Private Thomas Murphy

Thomas Murphy was born to John and Catherine nee Brannan in Kelty, Fife, Scotland on Armistice day 1921.

He joined the Black Watch in Dundee with his brother Michael prior to the outbreak of WW2.

He was in active service throughout the War. His brother suggested that it was not a good idea for two brothers to be in the same unit. He feared that if one was injured, the other might go to his aid and be injured or killed. Tom took the opportunity to join the 151 parachute regiment while he was serving in India. In 1943 151 became 156 and joined the 4th Parachute Brigade.

He parachuted into Gingkel Heath after taking off from Saltby airfield on 19 September 1944 as part of Operation Market Garden. He was injured on Paul Krugerstraat Oosterbeek on Sunday 24 September and was taken to Apeldoorn Barracks hospital for treatment, He escaped on 6 October 1944 with Sammy Walsh. They both took an end of a stretcher each and walked passed the guards, hiding until night time, leaving the hospital under cover of darkness.

Tom was helped by the Dutch resistance and finally swam across the Rhine at Amerongen on 2/1/45.  He swam towards soldiers that he thought were Canadian. In fact they were German, He was taken POW but threatened with execution, possibly because he had  already escaped a POW prison carrying a revolver. He was thoroughly questioned but gave away nothing about the escape plan. Finally the Germans believe he was simply trying to get back to his unit. Meanwhile as he had not turned up for an earlier planned escape on 20/11/44 Pegasus 2, he was reported MIA in German hands and later as buried in Germany.

He was POW until April  1945 when he was liberated and returned home to the amazing surprise of his family.