| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Matthew Armstrong was born in Beverley in 1885, the eldest son of Thomas and Ellen Armstrong who in 1910 lived at 9 Mintfield Grove, Holme Church Lane, Beverley. Thomas was a waterman on a barge and later a keel owner. Matthew was an apprentice in the Merchant Service. Matthew had five siblings George, William, James, Alice and Joseph. He attended Minster Boys School.
At the outbreak of war Matthew was an officer on the Pacific Liner ‘Ortega’ which was homeward bound from Peru to Liverpool. Details of a dramatic chase by a German cruiser appeared in the Beverley Guardian in Dec 1917. Following this adventure Matthew transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve. He was posted as a navigation officer stationed in the North Sea.
In May 1915 he moved to a larger vessel in the Channel and a year later received the command of a ship. The ship the Mary B Mitchell was a 3 mast schooner, originally she had carried slate from Wales but in 1916 was requisitioned by the Admiralty and fitted out as a ‘Q’ ship. (Q’ ships were decoy vessels, heavily armed with concealed weaponry designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks). Under the temporary command of Lieutenant Armstrong the Mary B Mitchel sank an enemy submarine on 2 Dec 1916, for this act of bravery he was awarded the DSO. He was also awarded the 1915 Star, British War and Victory Medal
Matthew married Gertrude McCoy at St Mary’s Church, Beverley in 1914, they both died in December 1965
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |