Part 2 - Australians Called Him "Mad Harry" | Most Decorated WWI Soldier

PART 2: August 1916, during the Battle of the Somme: ‘A’ Company, 13TH Battalion, Australian Imperial Infantry (AIF), stand with bayonets fixed in their trenches anticipating the whistle blasts that will signal their turn to ‘go over the top’ and assault their objective at Mouquet Farm. They are commanded by Captain Harry Murray, one of the finest officer’s in the AIF. As they wait, the Germans open up a sudden fierce barrage and the diggers crouch down as the awful shrieks of shells rend the air and explode all around them. ‘A’ Company and the rest of the 13th Battalion take casualties, as do the two battalions on either side.
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Sources:
adb.anu.edu.au/biography/murr...
Bravest: How Some of Australia’s Greatest war Heroes Won Their Medals, Robert Macklin, 2005
Victoria Cross: Australia’s Finest And The Battles They Fought, Anthony Staunton, 2006
The Landing At Anzac 1915, Australian Army Campaign Series, Chris Roberts, 2013
The August Offensive At Anzac 1915, Australian Army Campaign Series, David W. Cameron, 2011
The Great War, Les Carlyon, 2006
The Battles Of Bullecourt 1917, Australian Army Campaign Series, David Combes, 2017
ard Jacka: The Story Of A Gallipoli Legend, Michael Lawriwsky, 2007
William Holmes: The Soldiers’ General, Geoffrey Travers, 2020
sjmc.gov.au/mad-harry-led-front/
Return Of The Gallipoli Legend: Jacka VC, Michael Lawriwsky, 2010
ULYSSES FILES is a KZbin channel dedicated to showcasing primarily military history content (plus certain other topics) in short documentary form, featuring interesting and quirky characters and stories from the late 19th Century on through the 1st and 2nd World Wars to the present.
It is not always possible to find 100% accurate footage to illustrate these cinematic short films, but where possible ULYSSES FILES strives to keep it authentic. Background music will always attempt to provide appropriate emotional mood.
Topics and content are thoroughly researched and portrayed in their historical context for both educational and entertainment purposes. We try our best to be accurate in terms of the data in our short films, but are not experts in all areas and are always learning new things, so if we get something wrong - please feel free to contact us. Also if you have an idea you believe may fit the scope of our channel - again - do not hesitate to let us know.
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[@crocodiledundee8685]

Nice work Ulysses although you left out some fact that I’ll now provide. 1) only days when Murray arrived in the trenches of Mouquet Farm, he went out on patrol in No-Man’s Land & stumbled upon a German in the bottom of a crater. Having lost his revolver from someone stealing it, he picked up the only weapon at hand. A clump of hardened mud and proceeded to sneak up on the German and bellowed “Hande hoch”. The German immediately dropped his rifle & surrendered. 2) during the Battle of Mouquet Farm, Murray’s unit started off with 180 men with 5 officers. Afterwards, it had only one officer & 60 other ranks with Murray’s SiC taking 11 gunshot wounds to the thighs. 3) Roy Withers won the DCM because during the first counter-attack he was wounded in the knee but in the second when Murray was leading his 20 volunteers to meet the Germans in No-Man’s Land, Withers was one of them limping along into battle. 4) Murray wrote contemptuously afterwards to a friend upon hearing that he won the VC: “My getting the VC was all rot and I’m seriously annoyed about it. I hate people booming a chap that is no way entitled to it, and for god’s sake, if you see any more about me in the press don’t believe a single word of it”. 4) Black actually stated in his premonition that he would seize the first line but would be killed attacking the second. 5) during his retreat back to his own lines, Murray was wounded across his back by a bullet that broke the skin but not much else. At one point, completely exhausted both physically & mentally he fell into a shell and began slipping into unconsciousness until his hand burned itself on a hot shell fragment that revitalised him in his own words “like a gin & tonic” 6) his second wife was the niece to his first wife. 7) you also left out the second part of his speech at the VC centenary: ‘When I got the DCM, I wondered why I had been awarded the decoration because I had seen so many others so much braver than I. And because of this I felt from the moment I received the decoration I would have to justify the award in their eyes… and that is why, perhaps, I did the things I did”. Aside from this, you gave a wonderful presentation about this extraordinary man 😊

[@theedain]

What an amazing character Murray was...

[@UlyssesFiles]

Hehe must be selective or the presentation would turn into a 2 hour movie! 😅😂 Perhaps better to gloss over some things and instead highlight several key events in greater detail. Thank you for writing the rest here though croc - much appreciated as always! 😄🙌🏻🍻

[@crocodiledundee8685]

@@UlyssesFilesI understand & thank you for including the bibliography 👏

[@thaoluongthi467]

👍🏻

[@UlyssesFiles]

This video is 'Part 2' of our presentation on ‘Mad Harry’ Henry Murray, the most decorated soldier in the British and Commonwealth armies in WW1 ❤

[@evanevans1843]

Nicely put together Ulysses, to honour a very brave Australian. A mans man. It should also be known that Harry Murray was also a formidable tactician for the use of machine guns. This nous was put to very good use at le Hamel (4th not 3rd July) and later in the last 100 days of WWI, Battle of Amiens. Good to see that he lived out his life with vigour and generally, I hope, the happiness and fulfilment that he richly deserved.

