A LASTING LEGACY
Francis Edwin Armstrong - 55th Battalion

Born in the New South Wales town of Wallsend on the 15th of September 1893, Francis Edwin Armstrong was one of ten children born to William John and Maria (nee Tyler ) Armstrong who had emigrated to Australia from the UK .

Francis was working as a school teacher and living in Murnain Street , Wallsend, when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 24th of July 1915 . He was sent to camp at Liverpool where his leadership qualities were identified and he was promoted to Acting Sergeant before embarking as part of the 19th infantry battalion onboard the Suevic in December 1915.

It seems the journey got off to an interesting start for according to Armstrong's diaries, one day out of port a “girl in military uniform [was] discovered on board. Mary Butler, age 18 – put aboard SS Achilles for Melbourne .”

After what he described as a “monotonous” voyage with “nothing to see each day but water” he arrived at Alexandria and went to camp at Heliopolis , staying there for several months before moving to Tel-El-Kebir. It was while here that Armstrong transferred to A Company of the 55th infantry battalion.

In late March the battalion left Tel-El-Kebir and marched to the Ferry Post to conduct canal defence duties. The “terrible march,” saw “hundreds of men fall out,” but the results seemed worth it as Armstrong states he was “in love with this place” and that it could “do him for a long time.”

After spending several months at the Ferry Post, training, carrying out their guard duties and preparing to depart for France the 55th moved to Moasca where they eventually received word that they were to leave for the Front. This occurred on June 20 when Armstrong and the rest of the 55th battalion left onboard the Caledonian.

The big attack was, of course, the battle of Fromelles where Armstrong was wounded on the second day as the 55th battalion, who were originally held in reserve, helped the 14th brigade to withdraw. Writing after the event he recalled the following;

“Wounded at 3 am Thursday morning after being in the German's 2nd line all of the time. Got back to dressing station. Only slightly wounded. Off to England tomorrow. Proud of boys of my old platoon. Mr Goldrick wounded before we got up to trenches. My platoon followed me everywhere into veritable hell.”

Armstrong rejoined his battalion in September 1916, finding them still in the Fromelles area which Armstrong says was in “bad condition.” The battalion then moved on, weathering a bleak winter on the Somme that Armstrong said was “frightfully muddy but otherwise alright.”

In mid-1917 Armstrong left the front for the UK to undergo officer training at Oxford , where he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He returned to France in November of the same year in time to see action at both Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux.

In April 1918 Armstrong was made a Lieutenant before seeing further action at Morlancourt and in the advance on the Hindenberg Line. During these attacks he was awarded the Military Cross, the citation reading as follows:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the attack on the Hindenburg Line north of Bellicourt on 30th September and 1st October 1918 . Early in the attack the attacking troops were held up by the enemy's extremely heavy machine gun fire. Lieutenant Armstrong, moving amongst the men of his company, encouraging them by his personal bravery and total disregard of fire, reorganised them for the final rush at the machine gun nests. Jumping out at the head of the company with the cry “Come on Lads,” his men bravely followed him with a cheer as he struggled forward in the face of the spitting guns. Urged on as they were by this officer, his men pushed home the assault with bayonet and bomb with such determination and dash that the Huns were overpowered before they realised what had happened. The result was that the anger from the enemy's miniature fortress which was holding up all the attacking troops of the Brigade was now removed and the advance of the whole line was allowed to continue unharrassed.

Following these attacks Armstrong spent a large period of time going back and forth between the UK and France , undertaking further training, before eventually leaving England onboard the Beltana in June 1919. He was discharged in Sydney in September of that year.

Upon his discharge he returned to Wallsend and became a founding member of the Wallsend RSL where he stayed until 1924, whereupon he left to join the Baradine sub-branch. In 1924, he also married Florence Isabelle Turner, the couple having five children.

He joined the Binnaway sub-branch in 1928 and was elected president, a position he held until 1932 when he transferred to the Boolaroo sub-branch, staying there until 1939 when he joined the Parramatta sub-branch, remaining an ordinary member until 1943 when he was elected vice-president. He became president in 1945 and remained in the position until 1963.

This extensive work with the RSL was rewarded in 1963 when Francis was presented with the MBE by Her Majesty, The Queen.

As well as his RSL work, Francis undertook part time duty with the Volunteer Defence Corps during the Second World War (1939-1945) was a founding member of the Parramatta Regional Division of Legacy, was a member of the City of Parramatta War Memorial Trust , Parramatta Rotary and served on the Repatriation Committee for eight years after WW2.

During all of this time Francis continued to teach, being principal at North Parramatta School , Blaxcell Street School and finishing his career as a maths teacher at Granville High School , working right up until his passing in 1966.

Francis Edwin Armstrong is memorialised at the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens.

Lest We Forget.

Research notes:

1) Francis' siblings were William Martin (b 1877 d 1948), Agnes Hannah  (b 1879 d 1881), Sydney Herbert (b 1881 d 1881), Edwin Albert (b 1882 d 1883), Arthur David (b 1884 d 1962) Robert Ernest (b ? d 1948), Maria Amy  (b 1886 d 1887), Alexander Harold (b 1888 d 1890) and Eva Ellen (b 1891 d 1893).

2) There are five Mary Butler's listed in the NSW BDM, however I am unsure which one stowed away, nor what happened to her.

3) The Mr Goldrick referenced in his statement about Fromelles is Roy Arthur Goldrick MC. Goldrick won his MC at an almost identical time as Armstrong and for a similar action.

Photos:

1) Francis Edwin Armstrong studio portrait.

2) War Memorial in Wallsend NSW, photo by David Barnes.

3) Newspaper image of Armstrong's funeral.

4) Memorial at Northern Suburbs Memorial Garden, photo by Damian Madden.

I am thankful to Joanne Armstrong, David Barnes and Jack Langly for their help in collecting this information.