Roderick Charles (Rod) Armstrong

  General Notes:

Roderick Charles Armstrong enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 9/7/1915, His next of kin was his father Robert Simon Armstrong, 25 Hobbs Street, Seddon.
The Certificate of Medical Examination describes Roderick as: - 21 years and 3 months, height - 5 feet 2 and a quarter inches, weight - 9 stone 4 pounds, chest measurement - 33 and a half/35 and a half inches, complexion - fresh, eyes - dark brown, hair - black and religious denomination - Methodist. His distinctive marks were: - Vac 1 left arm and mole behind left shoulder.
Roderick was sent to France and disembarked on 29 June 1916. He was reported on the Crime of: - Disobedience of orders in that he did not have his hut clean - Award - Admonished on the 5/12/1916.
He was posted to England and was in the Central Flying School in 1917. He graduated on 5/1/1918. He proceeded to France to serve and was in hospital with Flying Sickness on 21/9/1918 and was transferred to England to recover.
Roderick returned to Australia per "Wahete' as well as his wife on 10/5/1919.
On the 1/10/1925 he was transferred to the Retired List and retained his rank as Lieutenant.
Roderick received the Bristish War, Victory and Star Medals.


BASE RECORDS OFFICE, A.I.F.,
11 March, 1919

Dear Sir,
I have much pleasure in forwarding hereunder copy of extract from Second Supplement No. 30989 to the London Gazette, dated 2nd November, 1918, relating to the conspicous services rendered by your son, Lieutenant R.C. Armstrong, 3rd Squadron, Australian Flying Corps.

AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
" HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been graciously pleased to confer the above award on the undermentioned officer of the Royals Air Force, in regognition of gallentry in Flying Operations against the Enemy : -
Lieutenant ROBEDERICK CHARLES ARMSTRONG .
During recent operations this officer was engaged in reconnoitring a certain area at low altitude; receiving no response to his repeated calls to our infantry for flares, owing to the supply being exhasted, he descended to an even lower altitide in to recognise and locate our troops, and so completed an accurate and detailed report of the area, displaying gallentry and determination of a high order, for he was subjected to intense machine-gun fire during the whole time.
The above has been promulgated in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 31, dated 4th March 1919,
Yours faithfully,
R. S. Armstrong., Captain.
25 Hobbs Street,
Seddon, for Officer i/c Base Records.
VICTORIA.

In 1950 Roderick was living at 383 Lygon Street, East Brunswick.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Engineer.

Roderick married Mabel (Mabs) Jeffs, daughter of John Jeffs and Nellie Ellam, on 9 Dec 1918 in Coventry C of E, West Midlands England. (Mabel (Mabs) Jeffs was born in 1896 in England UK and died in 1980 in Hallam, Victoria Australia.)