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Flew with 81 Sqn during August 1943.
Battle of Britain Fighter Ace - Group Captain Petrus Hendrik 'Dutch' Hugo, DSO, DFC & 2 Bars, CdeG (Fr), DFC (US), RAF.
Petrus who was nicknamed 'Dutch' in the service wasa Hawker Hurricane Pilot in the Battle's of France and Britain.
As a newly qualified Pilot Officer in December 1939 he was posted to join Gloster Gladiator equipped No.615 (County of Surrey) Fighter Sqn, AuxAF in France.
He saw his first aerial combat in the Battle of France and then successfully served with 615 Sqn throughout the Battle of Britain.
On August 16th 1940 he was slightly wounded in both legs, but two days later on the 18th while defending RAF Kenley itself he was shot down and seriously injured in Hurricane 'R4221' and spent sometime in Orpington Hospital, where he was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on August 23rd 1940.
He returned to 615 Sqn and operations on September 22nd.
Remaining with 615 Sqn he was appointed as a Flight Commander in September 1941 and his score tally having grown too, he was awarded a Bar to his DFC on November 25th 1941.
The same month he was promoted to Acting Sqn Ldr and given Command of Spitfire equipped No.41 (Fighter) Sqn at RAF Merston as part of the Tangmere Fighter Wing.
From April 12th 1942 'Dutch' briefly Commanded the Tangmere Wing, but was shot down into the Channel by a Fw190 on April 27th, fortunately he was picked up by the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service, but he was wounded and ended up serving in HQ 11 Group as a Staff Officer Tactics.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on May 29th 1942.
On July 18th 'Dutch' was appointed as the RAF Hornchurch Wing Leader, but it was a very short posting as on August 31st 1942 he relinquished the post on transfer to North Africa to lead No.322 (Fighter) Wing, where his score grew even further.
In November he was appointed to temporarily command the entire wing, not just lead it in the air and he was awarded a second Bar to his DFC on February 16th 1943.
Tour expired he was posted to the Staff of the HQ North West African Coast Air Force on March 13th 1943.
But in June 1943 he returned to command No.322 Wing again and led it right through to its disbandment in November 1944.
He then served for the remainder of the war in HQ Mediterranean Allied Air Force's and as a Senior Liason Officer to a Soviet Army Commander in Romania and Austria.
On return to the UK postwar he was posted to the Central Fighter Establishment at RAF West Raynham in the substantive rank of Squadron Leader.
He left the RAF in 1950 as a Squadron Leader retaining the rank of Group Captain and became a farmer in Tanganyika (Tanzania).
He later returned to South Africa and died on 6th June 1986 aged 69.
His final credited Aerial Combat Score was - 17 + 3 Shared Destroyed, 5 Probably-Destroyed and 7 Damaged.
Above courtesy of the 'Relatives of the Few' - Facebook Group - By Joel Diggle - Founder and Administrator.