Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

ALFRED THOMAS (CEDAR) ARMSTRONG Unit Number 3770 Alfred, more commonly and affectionately known in the area as “Cedar”, was one of four children born to parents James Armstrong and Eliza Isabella (Bella) Keenan. He was born in November 1897 at Quindalup and his siblings were Christopher, Amy and Florrie. During his childhood, Cedar’s father worked at the M. C. Davies timber mill at Karridale. Cedar worked variously as a timber cutter and a farmhand. At one time he was share farming with his uncle, Harry Keenan, at Gimgarnup near Dowerin, but a drought wiped them out. In 1914 Cedar was working as a sleeper cutter. A tall man at 5 feet 11 and a half inches, Cedar had a medium complexion, brown eyes and brown hair and belonged to the Church of England. At the age of 18 years and 7 days, Cedar enlisted at Busselton on the 30th November 1915 and was sent to the Blackboy Hill Army Training camp in Perth. Here he spent three months before embarking from Fremantle aboard the HMAT A28 “Miltiades” on 12th February, 1916. The army posted Cedar to the 28th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements, and by December of that year, Cedar had been promoted to Lance Corporal and following his attendance at the Telescopic Sight School in that same month, he was awarded a letter with “commendation for a very extraordinary result.” February of 1917 saw this young man hospitalised with fever for eleven days and sadly eighteen days later, Cedar was wounded in action. He had been sitting on the end of his camp bed putting on his boots when a bomb exploded nearby. Both of his legs were hit with shrapnel. Hospitalised for a month in France, he was then transferred in April from Boulougne aboard the H S “Dennis” and was admitted to the London War Hospital at Epsom, only to be moved again on the 1st July 1917 to the 1st Auxillary Hospital at Harefield. So quite a lengthy recuperation of 5 months. On the mend by the 10th September, the army had organized his return to Australia aboard HTA A38 “Ulysses” and Cedar was discharged from the army on the 27th March 1918. Following the war; in which his brother Chris was killed in action, Cedar married Levessa (Vessie) Ann Lenoral Cotton and had three children: Cedar George, Kenneth John and Christopher James. In 1924 Cedar sold a block of land that he had bought after his return from the war, and with the proceeds he established Armstrongs’ Drapery and Boot Store in Wallcliffe Road. In 1926 the little family moved into the farm that Chris had owned and left to his father James, who in turn gave it to Cedar and Vessie. The farm was situated on the corner of Carters Road and Caves Road and Cedar renamed it “Mouquet Farm” after the village near Poziers where he had been wounded. Whilst there, a small nine hole golf course was established which was the forerunner of the present day golf club. 1940 found Cedar enlisting in the army again and he was posted to the 19th Garrison Battalion. Then in 1942 they moved to a former group settlement block to farm. In 1946 Cedar bought his Grandfathers’ property “Glenbourne” and continued to live his life as a farmer. In 1949 Cedar and Vessie moved to Busselton where they continued business until 1967. Cedar played golf and lawn bowls in his retirement and was a keen gardener. He died on the 11th December 1985 and is buried at the Margaret River Cemetery. To commemorate the men who had served and those who had died at war, the Margaret River community commissioned the making of the Memorial Board with the names of the local men. Cedar refused to have his name added to the board, but in memory and gratitude of his service, we have included him in this display. 1914/15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal