Australian Flying Corps
Australian Flying Corps | |
---|---|
Roy King (fourth from right), and other officers of "A" Flight, No. 4 Squadron AFC, with their Sopwith Camels on the Western Front, June 1918 | |
Active | 1912–20 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Australian Army |
Type | Air force |
Role | Aerial warfare |
Part of | Australian Imperial Force |
Engagements | World War I
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until 1914 that it began flight training.
In 1911, at the Imperial Conference held in London, it was decided that aviation should be developed by the national armed forces of the British Empire. Australia became the first member of the Empire to follow this policy. By the end of 1911, the Army was advertising for pilots and mechanics.[1] During 1912, pilots and mechanics were appointed, aircraft were ordered, the site of a flying school was chosen and the first squadron was officially raised.[2] On 7 March 1913, the government officially announced formation of the Central Flying School (CFS) and an "Australian Aviation Corps", although that name was never widely used.
AFC units were formed for service overseas with the
Establishment
On 30 December 1911, the
On 22 September 1912, the
On 7 March 1913, the government officially announced formation of the Central Flying School (CFS) and the "Australian Aviation Corps".[2][1] According to the Australian War Memorial, the name "Australian Flying Corps does not appear to have been promulgated officially but seems to have been derived from the term Australian Aviation Corps. The first mention of an Australian Flying Corps appears in Military Orders of 1914."[2] Flying training did not begin immediately; it was not until 1914 that the first class of pilots were accepted.[5] No. 1 Flight of the Australian Flying Corps was raised in the 3rd Military District on 14 July 1914.[6]
In March 1914, a staff officer, Major Edgar Reynolds, was officially appointed General Staff Officer in charge of a branch covering "intelligence, censorship, and aviation" within the Army's Department of Military Operations.[7][8] Following the outbreak of World War I and the expansion of the Army, aviation became a separate branch commanded by Reynolds. AFC operational units were attached and subordinate to Australian ground forces and/or British ground and air commands. Reynolds' role was mostly administrative rather than one that involved operational command.[9][Note 1]
World War I
Operations
After the outbreak of war in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent one aircraft, a B.E.2, to assist in capturing the German colonies in northern New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. German forces in the Pacific surrendered quickly, before the aircraft was even unpacked from its shipping crate.[5]
The first operational flights did not occur until 27 May 1915, when the Mesopotamian Half Flight (MHF), under the command of Captain Henry Petre, was called upon to assist the Indian Army in protecting British oil interests in what is now Iraq. Operating a mixture of aircraft including Caudrons, Maurice Farman Shorthorns, Maurice Farman Longhorns and Martinsydes, the MHF initially undertook unarmed reconnaissance operations, before undertaking light bombing operations later in the year after being attached to No. 30 Squadron RFC. Losses were high and by December, after flying supplies to the besieged garrison at Kut, the MHF was disbanded.[11]
In January 1916,
Three other squadrons –
During the final Allied offensive that eventually brought an end to the war – the Hundred Days Offensive – the AFC squadrons flew reconnaissance and observation missions around Amiens in August, as well as launching raids around Ypres, Arras and Lille. Operations continued until the end of the war, some of the fiercest air-to-air fighting occurring on 29 October, when 15 Sopwith Snipes from No. 4 Squadron fought an engagement with a group of Fokkers that outnumbered them four to one. In the ensuing fighting, the Australians shot down 10 German aircraft for the loss of just one of their own.[17] During their time along the Western Front, the two fighter squadrons – No. 2 and 4 – accounted for 384 German aircraft, No. 4 taking credit for 199 and No. 2 for 185.[21] The squadron were also credited with 33 enemy balloons destroyed or driven down.[16] No. 3 Squadron, operating in the corps reconnaissance role, accounted for another 51 aircraft.[16][22]
Organisation
By the end of the war, four squadrons had seen active service, operating alongside and under British Royal Flying Corps (and in 1918 the Royal Air Force) command. For administrative reasons, and to avoid confusion with similarly numbered RFC units, at one stage each AFC squadron was allocated an RFC number – the Australians themselves never used these numbers, and in the end, to avoid further confusion, the original AFC numbers were reinstated. The four operational squadrons of the AFC were:[23]
Australian designation | British designation | Established |
---|---|---|
No.1 Squadron AFC | No. 67 (Australian) Squadron RFC | 1 January 1916 |
No.2 Squadron AFC | No. 68 (Australian) Squadron RFC | 20 September 1916 |
No.3 Squadron AFC | No. 69 (Australian) Squadron RFC | 19 September 1916 |
No.4 Squadron AFC | No. 71 (Australian) Squadron RFC | 16 October 1916 |
In the Middle East, No. 1 Squadron was initially assigned to No. 5 Wing after being formed, but was later transferred to No. 40 Wing in late 1917, remaining as part of that formation until the end of the war.[24] In Europe, No. 2 Squadron formed part of No. 51 Wing,[25] but in 1918 it was transferred to No. 80 Wing, joining No. 4 Squadron which had been transferred from No. 11 Wing.[26] No. 3 Squadron trained as part of No. 23 Wing until it was committed to the Western Front in August 1917, when it became a "corps squadron", tasked with supporting the British XIII and Canadian Corps.[27]
As well as the operational squadrons, a training wing was established in the United Kingdom. Designated as the 1st Training Wing, it was made up of four squadrons. The four training squadrons of the AFC were:[15][28]
Australian designation | British designation | Established |
---|---|---|
No.5 (Training) Squadron AFC | No. 29 (Australian) Squadron, RFC | 1 September 1917 |
No.6 (Training) Squadron AFC | No. 30 (Australian) Squadron, RFC | 15 June 1917 |
