Patrick Michael Murray was born in Dublin on the 3 March 1923, his father was English and his mother Irish. Upon enlistment he was living in Pinner, Middlesex, and listed his trade as ‘scholar’. [1]
Patrick Murray enlisted into the Royal Artillery, at the Central London Recruiting Depot, Great Scotland Yard, on the 20 September 1938, at age 15, and was appointed as a Trumpeter. He was posted to the 211th Anti-Aircraft Training Regiment, RA on the 16 January 1940. He was ‘mustered’ as a Gunner on the 3 September 1940, and appointed as an unpaid Lance Bombardier on the 8 November 1940. [1]

After serving in various Anti-Aircraft Units he was serving with the 10th Light Anti-Aircraft Training Regiment, RA when he volunteered for Airborne Forces, and was posted to the army Air Corps (Parachute Regiment) on the 16 December 1943. [1]

He successfully completed  Parachute Course 99, at RAF Ringway, 19 January to 3 February 1944. His Parachute Instructors comments: ‘Excellent performer, a useful N.C.O. with good qualities’. [2] Note: The reference to him being ‘a useful N.C.O.’, is strange as he was listed as a Pte!

Upon completion he was sent to the Airborne Forces Holding Unit, and then posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion on the 2 March 1944. [1] Pte. P.M. Murray became a member of No 2 Section, in the Assault Platoon.
He took part in Operation ‘Market-Garden’, flying from Saltby aerodrome aboard a Dakota aircraft of the 314th Troop Carrier Group, USAAF to D.Z. ‘X’ on Sunday, 17 September 1944.

Patrick was reported to have died of wounds sometime between the 18 and the 19 September 1944, reportedly in the Arnhem Bridge area, and there are two first hand accounts supporting this. First is
Pte. Harold Smith, also from No 2 Section, Assault Platoon:

‘We arrived at the Arnhem Bridge without much trouble and took over the house which you will know as 2nd Battalion HQ by the embankment to the Bridge. ‘The Assault Platoon, under Lt. Douglass (who was a very mild mannered person with a stammer in his speech) were told to remain outside the HQ. We stood at the main door, the time was exactly 7.25 pm, I remember checking my watch at that time. There were civilians walking over the bridge and all seemed very quiet. We were ordered immediately up on to the embankment of the bridge and we laid down by the path behind the privet bushes. A German bridge patrol came past us, not knowing we were there. My mate Pte. Peter [Patrick] Murray lay by my side, and for some unknown reason, stood up shouting “Halt” to the patrol. They opened fire with Spandau fire and raked the privet bushes, Peter got a burst in his stomach, and I say confidently that he was the first British soldier to be killed on Arnhem Bridge. The patrol then ran down the bridge to the other end.’ [3]

Second, is an account and letter ref Pte. Murray which appears on page 132-133 of the book about Lieut. Donald Douglas, the Assault Platoon Commander - “We’re Here Now, So Make The Best Of It” - which suggests he died of wounds at Arnhem Bridge, on Monday, 18 September 1944:

‘It was dusk when they reached the Bridge and a German unit opened fire on them so the decision was made to break into some of the buildings near the bridge. Murray, one of Don’s men, was wounded and after dark two men asked permission to go and find him. They brought him in for medical help but he died soon after.'

His mother replied to a letter Don wrote to her after the war.

Dear Sir, I am so grateful to you for your most kind letter, it is the first news I have had of my son’s death other than the news from the War Office, to say he had died of his wounds. I did not have this news until the end of February. We were hoping that he was a prisoner of war. It is a great comfort to me and his father to know that you were with him when he was dying, as I have always pictured him dying alone. Now that I know the truth, it does help to ease the great loss his death means to us. I am sorry that I am unable to travel to see you, but I an my husband thank you so much for your great kindness to our son.
We are glad you are released from the prison camp. Thank you so much and may we both wish you good luck, Yours sincerely, Elizabeth Murray.

However, the following is reported on the forms from the CWGC Graves Concentration Report Form, 19 Feb 1946, states ‘Date of Death as 18/19.9.44. D/W.’ This document also states: 

‘Place; Map Ref of his first burial was: OOSTERBEEK. Isolated in wood 100 yards West of road. GSGS 4427, 1/25000 Sheet 6 NW/W, 699798.’ This place is nearly 5 kms Northwest of Arnhem Bridge and very close to L.Z. ‘L’, at Johanna Hoeve.

The son of Peter and Elizabeth Murray, of Pinner, Middlesex, he was just 21 years old when he was killed. He now lies at rest in the Arnhem/Oosterbeek War Cemetery, 30. B. 2, having been moved there on
the 30 October 1945.

NOTES:
[1] Service Records.
[2] Parachute Course Report. R.A.F. Ringway. February 1944.
[3] Letter from Harold Smith to Bob Hilton. 11 February 1996.

Written and researched by Robert Hilton.