Captain, 4th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment.
Killed in action 11th April 1918, age 26.
Remembered on the Loos Memorial, France.
Former student of mechanical engineering.
William was born on 22nd November 1891 at Eccles, the youngest son of John Cook Armstrong, a provision trade agent. He was educated at Montauban, St Anne’s-on-Sea and Manchester Grammar School (1905-1907). He entered Manchester University in 1910, and in 1913 gained a Certificate of Technology (Mechanical Enginnering). He was employed as a student pupil at Westinghouse Co. Ltd and was a member of the Institution Of Mechanical Engineers.
William was a member of the University Officer Training Corps from November 1910 to August 1914 and passed his examinations for Lieutenant the day before war broke out. On 28th August 1914 he was gazetted to 4th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment. He had a period of sick leave due to shell shock in 1917 and died defending a moated farm which was a key position during the Battle of the Lys in April 1918, his actions being briefly mentioned in a war history by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He left effects worth £425 8s 4d to his father.