[@UlyssesFiles]

Thanks Evan yes an honourable man and very skilled in using that machine gun company to great effect. It was an eye opener to be honest, and I see why Aussies who know of him are so proud… 🙌🏻🍻

[@evanevans1843]

I think you have him very well understood. Yes, we Aussies know him, along with his mate Percy Black and Albert Jacka. Monash and Chavell also have captured the nations gratitude and admiration.@@UlyssesFiles

[@UlyssesFiles]

@@timoneer392 Yes Tim, cheers - agree “legendary” is the right description 🙌🏻🍻

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Thanks mate. I love Aussie mad buggers stories. Cheers

[@theedain]

Me too! 💪

[@UlyssesFiles]

Thanks, there are so many of them! 🍻

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Died in my State of Queensland@@theedain

[@self-studyenglisheveryday3952]

Thanks 💯

[@UlyssesFiles]

Welcome old friend 🙌🏻🍻

[@theedain]

Was waiting for this, cheers @UlyssesFiles

[@ray.shoesmith]

For those interested, the Awards for Gallantry and Meritorious Service for Commonwealth Forces, Army, in order of precedence in 1918 were, 1. Victoria Cross (V.C.) 2. Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) 3. Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) 4. Military Cross (M.C.) 5. Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) 6. Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (C.G.M.) 7. Distinguished Service Medal (D.S.M.) 8. Military Medal (M.M.) 9. Meritorious Service Medal (M.S.M.) 10. Mentioned in Despatches (M.I.D.) 11. Citation for a Gallantry Award Harry Murray was awarded the VC, CMG, DSO & Bar, DCM. The CMG (Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George) is a British Order of Chivalry not a Gallantry Award, which he received at wars end for outstanding service to the Empire. He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre (CdG) by the French and was Mentioned in Dispatches twice. Essentially, he was awarded the highest possible British medal for valour, as well as the second highest...twice, as well as the various lesser decorations. And unlike Jacka, who achieved a lot of his public awareness by dint of being the first Australian awarded the VC in WW1, Murray lived the remainder of his life largely forgotton by subsequent generations of Australians.

[@UlyssesFiles]

Thanks for posting this Phil!

[@user-hz9hn1gr2h]

Brilliant story what a character

[@UlyssesFiles]

🙌🏻🍻

[@user-dg2yq2bs1w]

Excellent episode many thanks, your channel is great to watch it has real integrity. Could you consider doing a future episode on the AIF action known as the Chippilly Six? Thanks again.

[@UlyssesFiles]

Ah was just looking your recommendation up - hadn’t heard of it before and we’d be delighted to stick it on our to-do list. Thank you for that and your kind words 🙌🏻🍻

[@justjosie1163]

Thank you once more for a fine production. He was a truly remarkable gentleman that I was not previously familiar with.

[@UlyssesFiles]

Hi there Josie, cheers, yes I wasn’t aware of him before - seem to be so many amazing Aussie characters - punch well above their weight in military history that’s for sure 👌🏻

[@justjosie1163]

@UlyssesFiles Yes, they do and Canadians are not far behind. I remember reading about the WW1 Canadian trench raiders. Cheers and take care of yourself.

[@UlyssesFiles]

Yes agreed, saw that in WWII with the Devils Brigade. Really enjoyed making an episode on an Irish fella called Dermot “Pat” O’Neil and the Canadians he trained last year..

[@greiginvietnam]

they dont make men like they used to . a gun shot wound and most men (including myself) would be looking for a discharge. This mad man went back again and again haha. Great video!

[@UlyssesFiles]

I’m with you there 😅🙌🏻🍻

[@filipinorutherford7818]

A plus production here. Excellent information and awesome varied archival footage that really brought the action forward. Thorougy enjoyed it. 👍

[@UlyssesFiles]

Thanks for that, glad you enjoyed 🙌🏻🍻

[@kiwigaming1605]

Great job as usual!

[@UlyssesFiles]

Thanks kiwi always look forward to seeing your comments! 🙌🏻🍻

[@nicklester6114]

Bloody awesome job mate well done ta

[@UlyssesFiles]

Thanks! 🙌🏻🍻

[@peterhughes8319]

My grand uncle Australia's last surviving Gallipoli veteran and my pa fought with the Aussies in the somme in Flanders fields

[@UlyssesFiles]

That’s amazing - I think John Ross was Australia’s last surviving WW1 veteran - passed in 2009. Was it him?

[@bluetruffle4349]

Great content always sir

[@UlyssesFiles]

Dung?

[@peterbailey4888]

You have mentioned Albert Jacka as have others, you should do a video about him, Australias official war historian Charles Bean stated " Anybody that knows the facts knows thet Jacka won the V.C three times" two of them where down graded to M.Cs as he had written reports critical of the Heads( as he called the military leadership).

[@UlyssesFiles]

Hi Peter yes Albert is on our to do list. A phenomenal man and I look forward to seeing an episode devoted to him on our channel in the not so distant future

[@ray.shoesmith]

Bert Jacka's biggest problem was his mouth and lack of formal military training to the British Officer standard. He would make great points on how to proceed during an attack, or how to improve the men's lot in the lines, or any of a number of other valid and forward thinking ideas. But instead of writing down his thoughts, presenting him to his immediate superior, and folding his ideas into formal military doctrine, Jacka had a propensity for accosting anyone from full Colonels to Lt Generals and presenting his thoughts as accusations on said senior officers for not having thought of them already. He was tough, bristley, and didn't suffer fools (of which to him there seemed to be a lot of it in the British General Staff). In truth he was promoted beyond his station while off the line...in battle he was a different animal. The men of the 14th Battalion (Jacka's Mob) idolised him, not only for his leadership under fire, but also because he would routinely prefer to 'crime' a belligerent trooper with a punch on the nose rather than subjecting him to the military justice system. And what @peterbailey4888 says is absolutely accurate. Charles Bean did in fact write "Everyone who knows the facts, knows Jacka earned the Victoria Cross three times.” Once on Gallipoli, once at Pozieres, and once at Bullecourt.

[@TrangNguyen-yn8yt]

great content teacher

[@thaoluongthi467]

Now thats a man!