Born in Dublin, he was about 28 years old and a private in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot (later The South Wales Borderers), British Army during the Andaman Islands Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

The citation was gazetted on 17 December 1867: THE Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officer and Private Soldiers of Her Majesty's Army, whose claims to the same have been submitted for Her Majesty's approval, for their gallant conduct at the Little Andaman Island, as recorded against their names, viz.

For the very gallant and daring manner in which, on the 7th of May, 1867, they risked their lives in manning a boat and proceeding through a dangerous surf to the rescue of some of their comrades, who formed part of an expedition which had been sent to the Island of Little Andaman, by order of the Chief Commissioner of British Burmah, with the view of ascertaining the fate of the Commander and seven of the crew of the ship " Assam Valley," who had landed there, and were supposed to have been murdered by the natives.

"Regiment, and the four Privates referred" to, gallantly manning the second gig, made their way through the surf almost to the shore, but finding their boat was half filled with water, they retired.

He stood in the bows of the boat, and worked her in an intrepid and seamanlike manner, cool to a degree, as if what he was then doing was an ordinary act of every-day life.

The four Privates behaved in an equally cool and collected manner, rowing through the roughest surf when the slightest hesitation or want of pluck on the part of any one of them would have been attended by the gravest results.

Documents below support the correct death place, burial location and true name of Thomas Murphy VC.

Thomas Cosgrove’s obituary in the 23 Mar 1900 Wilkes-Barre, PA Daily News newspaper front page read:

He was a man with an extraordinary record, as the following will show: In I859, although he was but 16 years of age, he ran away from home and joined the British army under the assumed name of Thomas Murphy.

In 1867 the regiment, stationed at Burmah, India, of which Mr. Cosgrove was a member, was ordered to investigate the wrecking of a trading vessel near the South Andaman Islands, on the Malay coast.