No.7 (Training) Squadron AFC | No. 32 (Australian) Squadron, RFC | 24 October 1917 |
No.8 (Training) Squadron AFC | No. 33 (Australian) Squadron, RFC | 25 October 1917 |
As the war progressed, there were plans to increase the AFC's number of operational squadrons from four to fifteen by 1921, but the war came to an end before these could be raised.[29]
Personnel
The corps remained small throughout the war, and opportunities to serve in its ranks were limited. A total of 880 officers and 2,840 other ranks served in the AFC,
Pilots from the AFC's four operational squadrons claimed 527 enemy aircraft destroyed or driven down,
Equipment
The Australian Flying Corps operated a range of aircraft types. These types were mainly of British origin, although French aircraft were also obtained. Over this period aircraft technology progressed rapidly and designs included relatively fragile and rudimentary types to more advanced single-engined biplanes, as well as one twin-engined bomber.[38] The roles performed by these aircraft evolved during the war and included reconnaissance, observation for artillery, aerial bombing and ground attack, patrolling, and the resupply of ground troops on the battlefield by airdrop.[36]
Aircraft | Origin | Role(s) |
---|---|---|
Airco DH.5 | United Kingdom | fighter |
Airco DH.6 | United Kingdom | trainer |
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 | United Kingdom | trainer |
Avro 504 | United Kingdom | trainer |
Bleriot XI
|
France | trainer |
Bristol Boxkite | United Kingdom | trainer |
Bristol F.2 Fighter | United Kingdom | fighter/reconnaissance |
Bristol Scout | United Kingdom | reconnaissance/fighter/trainer |
Caudron G.3 | France | trainer |
Curtiss JN Jenny
|
United States | trainer |
Deperdussin | France | trainer |
Grahame-White Type XV Boxkite | United Kingdom | trainer |
Handley Page 0/400
|
United Kingdom | bomber |
Martinsyde S.1 | United Kingdom | reconnaissance |
Martinsyde G.100/G.101 | United Kingdom | single seat reconnaissance/bomber |
Maurice Farman MF.7 Longhorn
|
France | trainer |
Maurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn
|
France | trainer |
Maurice Farman Seaplane/Landplane | France | trainer |
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 | United Kingdom | reconnaissance |
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12 | United Kingdom | single seat reconnaissance/bomber |
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 | United Kingdom | fighter/reconnaissance |
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 | United Kingdom | reconnaissance |
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a
|
United Kingdom | fighter |
Sopwith 1½ Strutter | United Kingdom | trainer (obsolete fighter/reconnaissance) |
Sopwith Buffalo | United Kingdom | ground attack (test only) |
Sopwith Camel | United Kingdom | fighter |
Sopwith Pup | United Kingdom | trainer (obsolete fighter) |
Sopwith Snipe | United Kingdom | fighter |
Training
The AFC conducted both pilot and mechanic training in Australia at the Central Flying School, which was established at Point Cook, but this was limited in duration due to embarkation schedules,[40] which meant that further training was required overseas before aircrew were posted to operational squadrons.[41] The first course began on 17 August 1914 and lasted three months; two instructors, Henry Petre and Eric Harrison, who had been recruited from the United Kingdom in 1912 to establish the corps,[42] trained the first batch of Australian aircrew.[43] In the end, a total of eight flying training courses were completed at the Central Flying School during the war, the final course commencing in June 1917. The first six courses consisted only of officers, but the last two, both conducted in early and mid-1917 included non-commissioned officers. These courses ranged in size from four on the first course, to eight on the next three, 16 on the fifth, 24 on the sixth, 31 on the seventh and 17 on the last one. There was limited wastage on the early courses, all trainees successfully completing the first six courses, but final two courses run in 1917 suffered heavily from limited resources and bad weather, resulting in less than half the students graduating.[40] To complement the aviators trained by the CFS, the New South Wales government established its own aviation school at Clarendon, at what later became RAAF Base Richmond, which trained pilots, observers and mechanics. A total of 50 pilots graduated from the school,[41] the majority of its graduates went on to serve in the British flying services, although some served in the AFC.[44]
In early 1917, the AFC began training pilots, observers and mechanics in the United Kingdom.[45] Aircrew were selected from volunteers from other arms such as the infantry, light horse, engineers or artillery, many of whom had previously served at the front,[46] who reverted to the rank of cadet and undertook a six-week foundation course at the two Schools of Military Aeronautics in Reading or Oxford. After this, those who passed graduated to flight training at one of the four AFC training squadrons: Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8, which were based at Minchinhampton and Leighterton in Gloucestershire.[28][45]
Flight training in the UK consisted of a total of three hours dual instruction followed by up to a further 20 hours solo flying – although some pilots, including the AFC's highest-scoring ace, Harry Cobby, received less[44] – after which a pilot had to prove his ability to undertake aerial bombing, photography, formation flying, signalling, dog-fighting and artillery observation.[47] Elementary training was undertaken on types such as Shorthorns, Avro 504s and Pups, followed by operational training on Scouts, Camels and RE8s.[28] Upon completion, pilots received their commission and their "wings", and were allocated to the different squadrons based on their aptitude during training: the best were usually sent to scout squadrons, and the remainder to two-seaters.[45][48]
Initially, the AFC raised its ground staff from volunteer soldiers and civilians who had previous experience or who were trade trained, and when the first AFC squadron was formed these personnel were provided with very limited training that was focused mainly upon basic military skills.
