Australian Flying Corps facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Australian Flying Corps
Captain Harry Cobby (centre), Lieutenant 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 Mesopotamian campaign Sinai and Palestine Campaign Western Front
Commanders
Notable commanders	Edgar Reynolds Richard Williams
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was Australia's first military air force. It was part of the Australian Army during World War I. The AFC was the first step towards creating the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which we have today.

The idea for the AFC started in 1911 at a big meeting in London. Countries in the British Empire decided they should all develop their own air forces. Australia was the first to act on this idea. By the end of 1911, the Army was looking for pilots and mechanics.

In 1912, the first pilots and mechanics were hired. Airplanes were ordered, and a place for a flying school was chosen. The first squadron was officially formed. On March 7, 1913, the government announced the Central Flying School (CFS). They also mentioned an "Australian Aviation Corps," but the name "Australian Flying Corps" became more common.

AFC units served overseas with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War I. They first flew missions in the Mesopotamian Campaign (modern-day Iraq). Later, they fought in Palestine and France. A special training area was set up in the United Kingdom. The AFC was part of the Australian Army until it was closed down in 1919. It was then replaced by the Australian Air Corps for a short time. In 1921, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was formed as its own independent service.

Starting the Australian Flying Corps

On December 30, 1911, the Australian government announced it was looking for "two skilled Mechanists and Aviators." They also said they would not be responsible for any accidents. On July 3, 1912, the first airplanes were ordered. These included two British-made Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 biplanes and two French-made Deperdussin monoplanes. Soon after, the first two pilots were hired: Henry Petre on August 6 and Eric Harrison on August 11.

On September 22, 1912, the Minister of Defence, Senator George Pearce, officially approved the creation of an Australian military air arm. Henry Petre suggested a flying school at Point Cook, Victoria. This location was chosen on October 22, 1912. Two days later, on October 24, 1912, the government approved forming one squadron. This squadron would have four aircraft and be staffed by officers, warrant officers, sergeants, and mechanics. These people would come from volunteers already serving in the Citizen Forces.

On March 7, 1913, the government officially announced the Central Flying School (CFS). They also mentioned the "Australian Aviation Corps." The name "Australian Flying Corps" was not officially announced but became widely used. Flying training did not start right away. The first group of pilots began their training in 1914. No. 1 Flight of the Australian Flying Corps was formed on July 14, 1914.

In March 1914, Major Edgar Reynolds was put in charge of a new Army branch. This branch handled intelligence, censorship, and aviation. When World War I began, aviation became its own separate branch under Reynolds. AFC units worked with Australian ground forces and British commands. Reynolds' job was mostly about managing the AFC, not leading fights.

The AFC in World War I

Early Operations and Squadrons

Members of the Half Flight gather around a Royal Naval Air Service Short 827

After World War I started in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent one plane. It was a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2. This plane was meant to help capture German colonies in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. But the German forces gave up quickly. The plane was still in its shipping crate when the fighting ended.

The first real flights happened on May 27, 1915. The Mesopotamian Half Flight (MHF) was led by Captain Henry Petre. They helped the Indian Army protect British oil areas in what is now Iraq. The MHF used different planes like Caudrons and Maurice Farman Shorthorns. They first flew unarmed missions to look around. Later, they dropped light bombs. Many planes were lost, and the MHF was closed down by December.

In January 1916, No. 1 Squadron was formed in Australia. This was because Britain asked Australia to create a full squadron. Reynolds was the squadron's first commander. The squadron had 12 planes and arrived in Egypt in April. They started flying missions in mid-June against Turkish and Arab forces in Egypt and Palestine. They stayed in the Middle East until the war ended. They flew missions to scout, help ground troops, and provide air support. They used planes like B.E.2cs and later Bristol Fighters.

One pilot from No. 1 Squadron, Lieutenant Frank McNamara, won the only Victoria Cross given to an Australian airman during the war. He earned it for rescuing another pilot who was shot down behind enemy lines in early 1917. No. 1 Squadron was credited with shooting down 29 enemy aircraft.

Three other squadrons – No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 – were formed in 1917. They were sent to France. They arrived between August and December and flew missions on the Western Front. They were under the command of British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) units.

No. 2 Squadron was the first AFC unit to fight in Europe. They flew DH.5 fighters. They fought a German patrol and lost one plane. The next month, they took part in the Battle of Cambrai. They flew patrols, bombed, and attacked ground targets to support the British army. They lost many planes in dangerous low-level attacks. Later, their DH.5s were replaced with better S.E.5a fighters.

No. 3 Squadron used R.E.8 planes for scouting. They joined the war during the Battle of Passchendaele in November. Their main job was to help artillery by spotting targets. No. 4 Squadron joined the fighting last. They had Sopwith Camels. They first went to a quiet area and did not see combat until January 1918.

R.E.8s of No 3 Sqn AFC

During the final Allied push that ended the war, called the Hundred Days Offensive, AFC squadrons flew scouting missions. They also launched attacks around Ypres, Arras, and Lille. Fighting continued until the end of the war. Some of the toughest air battles happened on October 29. Fifteen Sopwith Snipes from No. 4 Squadron fought a group of German Fokkers. The Fokkers outnumbered them four to one. The Australians shot down 10 German planes and lost only one of their own.

During their time on the Western Front, No. 2 and No. 4 Squadrons shot down 384 German aircraft. No. 4 Squadron got credit for 199, and No. 2 for 185. They also destroyed or forced down 33 enemy balloons. No. 3 Squadron, which did scouting work, shot down another 51 aircraft.

How the AFC was Organized

By the end of the war, four AFC squadrons had fought in battle. They worked with and under British Royal Flying Corps (and later Royal Air Force) command. To avoid confusion with similar British units, each AFC squadron was given a British number for a while. But the Australians never used these numbers. In the end, the original AFC numbers were used again.

