Anthony Armstrong

Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial

Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment

Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945

Rank and number: Gunner

Parents: Anthony and Frances Armstrong

Home address: 18 High Street, Willington, Co Durham

Pre-war occupation: Colliery Hewer

Date of birth: 26/06/1904

Date of death: 05/07/1941

Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and Maritime Memorial Thornbury

Age: 37

Further information:

Anthony was the son of a miner and a middle child, with an older sister and a younger brother. Like his father before him he worked down the mines and in 1939 was living with his widowed mother and younger brother.

On the day of his death, Anthony was serving aboard the British Troop Ship Anselm. There were 1,316 people on board of whom 1210 were RAF and military personnel. The ship was part of an escorted convoy on its way from Gourock in Scotland to Freetown in Africa. At 08.29 hours, 300 miles North of the Azores, the Anselm was hit by 2 torpedoes from U-boat U-96. She sank within 22 minutes, but the crew were able to launch all but one of the lifeboats. However, four crew members and 250 service personnel, including Anthony, were lost. The U-boat was put out of action by the escort vessels and the survivors were taken on to Freetown.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1030.html