G.W. Armstrong (Need Help on Squadron)

I just returned from a visit to the Imperial War Museum where I was able to read my Grandfather's Diary. Lt.Armstrong (RFC)and observer were shot down and taken as POW in October 1917. After several moves my grandfather was taken to a German camp (Holzminden) where he was involved in a failed escape by underground tunnel.
I'm hoping to get info on how to find out what squadron he was in, what type of plane he flew, where he trained etc. I live in Calif. and am hoping there might be an internet resource for tracking family military records. Ideas?

G'day Phil,
According to the book The Sky Their Battlefield by Trevor Henshaw, your Grandfather was a member of 57 Squadron and the day he was shot down October 12 1917, he was flying a DH4 serial no. A2135. His observer was a 2lt H Pughe-Evans, and it is likely that Ltn F Kieckhafer of Jasta 29 shot them down.

Regards,
Andrew.

Andrew, Thank you for your fast response. What took you so long? My Grandfather did write of his observer Pughe-Evans. After their capture he writes in his diary of meeting the German who shot him down, unfortunately, he did not mention the pilots name. I've asked the IWM for copies of my Grandfather's diary which includes a sketch he made of the plane that shot him down that appears to be a water color in great shape after all these years. We also have original photos of the POW camp they attempted to escape digging tunnels.
Andrew, thanks again for your fast response-I'm just starting my info search and this has been a great help. I'm going to have to locate The Sky Their Battlefield now.
Phil

Now that I have read the thread properly, you can obtain information on pilots in the RFC at the Public Records Office in England. Someone with more knowledge than myself will correct me if I am wrong, you can find the squadron diaries in AIR 27 and the records of officers are in AIR 76. These are only guides and as one forumite who has been of assitance to me in my understanding of the PRO wrote, that you must go to the PRO to see the files yourself.

The PRO's website address is;
http://www.pro.gov.uk

Good luck and good hunting.

Andrew.

On reading my last post, the staff at the PRO will copy certain documents, I am not sure how many or what they will copy, the alternative is to hire a researcher, but they don't come cheap.

Andrew.

Hello Phil,

As the author of The Sky Their Battlefield I'd be very pleased to know any more details concerning the events surrounding your grandfather's capture for inclusion in my ongoing revisions to TSTB. They will all see the light of day in a supplement at some stage and extra details in this particular case would be very interesting to hear.

Give me a little bit of time and I will also give you some leads on the relevant AIR1 files to look at in the PRO relating to 57 Sqn.

Hoping to hear from you.

Regards

Trevor