George Johnson Armstrong
Encyclopedia
George Johnson Armstrong (1902 – 10 July 1941) was the first British citizen to be executed under the Treachery Act 1940
. Only two other British citizens shared this fate, Duncan Scott-Ford
and Theodore Schurch
.
Armstrong was born in Newcastle and was a marine engineer by occupation. He was tried on 8 May 1941 at the Central Criminal Court
(the Old Bailey
in London
) and convicted for communicating with the German Consul
in Boston
, Massachusetts
, to offer him assistance before the United States
entered the Second World War.
His appeal on 23 June 1941, at the Court of Criminal Appeal
, was dismissed, and on 10 July 1941 he was executed by hanging
at HM Prison
Wandsworth
by Thomas Pierrepoint
at the age of thirty-nine.
Treachery Act 1940
The Treachery Act 1940 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland enacted during World War II to facilitate the prosecution and execution of enemy spies, and suspended after the war and later repealed...
. Only two other British citizens shared this fate, Duncan Scott-Ford
Duncan Scott-Ford
Duncan Alexander Croall Scott-Ford was a British merchant seaman who was hanged for treachery after giving information to an enemy agent during World War II.-Family origins:...
and Theodore Schurch
Theodore Schurch
Theodore William John Schurch was an Anglo-Swiss soldier who was executed for treachery following the end of the Second World War. He was the last person to be executed in Britain for an offence other than murder.-Early life:...
.
Armstrong was born in Newcastle and was a marine engineer by occupation. He was tried on 8 May 1941 at the Central Criminal Court
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
(the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) and convicted for communicating with the German Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, to offer him assistance before the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered the Second World War.
His appeal on 23 June 1941, at the Court of Criminal Appeal
Courts of England and Wales
Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in England and Wales; they apply the law of England and Wales and are established under Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The United Kingdom does not have...
, was dismissed, and on 10 July 1941 he was executed by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
at HM Prison
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
Wandsworth
Wandsworth (HM Prison)
HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, south west London, England. It is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service and is the largest prison in London and one of the largest in western Europe, with similar capacity to Liverpool...
by Thomas Pierrepoint
Thomas Pierrepoint
Thomas William Pierrepoint was one of the United Kingdom's executioners from 1906 until 1946. He was the brother of Henry and uncle of Albert....
at the age of thirty-nine.