Military Medal: Corporal F. A. Armstrong

On 5 November 1943, Corporal Armstrong, as a member of a fighting patrol from his battalion, was acting as a point scout with Sergeant Ilala, a native guide, when a Japanese fired at Sergeant Ilala. The native sergeant's rifle jammed when he tried to return the fire, but Corporal Armstrong ran toward the Japanese and shot him at close quarters. The Japanese was not killed, however, and fell down a cliff; and in following him a strong Japanese party armed with one light machine-gun, rifles and grenades was discovered in a series of caves on the sea shore. In the ensuing action, in which ten Japanese were killed and one captured, Corporal Armstrong displayed an absolute disregard of personal safety and by his courage and leadership inspired his section.

One of the enemy was hidden in a cave from which he was able to shoot and kill Sergeant Baird. Fire could not be brought to bear on him and when grenades were thrown into his cave, he scooped them out. Corporal Armstrong then took two grenades, and crawling down the cliff to a little ledge above the cave, he pulled the pin from a grenade, held it for three seconds and then tossed it into the cave. He repeated this with the second grenade and then jumped into the cave to find the Japanese dead. Had it not been for Corporal Armstrong's action, the casualties suffered by the patrol would in all probability have been heavier.