Purvis Ford Armstrong
Born 1893 - Died 6 Apr 1918
- Service number
- WWI 18581 AWMM
- Also known as
- Purves AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Lieutenant/Military AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 4th Battalion AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Purvis Ford AWMM
- Surname
- Armstrong AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Purves AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 18581 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 1893 AWMM
Greytown, Wairarapa, New Zealand AWMM - Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- Walter Armstrong (father), Main Street, Greytown, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- —
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 18581 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM School Master/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 15 Nov 1916-30 Jan 1917 AWMM
HMNZT 68 AWMM Vessel was Maunganui AWMM Second Lieutenant AWMM 10th Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion, G Company AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Lieutenant/Military AWMM
New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 4th Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Walter and Ruth Armstrong, of Greytown.
"Was appointed on the staff here at the beginning of 1915. Born in 1893 at Greytown, Wairarapa, he went to Wellington College, where he distinguished himself in both work and games. After spending only one year here he enlisted, entering camp at the commencement of 1916 as N.C.O. with the 15th Reinforcements, and gaining a commission, he sailed with the 19th Contingent in November. He wrote very fully of the voyage home, camp life in England, and battalion football matches, but after crossing to France, beyond saying that he was in the front line, little is known of his military career. On arrival in England, he was posted to the 3rd Otago Battalion, and crossed to France in May, 1917, taking part in nearly all the fighting in which his battalion was engaged. When the 4th Brigade was broken up, he was transferred to the 3rd N.Z. Rifle Brigade, and after a short leave rejoined and proceeded to the front line on the evening of April 5th, 1918. Early the next morning, he was killed by a sniper. Mr Armstrong was an excellent mathematician, and a great acquisition to the School at the time of his appointment." (In Memoriam, 1914-1918 [Wanganui Collegiate School])
Name mispelt in AWN 1918 as Purves AWMM - Retrieved from the KeteMasterton site:
Biographical notes:
In memoriam, 1914-1918, Wanganui Collegiate School "Was appointed on the staff here at the beginning of 1915. Born in 1893 at Greytown, Wairarapa, he went to Wellington College, where he distinguished himself in both work and games. After spending only one year here he enlisted, entering camp at the commencement of 1916 as N.C.O. with the 15th Reinforcements, and gaining a commission, he sailed with the 19th Contingent in November. He wrote very fully of the voyage home, camp life in England, and battalion football matches, but after crossing to France, beyond saying he was on the front line, little is known of his military career. On arrival in England, he was posted to the 3rd Otago Battalion, and crossed to France in May, 1917, taking part in nearly all the fighting in which his battalion was engaged. When the 4th Brigade was broken up, he was transferred to the 3rd N.Z. Rifle Brigade, and after a short leave rejoined and proceeded to the front line on the evening of April 5th, 1918. Early the next morning, he was killed by a sniper. Mr Armstrong was an excellent mathematician, and a great acquisition to the School at the time of his appointment."
Was missing in action on 6 April 1918 and declared killed 9 April 1918, body never found. "We buried this officer's body about 80 yards along old front line trench from Serre Road in Colincamps sector on the left of the Railway Line about 200 yards in front of the Sugar refinery on the corner of Serre and Euston Roads." On exhumation of the grave no body could be found, a memorial cross was erected in the area. His body was to be exhumed for re-internment in Euston Road British War Cemetery at Colincamps.
Obituary: Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 April 1918.Public - Warwick - Other Relative - 27 April 2015 - http://ketemasterton.peoplesnetworknz.info/wairarapa_archive/topics/show/158-purvis-ford-armstrong - Retreived from the
THE SPIKE: OR, VICTORIA COLLEGE (UNIVERSITY OF NZ) REVIEW WAR MEMORIAL NUMBER
THE FALLEN
'Lieutenant Purvis Ford Armstrong came from Wellington College to Victoria College in 1911, graduating B.A. and winning the Sir George Grey Scholarship in 1913. Owing to ill-health he was unable to sit for M.A. in 1914. He enlisted in 1915 at Wanganui, where he was on the staff of the Collegiate School. He sailed with the 19th Reinforcements, and went to France with the 4th Brigade. After eleven months' service he was promoted first lieutenant and was killed in action shortly afterwards'Public - Warwick - Other Relative - 27 April 2015 - http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-VUW1920War_Spik-t1-body-d5.html
- Son of Walter and Ruth Armstrong, of Greytown.
About death
- Death
- 6 Apr 1918 AWMM
Age 25 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Grevillers (New Zealand) Memorial, Grevillers British Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, L T Watkins. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi.html
Sources Used - Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22271689
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/1738509/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1738509
Further Reference
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, L T Watkins. Digital copy
- References
- In Memoriam, 1914-1918. (1919).Wanganui, N.Z.: Collegiate School.
- Auckland Weekly News
Auckland Weekly News, 1918 - Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, N.Z.: L T Watkins.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
45: 28 - Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, N.Z.: L T Watkins.
Austin, W. (1924). p. 494. - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 1: Includes portrait - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 5: Includes portrait - HMNZT 69 - The oilsheet -- At sea : Printed and published on the high seas for the Committee by Corpl. Jas. Perry. : 1916-17
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