory lasts we will ever remember thee.
(Inserted by his loving mother, brothers, sisters and sister-in-law (Mrs R. Murray).
ROLL OF HONOUR – Wairarapa Age, 27 Nov 1919
Murray – In loving memory of Kenneth R. Murray, youngest son of Mrs J F Murray, who died of wounds in France on November 27 1917.
Not a loved one stood beside you, dear Ken
To hear your last farewell;
Not one word of comfort could you have
From those you loved so well.
Inserted by his loving mother, sisters and brothers.
Researched and written by Anne Walker
[i] There are also 671 French, 212 Germans, 28 South Africans, 3 Americans and 3 Indians, and a section with 35 graves for workers of the Chinese Labour Corps who died in the area of Ypres and Poperinge during and just after the First World War.