Lieutenant Francis Leofric ARMSTRONG Clicking on Photo will return to Page A - B

ARMSTRONG Lieutenant Francis Leofric (Mentioned in despatches) 15th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force Born 25th October 1880 at Mount Perry, Queensland [Birth certificate 1880 80/000446, Qld] Educated: Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane, Queensland Married; Bank Officer (Queensland National), of Brisbane, Queensland Next of Kin listed as: Wife; Annie Armstrong (nee Mackay), of 'Kinnell', Wharf Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland Photos of Lieutenant Armstrong are known to exist in the following locations: BGS*. BGSM** Apr 1916 p23. Group photo Chataway p18 (facing). Walker p48. Sydney Mail 9 Jun 1915 p43

*'Annals of The Brisbane Grammar School.'
**'Brisbane Grammar School Magazine'.

Father; Octavius Armstrong. Mother; Jessie Augusta Armstrong (nee Frances).

Fought in South African (Boer) War - Invalided home.

CWGC lists NOK as: Father; Octavius Armstrong. Mother; Jessie Augusta Francis Armstrong. Wife; Mrs F.L. Armstrong.
Son, Francis Mackay Armstrong, born February 1915.

Killed attempting to rescue wounded soldiers after being driven out of a captured enemy trench opposite Quinn's Post:
'In 'C' Company's sector, Frank Armstrong and his retiring men had passed right through the front line, whose sole occupant at the moment was Sergeant Hunter. As they passed to the back of the post Armstrong learnt that the line was not guarded and immediately turned his men face about and marched back into it. After his arrival, while gazing over the parapet, he saw some of his wounded men out in front, and endeavouring to scramble over the parapet to their aid, fell back riddled with bullets.' (Chataway p.46).

'The stream of fire which swept the crest of Quinn's during the withdrawal in daylight was very different from the ill-directed shooting in the night. A machine-gun somewhere on Baby 700 was firing short bursts down the trench which the Australians were quitting, and bombs were bursting in it continuously. Numbers of men were hit; ...A moment later, H.P. Armstrong, looking to see if all his men had entered the right communication trench, was shot through the head. Frank Armstrong, last of his party to reach Quinn's, was acutely distressed for his men. 'All my boys are killed or wounded out there,' he said, and at once endeavoured to climb out and see if any wounded remained. The men with him tried to pull him down, but he struggled to the parapet and was killed.' (Bean V1 p581, V2 p91, 101, 103, machine-gun seq., 112, [killed 113 quoted]).