Frederic Timothy Murphy (September 4, 1884 – May 23, 1924) was the heir of a wealthy Bostonian family who served during World War I in France and at the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, was decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, and died few years later due to his wounds.

Biography

Frederic Timothy Murphy was born on September 4, 1884, in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Patrick Francis Murphy (1858-1931), owner of the Mark Cross Company, sellers of fine leather goods, and Anna Elizabeth Ryan (circa 1858–1932). He had two siblings:

Gerald Clery Murphy Gerald Clery Murphy and Sara Sherman Wiborg were wealthy, expatriate Americans who moved to the French Riviera in the early 20th century and who, with their generous hospitality and flair for parties, created a vibrant social circle, particularl ...

(1888–1964) and Esther Murphy Strachey (1897–1962). Murphy attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, class 1908, and served during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

with the Tank Corps. He was seriously wounded at the

, and the French government awarded him the

Cross of the Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

. In 1920, he married Noël Haskins (1896–1982). Murphy died on May 23, 1924, of complications from injuries he had sustained in

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Haskins, inconsolable, bought a house in the village of

Orgeval, Yvelines Orgeval () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It shares its name with the small river that runs through it, a tributary of th ...

, northeast of Paris, not far from the

Saint-Germain-en-Laye Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint- ...

Old Communal Cemetery where her husband was buried.Who's Who in Lesbian and Gay Writing, edited by Gabriele Griffin During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Noël Haskins Murphy served with the Comité Américain de Secours Civil and refused to leave her Orgeval house, due to the fact she didn't want to leave her husband's gravesite. For this reason, she was deported to an internment camp in Vittel.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Frederic Timothy 1884 births 1924 deaths United States Army personnel of World War I Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour Military personnel from Boston United States Army soldiers