The fonds consists of the holograph diary of Brigadier Murphy regarding his experiences with the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade during World War II. The fonds also includes a carbon transcript of the diary.
The fonds consists of instructional material, much of it technical, pertaining to the training of a divisional artillery and artillery officers; instructions for units proceedings overseas; artillery defence schemes; operation orders, and instructions for activities at the front; including the Ypres area and on the Somme. Notes regarding the establishment of the 4th/ 5th Cdn. Div. Arty.; and relating to forward observation officers (F.O.O.'s); a report covers a visit by Maj. Gen. A. W. Currie to the Verdun battlefield, Jan., 1917. Several instructions relate to the attack on Vimy Ridge: one with maps for Counter Battery operations; reports of the assault April 9,1917; and defence schemes (5th Cdn. Div. Arty) in 1917. There are extracts of instructions for trench mortar officers; material on gunnery, ammunition, maps and air photographs; copies of messages; instruction etc. for Nov. Dec. 1918. There are maps of areas in Germany occupied by the Cdn. Crops. (Cologne and Bonn). Photos relate to Valcartier Camp, 1914, overseas operations including the Western Front and Aerial photos. There is a scrapbook "relating to the life and service of Brig. General W. O. H. Dodds." Others series include military and civilian correspondence and army instruction booklets and pamphlets.
The collection consists of two volumes. The first volume is hardcover and contains clippings from Toronto newspapers. Some of the text extends into the 1930s but all of the photographs are from 1914-1919. The second volume is unbound. Its clippings are from an unknown source. Included with this volume are some loose clippings from the same sources, together with newspapers from Hamilton and Toronto.