Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"...WX7717 Lance Corporal Frank Armstrong, 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, Australian Infantry. He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Lance Corporal Armstrong, aged 31, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 30 July 1942. He was the son of Thomas Francis and Catherine Armstrong, of Margaret River, WA. He is buried in the Labuan Cemetery Section Q, Row A, Plot 14..." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

GREATHER LOVE HATH NO MAN

Frank was the youngest of four sons and seven daughters born to Thomas Francis Armstrong and Catherine Matilda Maxted, married 1903 in Boulder, Western Australia. Frank’s father (Thomas Francis Armstrong) served in the Great War, with the 10th Light Horse Regiment, enlisting on 28th October 1915 aged 37 years. At the time of his enlistment, Thomas Francis Armstrong was married with 11 children and residing in Boulder Western Australia.  Frank would have been just a few years old. Frank and his brothers attended Boulder School. Thomas Armstrong returned to Western Australia from France on 4th June 1919 having served with the 4th Australian Divisional Ammunition Column in Europe. He took up land south of Margaret River and moving the family from Boulder. He and his now four adult sons, cleared the virgin land for farming. First class bushmen and horse-riders, the four sons moved around Western Australia seeking employment. Prior to his enlistment, Frank was working as a mill hand at Witchcliffe.

Frank Armstrong enlisted on 10th August 1940, at Claremont, Western Australia, after basic training he was assigned to 2nd/4th Machine Gun Battalion, ‘D’ Company No. 15 Platoon. He embarked for oversea's service on 30th December 1941, arriving in Singapore on 24th January 1942. Lance Corporal Armstrong was wounded in action at North Lim Chu Kang Road on the west coast of Singapore on 9th February 1942 and admitted to the 2/ 10th Australian General Hospital with a gunshot wound to the right arm. He was discharged back to his unit on 22nd February 1942. After the surrender by the Allies to Japan, the 8th Division became Prisoners of War. Frank was relocated to Selarang and  worked in various parts of Singapore with different work parties before being shipped to Borneo. 

Unfortunately Lance Corporal Francis Armstrong, WX7717, died from Ulcerous Gastroenteritis  whilst still a prisoner of war at Sandakan, Borneo on 30th July 1942 at the age of 29.

"GREATHER LOVE HATH NO MAN"