CAMP MURPHY
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
DURING WW2

visits since 4 May 2002

USAAC units established a camp in the Melbourne Cricket Grounds in 1942. They named it Camp Murphy after Colonel William H. Murphy, of the 19th Bomb Group. He was killed over Java on 3 February 1942, when his aircraft was attacked by Japanese fighters. 

Task Force 6814, of the US Army arrived in in Melbourne in a convoy of ships on 27 February 1942. The troops were unloaded and dispersed to five major areas:-

• Ballarat

• Bendigo

• Camp Darley

• Royal Park (Camp Pell)

• Melbourne, possibly in Camp Murphy in the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (Can anyone confirm?)

"B" and "C" Flights of the 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron arrived at Camp Murphy, Melbourne, on 16 July 1942 aboard the S.S. Matsonia, and departed for Townsville on 27 July 1942. 

The 49th Service Squadron arrived at Camp Murphy on 26 April 1942 and moved to Laverton airfield on 6 June 1942. They moved back to Camp Murphy on 28 October 1942, for a few days before leaving for Camp Muckley in Brisbane on 30 October 1942.

The 1st Regiment of the 1st Marine Division, US Marine Corps was also camped in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Camp Murphy) in 1943.

Photo:- Peter Flahavin

Plaque in the Melbourne Cricket Ground dedicated to the
First Marine Division, USMC, unveiled by Colonel Mitchell Paige

Photo:- Peter Flahavin

US Marine Corps veterans of the G-2-1 section
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in August 2002

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Alf Batchelder of the Melbourne Cricket Club Library for his assistance with this home page. I'd also like to thank Bill Picardy of Company "L", of the 182nd Infantry Regiment for his assistance with this home page.

I'd like to thank Peter Flahavin for his assistance with this web page.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 4 May 2002

This page last updated 08 November 2005