Hugo Armstrong

Hugo Throssell Armstrong (9 June 1916 – 5 February 1943) was an Australian flying ace of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the Second World War. He was credited with at least ten aerial victories. From Perth, Armstrong joined the RAAF in May 1940. After completing his flight training he was sent to the United Kingdom where he was posted to No. 257 Squadron and then No. 129 Squadron. During his service with the latter, he destroyed a number of German aircraft while flying sorties to the Low Countries and France. He was later transferred to No. 72 Squadron where he continued to be successful. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in May 1942, he was given command of No. 611 Squadron the following September. He received a bar to his DFC in January 1943 but was killed the following month when he was shot down over the English Channel. Early life Born in Perth, Western Australia, on 9 June 1916, Hugo Throssell Armstrong was the son of Percival Armstrong and his wife Grace. He was the nephew of Captain Hugo Throssell, a Victoria Cross recipient of the First World War and also the grandson of George Throssell, a former premier of Western Australia. He was educated at Hale School and worked as a car salesman prior to his enlistment in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in May 1940. Second World War Armstrong, who was nicknamed Sinker, underwent flight training at the RAAF station at Wagga before proceeding on to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School. He was posted to the United Kingdom in February 1941 and was assigned to No. 257 Squadron. Operating from Coltishall using Hawker Hurricane fighters, the squadron was operating both at day and night, carrying out fighter sweeps to the Low Countries and also doing night patrols.