Harry Armstrong
Paul Heatherington has submitted the following:-
Henry (Harry) was born on the 14th September 1885 in Walton, near Brampton, Cumberland. His father was John Armstrong, a blacksmith by trade, of Castle Carrock and later Moor House, Walton. His mother was Jane Potts from Bewcastle.
By 1911, the family were farming at Moss Side, Roweltown, near Carlisle. By this time, Henry had moved on and was working as a farm servant for Dixon Hudspith at Eddis Bridge, near Edmundbyers.
In 1913, Henry married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Creighton, from Birkenside on the Minsteracres estate. The couple lived at Park Cottage, Shotley Bridge. Henry worked as a motor mechanic. Their son, David, was born on the 22nd September 1916. Elizabeth and David later moved to Shotley Field,where Elizabeth died of tuberculosis in 1922.
Henry enlisted at Consett on the 24th June 1916. At the time of enlistment, Henry was 5’ 5’’ tall, weighed 8 stone 6lbs, and had a chest measurement of 37’’. He was conscripted to the Army Service Corps at Grove Park on the 2nd February 1917 and served in the Mechanical Transport Company.
On the 2nd April he embarked from Portsmouth. He died of wounds received in action on the 23rd September 1917 at the 69th Field Ambulance in Belgium.
Henry James Armstrong is remembered in Shotley Bridge on S27.01 and S27.03