Post-war legacy
Following the
Most units of the AFC were disbanded during 1919. The AFC was succeeded by the
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Australian National Aviation Museum.
- ^ a b c d Australian Flying Corps.
- ^ Australian Military Aviation and World War One.
- ^ a b Sydney Morning Herald 1912, p. 11.
- ^ a b Dennis et al 1995, p. 67.
- ^ Isaacs 1971, p. 11.
- ^ Weekly Times 1914, p. 26.
- ^ The West Australian 1914, p. 8.
- ^ Molkentin 2014, pp. 26–32.
- ^ Cutlack 1941, pp. 32 & 35.
- ^ a b Dennis et al 1995, p. 68.
- ^ Odgers 1994, p. 112.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. 109.
- ^ No. 1 Squadron AFC.
- ^ a b Dennis et al 1995, pp. 68–69.
- ^ a b c Isaacs 1971, p. 158.
- ^ a b c d e Dennis et al 1995, p. 69.
- ^ Odgers 1994, p. 128.
- ^ No. 2 Squadron AFC.
- ^ No. 4 Squadron AFC.
- ^ a b Odgers 1994, p. 130.
- ^ Eather 1995, p. 12.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. xi.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. 57 and 109.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. 259.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. 278.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, pp. 198–199.
- ^ a b c Stephens 2001, p. 17.
- ^ Stone 2014, p. 113.
- ^ a b Grey 2008, p. 118.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. 336.
- ^ a b Odgers 1994, p. 127.
- ^ Beaumont 2001, p. 214.
- ^ a b Molkentin 2010, p. 337.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, pp. 44–45.
- ^ a b c Molkentin 2010, p. ix.
- ^ a b Newton 1996, pp. 60–61.
- ^ Isaacs 1971, pp. 160–165.
- ^ Isaacs 1971, pp. 160–164.
- ^ a b Cutlack 1941, p. 426.
- ^ a b Molkentin 2010, p. 179.
- ^ Stephens 2001, p. 3.
- ^ Cutlack 1941, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d Stephens 2001, p. 9.
- ^ a b c Cutlack 1941, p. 430.
- ^ Cutlack 1941, p. xxviii.
- ^ Cutlack 1941, pp. 430–431.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, p. 182.
- ^ Cutlack 1941, pp. 431–432.
- ^ Cutlack 1941, pp. 432–433.
- ^ Garrisson 1990.
- ^ a b Cutlack 1941, p. 239.
- ^ Molkentin 2010, pp. 337–238.
References
Books
- ISBN 978-0-19554-118-2.
- OCLC 220900299.
- Dennis, Peter; et al. (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (1st ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand. ISBN 0-19-553227-9.
- Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.
- Garrisson, A.D. (1990). "Williams, Sir Richard". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 12. Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522842364.
- ISBN 9780521697910.
- Isaacs, Keith (1971). Military Aircraft of Australia 1909–1918. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. ISBN 9780642993748.
- Molkentin, Michael (2010). Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1742370729.
- Molkentin, Michael (2014). Australia and the War in the Air. Centenary History of Australia and the Great War. Vol. I. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195576795.
- Newton, Dennis (1996). Australian Air Aces: Australian Fighter Pilots in Combat. Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-25-0.
- ISBN 978-1-86302-385-6.
- Stephens, Alan (2001). The Royal Australian Air Force. The Australian Centenary History of Defence. Vol. 2. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-554115-4.
- Stone, Barry (2014). The Desert Anzacs: The Forgotten Conflicts in the Deserts of Mesopotamia, North Africa and Palestine. Richmond, Victoria: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 978-1742707549.
Websites and newspapers
- "1 Squadron AFC". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "2 Squadron AFC". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- "4 Squadron AFC". First World War, 1914–1918 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- "Australian Flying Corps". Australian War Memorial. n.d. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "Australian Military Aviation and World War One". Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- "Early Military Aviation". Australian National Aviation Museum. 2000–2003. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "Flying Corps: New Citizen Unit". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 October 1912. p. 11. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- "News in Brief". Weekly Times. Melbourne. 7 March 1914. p. 26. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- "Eastern Australia: Items By Mail". The West Australian. 16 March 1914. p. 8. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
Further reading
- Eather, Steve (1995). Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1-875671-15-3.