224032 George Eric Armstrong British Army 62 Field Coy. Royal Engineers from:Ilford, Essex George Eric Armstrong was the oldest son of George and Florence Armstrong of Ilford, Essex. His father was already in the British Army, also in Royal Engineers, at the outbreak of WWI. George had finished school and studied typing and shorthand in preparation for secretarial work. The first firm he worked for soon closed its doors as its factory was converted to manufacturing for military purposes. The new firm he worked for soon followed suit. Young George, still only 16 decided it was pointless to look for a third job so put his age up and enlisted. His father eventually heard the news that his first-born, a very baby-faced, fair haired, blue eyed lad had enlisted. The French women running the cafe he and his father frequented whilst serving in France noted his youthful looks and would them 'La pomme and enfant' referring to his father's rosy cheeks, like an apple and his baby looks. After the war he found it hard to settle down and rode his pushbike around England at every chance before finally emigrating to Australia in 1924. After a difficult few years during the Great Depression, George wasted no time in enlisting on the news of the outbreak of WWII. This time he served with the 1st Garrison Battalion, Australian Armed Forces, guarding military installations in the Brisbane area. He was sent to Cowra, New South Wales for clean-up operations after the Japanese P.O.W. outbreak. He considered the WW2 years some of the best as he did not smoke or drink and would swap his ration cards for fuel rations enabling many happy camping trips with his teenage children. He would never march on Anzac Day and only mentioned the Great War when he was much older.
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