The Soldier's Details

Surname:
Armstrong
First Name:
Charles William
Nick Name:
Blondie/Charlie
Rank:
Private
Regimental #:
WX7370
Company:
‘B’ Company, 8 Platoon
Enlisted:
6.08.1940
Discharged:
9.01.1946
DOB:
10.04.1920
Place of Birth:
Harvey, Western Australia
Father's Name:
Horace Lewis Armstrong
Mothers's Name:
Jessie May Armstrong
Religion:
Methodist
Pre-war Occupation:
Miner
Singapore:
Selerang Camp Changi, Johore Bahru, Adam Park, Selerang Barracks Changi.
Force:
'D' Force Thailand, S Battalion.
Camps Thailand:
Tarsau, Kanu II, Tamuang
Camps Japan:
Yamane, Niihama.
POW#:
1/6862, 8747, 1560.
Japan:
Rashin Maru Party
Return Details 1945:
Wakayama‐Okinawa, USS Sanctuary, Okinawa-Manila, USS Bingham, Manila-Morotai-Darwin, PBY Catalina aircraft A24-306, Darwin-Perth by aircraft 10.10.1945.

General Description

Charles enlisted AIF 6 Aug 1940 and later joined 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion’s ‘B’ Coy, 8 Platoon under C.O. Lt MacKinnon.  Len was the older of the two brothers.  He enlisted 25 Oct 1940 and joined ‘A’ Coy 5 Platoon.

 

Charlie and Len left Singapore to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion.  Please read further
Having survived working on the railway, the brothers were included in the work force considered fit to go to Japan.  They sailed on the Byoke Maru.  Please read further
Both Len and Charlie were recovered from Japan at the end of the war.

 

Brothers Len & Charles Armstrong
Brothers Len & Charles Armstrong

 

Charlie was born April 1920 at Harvey to parents Horace Lewis (Len) Armstrong and Jessie May Pearce who married 1905.

Tragically less than a month later, his 9 year old brother Cecil died.

 

Charlie married 10 Dec 1954 to Beatrice (Betty) Christine Kirby.  Betty’s first husband Raymond David James Young  died 1954.
Charlie Armstrong passed away 14th November 1996.  His wife Betty had died earlier on 4  May 1995.
Charlie was the father of two sons and several grandchildren.

Please go to Len Armstrong to read further about their family.

Camp Locations:

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  • Johore Bahru, - Malaysia
  • Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
  • Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
  • Kanu II, 152.30k - Thailand
  • Tamuang, Tha Muang 39k - Thailand
  • Tarsau, Tha Sao 125k - Thailand
  • Yamane, Hiroshima #3-D - Japan
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