Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Quebec City (Mount Hermon) Cemetery | S. K. G. 10377. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.130 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 57C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Husband of Emily Blanch Blyth Murray, of 4, Monckton Avenue, Quebec.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HMCS Niobe |
Mike: With the outbreak of the First World War she joined the Royal Navy's 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station. She was engaged in intercepting German ships along the American coast for a year until as a result of being worn out, she was paid off on 6 September 1915 to become a depot ship in Halifax. The Halifax Explosion of 1917 caused serious damage to upper works , and the deaths of several of her crew. However she remained in use as a depot ship until disposed of in 1920, decommissioned and sold for scrap. CHECK HALIFAX EXPLOSION - Yes date confirms- he was one of the crew killed. |
| Action : Naval Campaign |
Naval Campaign is defined as to include all sea operations where attrition rates are in ones and twos and which do not fall within specific naval battles such as Jutland, Coronel, Falklands etc. This includes Merchant Navy losses.
Detail :
A burial record shows: "James Alexander Murray, Lieut. Commander R.N.V.R., in his fifty eighth year, died at Halifax on the sixth, result of the explosion, and was buried at Quebec on the eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord, One thousand nine hundred and seventeen."
"On 06 Dec 1917 she was moored 700 yards from the ammunition ship Mont Blanc, which caught fire after a collision with the Belgian relief ship Imo in Halifax harbour. Niobe was the first ship to give the alarm after collision, and Warrant Boatswain Albert Mattison and six ratings left Niobe and boarded the Mont Blanc in an attempt to scuttle her. They all died in the resulting explosion which destroyed much of Halifax. Niobe was extensively damaged in the explosion and her superstructure and funnels were wrecked. Numerous fires were started on board which destroyed the ship's records. Niobe was repaired and continued to serve as a depot ship until 1920 when she was sold for scrap. She was broken up at Philadelphia two years later."
James is recorded as part of HMCS Niobe's crew complement.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Canada No. 3527 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
25th November 1913 | 25th November 1913 | 25th November 1913 |
The record of the Lodge shows that it is James "A" Murray who was joined to Canada Lodge in 1913 from the Scottish Constitution. He was a Captain resident at Liverpool. The contribution record shows that he was "Killed Halifax 6 Decr 1916," referring to the Halifax Explosion incident which actually occurred 6th December, 1917.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley