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bomber aircraft he took part in twenty operational flights including attacks on Saarbrucken, Bremen (2), Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Essen, Krefeld, Aachen, Kiel, Cologne and Fallersleben, all in Germany; Genoa in Italy, and Lorient (2) in France; together with five missions mine laying in enemy waters.

Sergeant Murphy was a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber which took off on air operation on the night of the 3/4th February 1943, to (information redacted).

The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew including Sergeant Murphy (redacted was) were classified as missing. Later, information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross that Sergeant Murphy had lost his life and he was, in consequence reclassified as missing believed killed in action. Due time having elapsed, his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 3rd February 1943 as the result of air operations. Subsequently it was learned that he had been buried in the Parish Cemetery at Wierden, three miles (4.82 km) (redacted West) East of Almelo, Overijssel, Holland.

The crew of the aircraft contained three other New Zealanders, Pilot Officer J. McCullough of Christchurch, Pilot Officer R.W. Henderson of Invercargill, and Flight Sergeant W.E. Gibbes, whose mother resides in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Auckland Museum link with a photo of Sergeant Murphy: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C30102

5/2/4374 AS2.
389 Hours as Air Observer.

Mr. P. Murphy (F) (right aligned)
Matamau, (right aligned)
Via DANNEVIRKE. (right aligned & underlined)