ARMSTRONG, David
| Service Number: | 6414 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 May 1916, Cootamundra, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Burnside, Co. Antrim, Ireland, 1891 |
| Home Town: | Barellan, Narrandera, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Station Hand |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Belgium, 20 September 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm) Plot IV N 5 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Barellan Brobenah Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 9 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6414, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Cootamundra, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 6414, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 6414, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney |
David's Story
David was my great-uncle. He was born 1890/91 in Burnside, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. He emigrated to Australia with his brother Robert in 1911. They both worked as station hands in Merribee Station, Barellan, New South Wales.
David and Robert enlisted at Cootamundra in 1916 and joined the 20th Reinforcement unit of 3rd Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force.
He left Sydney on 9 Sept 1916 on HMAT Euripides and arriving Plymouth, England on 26 Oct 1916. He sailed from Folkestone on SS Invicta on 28 Feb 1917 arriving in France on 1 March 1917.
He was killed in action by a high explosive shell on 20 Sept 1917, the first day of the Battle of Menin Road Ridge, the third British general attack of the Battle of Passchendaele. His brother Robert Armstrong (6433) survived the war.
David is buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground (Transport Farm) near Ypres. I have a copy of the letter from his commanding officer to his mother notifying her of his death in action.
Trevor Molloy
Submitted 31 October 2019 by Trevor Molloy
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Mrs. A BLACK
Of Burnside, Doagh Co, Antrim, Ireland
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