Tom Wheldon received this photo in 1905 in the form of a postcard from his brother-in-law Harold Shillito who was away at camp. The photo shows "G Armstrong Sgt-Major" although I am reliably informed his uniform is, in fact, that of a Regimental Sergeant Major. "G Armstrong" was George Armstrong, a career soldier and mainstay of the Leeds Rifles for many years. He received his discharge in 1905 after nearly 35 years service but it seems he still hadn't had enough........................
George followed in his father's footsteps, enlisting in 14th Regiment of Foot at Sheffield in 1871. He claimed he was 17yrs 6 mths but, assuming his age was correct in the 1861 census, he was probably a year younger.
He made an encouraging start with rapid promotion to corporal but some sort of indiscretion (a last night out maybe), before a posting to Aldershot and India, saw him demoted to private. He spent four years in India, where he was stationed at Sutapore (Sitapur) and Ranikhet and then a year in Aden. During his time in India, he was promoted to lance corporal, then corporal, and was made a lance sergeant on his return to the UK just before Christmas 1879. He was stationed at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight, and it was there that he signed up for another 21 years in March 1880 with a promotion to sergeant.
Weymouth and nearby Portland were his next postings (from Feb 1881) and it was probably around this time that he was sent to Hythe in Kent on a musketry course - he married Annie Stone in Aldington (about 7 miles from Hythe) on 14 December 1881.
A transfer to 1st West Yorkshire Regiment followed, along with promotion to colour sergeant and a move to Bradford (where son Sydney was born in Oct 1882). However they were soon on the move again - first to the west coast of Ireland (Castlebar and Galway) and then Dublin (where another child, Dora, was born).
On 10 Feb 1887 George was transferred to 7th West Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers and moved to Leeds with a promotion to acting sergeant major. Their third child, Frank, was born in Leeds four months later in June 1887. In 1892 he was given permission to extend his service beyond 21 years and he was eventually discharged on 10 Sep 1905, by which time he was regimental sergeant major in 3rd Volunteer Battalion West Yorks Regiment (the Leeds Rifles).
Although it looks like he originally intended to retire to Kent, his association with the army continued - by 1911 he was living at 188 Burton Lane York and working as a clerk for the Territorial Force.
On the outbreak of war in 1914, George, by then about 60, lost no time in enlisting. On 7 Aug 1914, he signed up as a private for four years service with 5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. So keen was he to serve, that he seems to have been slightly economical with the truth, giving his age as 52 years 15 days and his birthplace as Chester rather than Ireland. His address is correct though - 188 Burton Lane, York - so it is the same man. His medical report described his apparent age as 52 and declared him fit for service.
He was rapidly promoted to sergeant but remained in the UK and was transferred to the reserves and then 26th Provisional Battalion. Sadly, he was discharged on 8 Oct 1915 as physically unfit (his discharge papers gave his age as 63) and he died in York late the following year.
Sources: military service papers, censuses and birth, marriage and death records relating to George Armstrong are available on Ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk.
