 Pari gbolohun ti o tẹle: A gbega si olori ẹgbẹ, Murdoch ni a yan olori olori olori SASO ni Eastern Area Command, Sydney, ni Keje 1943. Ni January 1944, o di SASO ni North-Western Area Command, eyi ti o ṣakoso awọn ọmọ-ogun mẹtalelogun ti Australia, British, Dutch, ati Amẹrika lati ile-iṣẹ rẹ ni Darwin, Northern Territory. Murdoch gbero ọpọlọpọ awọn ibọn ibọn ati awọn iṣẹ iwakusa ti aṣẹ ni South West Pacific Theatre, ati pe a mẹnuba ninu awọn ifiranṣẹ fun iṣẹ iyasọtọ rẹ ni ipa naa. O ti a ti firanṣẹ bi SASO to Australian First Tactical Air Force No. 1 TAF ni April 1945, rirọpo Group Captain William Gibson lẹhin ti awọn igbehin ká dismissal ni awọn itọsọna ti awọn Morotai Mutiny, nigbati awọn irokeke resignations ti mẹjọ ti awọn RAAF ká asiwaju jagunjagun aces fa a idaamu ninu awọn iṣelọpọ ká olori. Aṣoju iṣẹ ṣiṣe nipasẹ No. 1 TAF olori tuntun, Air Commodore Frederick Scherger, Murdoch gba ọpọlọpọ awọn ọpẹ fun siseto ipa ti RAAF ni Iṣẹ-ṣiṣe Oboe Mefa, : ìkọlù ìlú Labuan. Ó bá Scherger dé etíkun ní ọsán ọjọ tí wọn dé ibẹ ní ọjọ kẹwàá oṣù kẹfà ọdún 1945. Murdoch tun gboriyin fun iṣẹ oṣiṣẹ rẹ lakoko Iṣẹ Oboe Meji, Ogun Balikpapan, ni Oṣu Keje. 