Guide to the Papers of J.M. Armstrong, 1900-2000

Request this via the Catalogue
 

Summary

Collection number:
MS 9675
Creator:
Armstrong, John Malet, 1900-1988
Extent:
0.84 metres and (6 boxes + 1 folio box)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of J.M. Armstrong, National Library of Australia, MS 9675, [series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for reference. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
The papers comprise correspondence, including Armstrong's letters home to his parents from his naval postings, copies of Armstrong's reports while on active service as Commanding Officer of HMAS Australia, biographical and family history material, and photographs.
Biographical Note:

John Malet Armstrong was born at Elizabeth Bay, Sydney on 5 January 1900.

Armstrong entered the Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay in 1914 and after graduating as a midshipman in 1918 was posted to the battle cruiser HMAS Australia, then stationed in the United Kingdom. Other early postings included HMAS Brisbane, HMS Ramillies, HMS Castor on the China Station in 1928-1929, and Gunnery Officer of the second HMAS Australia. He attained the rank of Commander in 1935 and was in charge of the Australian Naval College from March 1938 to July 1939.

At the outbreak of war, Armstrong was Executive Officer of HMAS Australia, on which he saw action off Dakar, Norway and Iceland, and was mentioned in despatches for leading the rescue of the crew of a Sunderland flying boat in dangerous conditions off the coast of Scotland in October 1940. In 1942 he commanded the armed merchant ships HMAS Manoora and HMAS Westralia. He was promoted to Captain in December 1942 and appointed Naval Officer In Charge, New Guinea in November 1943.

In October 1944 Armstrong took over the command of HMAS Australia following the death in action of Captain Dechaineux at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. At the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945 HMAS Australia was badly damaged and sustained heavy casualties in attacks by Japanese kamikaze aircraft. Armstrong was subsequently awarded the DSO and US Navy Cross.

After the war Armstrong took the Australia to England via New York and then briefly commanded the Royal Navy aircraft carriers Ruler and Vindex. He was Second Naval Member of the Australian Naval Board in 1946-1947, with the rank of Commodore, and was posted to London as Defence Technical Representative from 1950 to 1952 and to Washington in a similar role, from 1955 until his retirement in 1958.

Armstrong, himself descended from a Jersey family, married Philippa Marett of Jersey in 1924 and they returned there to live in 1962. John Armstrong died in Jersey on 30 December 1988.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

  • The Australian Encyclopaedia, 6th Edition (1996)
  • F.B. Elridge, A History of the Royal Australian Naval College 1913-1945 (1949)
Provenance:

The papers were donated to the Library in 2000 by Armstrong's son, Professor David M. Armstrong.

Arrangement:

The donor's arrangement, numbering and listing of the papers has been largely retained. The papers are mainly in chronological order.

Container List:
Series File/Item Box
1 1-5 1
1 6 Folio Box
1 7-9 1
1 10-16 2
1 17-28 3
1 29-36 4
1 37-47 5
2 1 6
2 2 Folio Box
2 3-20 6

Indexed terms

Names:
Armstrong, John Malet, 1900-1988

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is available for reference.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of J.M. Armstrong, National Library of Australia, MS 9675, [series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
Contact us