Murray-Brown, Granville, Lieutenant-Commander, 1885-1916.

The papers consist of intelligence reports, W/T messages and Reuters messages collected by Lt-Commander Murray-Browne while serving in the INDEFATIGABLE, 1914 to 1915. They are chiefly of interest as an example of the standard of information about current affairs available at the beginning of the First World War.

Administrative / biographical background
Murray-Browne was born at Uley in Gloucestershire in 1885 and entered the Navy as a cadet in 1900. From March 1902 he was at sea as a midshipman, first in the HOGUE and from 1904 in the KENT. He became a sub-lieutenant in 1905 and, after studying at Portsmouth joined the DRAGON in 1906. He was made a lieutenant in 1907 and joined the VICTORIOUS in 1908. From 1909 he commanded TB106 (Tender to VIVID at Devonport) and, from December 1909, TB055 (Tender to HOOD at Queenstown). The ACHILLES was his next ship, in 1911, and two years later he joined the INDEFATIGABLE. In 1915 he was promoted to lieutenant-commander. He was killed in action at the Battle of Jutland when the INDEFATIGABLE was sunk on 31 May 1916.