World War II, HX 300 sailed for the UK via New York on 17 July 1944, with 167 merchant ships (). This huge convoy arrived in the UK, without incident, on 3 August 1944. VE Day and early retirement Admiral Murray was controversially blamed for allowing sailors shore leave in Halifax on VE Day, a decision that is generally considered to have contributed to the Halifax Riot of 7–8 May 1945. James Lorimer Ilsley, the Acting Prime Minister of Canada, responded quickly to the situation and on 10 May appointed Justice Kellock to chair a Royal Commission into the disorders. On 12 May, Murray was abruptly removed from his command. The next day, a separate Naval Board of Inquiry under Admiral Brodeur was appointed to investigate naval participation in the disorders. The Kellock Commission placed considerable blame upon the Navy, and on Murray himself, for not having exercised better control over the sailors' celebrations ashore. The Naval Inquiry's findings were more balanced, finding that the riot was caused by several factors, including a failure in the naval command. Murray himself felt that responsibility lay mainly with the civil authorities of Halifax, and he was frustrated that the Kellock Commission effectively placed the Navy on trial without providing him or his officers with an opportunity to defend themselves. He asked for a court martial to clear his name, but this was not agreed. The Government made an attempt to leave the Admiral with his honour intact: "It would be a regrettable thing if, resultant upon the Halifax disturbances, the truly great services of this officer and those under his command were to be forgotten by the people of Canada."—Canadian Government press release However, Murray was never assigned another command. He received a letter on 6 September 1945 informing him that "the recent developments which have taken place in relation to the state of the war have materially changed the situation of the Armed Forces. As a result, there is no suitable appointment in which, having regard to your rank, you can be employed." Murray later said that, rather than fight the decision, "I thought it best to withdraw quietly. For the good of the service, I went into voluntary exile." Murray left Canada for the United Kingdom in September 1945, and officially retired from the Navy on 14 March 1946. Later years Murray initially settled in East Grinstead, Sussex. He remained