TOPIC:

I have his very fine QSA.
Jeremiah Murphy was "killed by train accident" at Modder River on 23.2.1901.
His DCM was gazetted on the 27.09.1901 (page 6321)

There was another J. Murphy 3169 in the battalion who received a DCM for rescuing an officer.

I have no details of the incident that lead to the DCM for 6375 J. Murphy.
Can anyone assist?

British Newspapers in 1901 list his death as "accidently killed by a train" in casualty lists.

Also found attached report of the unveiling of the Royal Irish Regiment Boer War Memorial at Clonmel in 1908 - again his name gets listed. The article then reports the history of the regiment and gives an overview of what they did in South Africa. With regard to the latter it says 13 warrant officers, NCO's & men were awarded the DCM but goes into no further detail.(Btw I cannot find his DCM being gazetted even by going to the issue and page you mention.)

Below is a photo of the memorial panel on which your man appears - as you can see his unusual death gave them a problem and they have listed him amongst those who died of disease!



This link takes you to the relevant page of the Irish War Memorials website.

www.irishwarmemorials.ie/Place-Detail?siteId=134

My computer says the website is "! Not Secure" but I like living dangerously. [/size]

Here is the 1908 newspaper article in two halves - you will need to blow it up to read when it goes a bit fuzzy but is still readable (hopefully).

Thank you for your inputs!!
I've attached the page where his DCM is gazetted with his name underlined.
I have asked the Africana Museum in Kimberley to scour the newspapers at the time of the accident but nothing to report.
His unit movement had him on our farm "Ramah" with Hannay's MI on their way to Paardeberg. He'd done almost a full turn back. Modder River is 50km from Ramah.

...too big it seems. He's top third on the right of Sept 27, 1901 Page 6321