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Remembering - 90th Anniversary 1914-18 -2008

terry carter

terry carter

Birmingham Pals
Remembering​

The Birmingham Weekly Post Saturday 1 May, 1915​

Private J E Armstrong, 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers, was killed in action on 30th March. He was formerly of the British Lion, Newtown Row, and was the son of Mr J Armstrong of the Dewdrop Inn, Alma Street. He leaves a widow and three young children. He was 34 years of age.

The above extract indicates that Joseph Edward Armstrong was most probably a former Regular soldier serving with the Royal Scots Fusiliers (he was Birmingham born) who when leaving the Army joined the Birmingham Pub trade, in Aston, like his father. he would have been a Reservist and mobilised at the start of the War, 4 August 1914. His battalion, 1st Royal Scots Fusilers, landed at Le Havre 14 August 1914, as part of the 3rd Infantry Division.
His Medal Card Index shows that he went into a theatre of war on 8 September 1914.

Pte Joseph Edward Armstrong, No.7156 is buried in Hedge Row Trench Cemetery, Zillebeke, Belgium. His actual grave position was lost, due know doubt, to the horrific conditions that soldiers faced on the Ypres Salient. He is know remembered on a Special Memorial in the Cemetery.
 
Terry

Thankyou,I made my first trip to Belgium in May,we took my 10yr old son,due to my husband having read loads and made lots of trips to Belgium he was able to tell us about the places we visited,some of my friends thought I must be mad to go on holiday to walk around graveyards but once I explained why it was important to me and that it is important we all remember what these young men did for us all I think they understood!!!
Due to some of the books we had we could explain to our son about the battles that took place near the cemetries we visited,we got to see where my G Grandad fought.
I look forward to reading more of your rememberance lisiting
Shannie
 
Shannie and Wendy

Thanks for the kind remarks.

Shannie, Hopefully that was not your first and last trip to the battlefields. If you found Belgium interesting, then I think the Somme battlefields would also suit you.

Regards

Terry
 
Terry a sight I don't think I will ever forget is the Thiepval Memorial towering above the trees. I found it very moving and emotional visitig the Somme. The sheer size of the area was hard to believe.
 
Terry
No, we will be going again my husband ( Kevin) wants to take us to The Somme and also Normandy.
Belgium was so easy for us to get to that a weekend trip is never out of the question ( an advantage of living in London)
Shannie
 
Shannie

I can reccomend a few places to stay on the Somme and places to visit if you need at a later date.

Regards

Terry
 
Thanks Terry...it's good to put a background on some of these brave men
who gave their lives literally in droves during WW1. I have yet to visit my Uncle's grave at Rue-du-Bacquerot No. 1 Military Cemetery, Laventie.
I have photographs taken in the early l930's by two of my Aunts who visited.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker famous Architect who designed the Tyne-Cot cemetery which is the largest Commonwealth War cemetery in the world. I looked him up and he had a very interesting life. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.
 
Dear readers
View attachment 70463, This is my Great grandfaher Joseph Edward Armstrong .. he was a reservist as I know from his wedding certificate that he was a soldier in 1903, a post man in 1906 when his daughter Amy my Grandmother was born and in the pub trade before his call up in 1914. We have a photo of his memorial stone in Belgium and a poppy cross was placed there on behalf of his family in 2004.

The photo was taken in France. The photo attached to the earlier post is taken when he was a younger man.
His name can be found in Roll of Honour at Edinburgh Castle.
 
My grandfather George Adam was in Belgium at the same time with 1st Black watch, later with the Highland Division, wounded at Loo's in 1917, and medically discharged joined the Royal Irish Constabulary and mortally wounded at just 27yrs.
paul
 
This is my Great grandfather please see yesterday's post with photo taken in 1914.. the one above was taken when he was a younger man... circa 1902/3
 
Hi Terry

As Wendy says another excellent post. It is sad yet again that Joseph as with many other Birmingham men is not mentioned in the Birmingham Roll of Honour even with his obvious links to Birmingham. Also I have no record of his name on any war memorials.

Hope you are going to continue these posts.

Tony
 
Hi Terry, where did you get the photo.. I have the original ! cAn you also let me know how you got the article from the Weekly Post?
Thanks
 
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