Here are the four main AFC squadrons that saw action:

In the Middle East, No. 1 Squadron was first part of No. 5 Wing. Later, it moved to No. 40 Wing in late 1917 and stayed there. In Europe, No. 2 Squadron was part of No. 51 Wing. In 1918, it moved to No. 80 Wing, joining No. 4 Squadron. No. 3 Squadron trained with No. 23 Wing. When it went to the Western Front in August 1917, it became a "corps squadron." Its job was to support British and Canadian ground forces.

Besides the fighting squadrons, a training group was set up in the United Kingdom. It was called the 1st Training Wing and had four squadrons.

Here are the four AFC training squadrons:

As the war went on, there were plans to increase the number of AFC fighting squadrons. They wanted to go from four to fifteen by 1921. But the war ended before these plans could happen.

People in the AFC

Serny, France, November 1918. A score board recording the claims for enemy aircraft destroyed by No. 80 Wing RAF from July–November 1918, including Nos. 2 and 4 Squadron AFC.

The AFC stayed small during the war. Not many people got to join. A total of 880 officers and 2,840 other ranks served in the AFC. Only 410 of them were pilots, and 153 were observers. Another 200 Australians served as aircrew in British flying services. These included famous people like Charles Kingsford Smith and Bert Hinkler. They would later become very important in Australian aviation.

Sadly, 175 AFC members died, 111 were wounded, 6 were gassed, and 40 were captured. Most of these losses happened on the Western Front. There, 78 Australians were killed, 68 were wounded, and 33 became prisoners. This meant about 44% of AFC members became casualties. This was similar to Australian infantry soldiers, who had about a 50% casualty rate. The high number of losses was partly because pilots were not given parachutes. Also, most flights were over enemy lines.

Pilots from the four AFC squadrons claimed to have destroyed or forced down 527 enemy aircraft. The AFC produced 57 flying aces. A flying ace is a pilot who has shot down five or more enemy planes. The top AFC pilot was Harry Cobby, who was credited with 29 victories. Other leading aces included Roy King (26), Edgar McCloughry (21), Francis Smith (16), and Roy Phillipps (15).

Some Australian aces, like Robert Little (47 victories) and Roderic (Stan) Dallas (39 victories), served with the British Royal Naval Air Service. Other Australian aces in British units included Jerry Pentland (23) and Richard Minifie (21). Several AFC officers became senior commanders. One AFC member received the Victoria Cross. Another 40 received the Distinguished Flying Cross, with two getting it three times.

AFC Aircraft and Gear

The Australian Flying Corps used many different types of aircraft. Most of these planes came from Britain, but some were from France. During the war, airplane technology changed very quickly. Designs went from simple, fragile planes to more advanced biplanes with one engine. There was even one bomber with two engines.

The jobs these planes did also changed during the war. They were used for scouting, helping artillery spot targets, dropping bombs, attacking ground troops, patrolling, and dropping supplies to soldiers.

Here are some of the aircraft flown by the Australian Flying Corps:

Training for the AFC

The AFC trained pilots and mechanics in Australia at the Central Flying School in Point Cook. But this training was short because people had to leave for overseas service quickly. So, more training was needed overseas before aircrew joined fighting squadrons. The first training course began on August 17, 1914, and lasted three months. Two instructors, Henry Petre and Eric Harrison, trained the first group of Australian aircrew.

In total, eight flying training courses were completed at the Central Flying School during the war. The last course started in June 1917. The first six courses were only for officers. But the last two, in early and mid-1917, also included non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The number of trainees varied from four on the first course to 31 on the seventh. In the early courses, everyone passed. But the last two courses in 1917 had problems with limited resources and bad weather. Less than half the students graduated.

To help with training, the New South Wales government started its own aviation school. It was at Clarendon, which later became RAAF Base Richmond. This school trained pilots, observers, and mechanics. A total of 50 pilots graduated from this school. Most of them served in British flying services, but some joined the AFC.

In early 1917, the AFC began training pilots, observers, and mechanics in the United Kingdom. Aircrew were chosen from volunteers from other army groups. Many had already fought at the front. They became cadets and took a six-week basic course in Reading or Oxford. After this, those who passed went on to flight training. This happened at one of the four AFC training squadrons: Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8. These were based in Gloucestershire.

Flight training in the UK included three hours of instruction with an instructor. Then, up to 20 more hours of flying alone. Some pilots, like Harry Cobby, had even less solo flying time. After this, a pilot had to show they could do aerial bombing, photography, formation flying, signaling, dog-fighting, and artillery spotting. Basic training used planes like Shorthorns and Avro 504s. Then, operational training used Scouts, Camels, and RE8s. Once training was done, pilots became officers and got their "wings." They were sent to different squadrons based on how well they did. The best usually went to fighter squadrons.

At first, the AFC got its ground staff from volunteer soldiers and civilians. These people already had experience or were trained in a trade. When the first AFC squadron was formed, these staff got very basic military training. As the war continued, a full training program was set up. Mechanics were trained in nine different jobs: welders, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, engine fitters, general fitters, riggers, electricians, magneto-repairers, and machinists. Training was given at eight technical sections. The training length for each job varied, usually between eight and 12 weeks. More complex jobs, like engine fitter, needed training in several sections. General fitters had the longest training, with 32 weeks of instruction.

What Happened After the War

After the war ended on November 11, 1918, the AIF slowly returned to Australia. Some units stayed in Europe to help with rebuilding and occupation duties. No. 4 Squadron AFC was the only Australian unit to take part in the occupation of Germany. They operated near Cologne between December 1918 and March 1919. Then, they gave their planes to the British and returned to Australia with the other three squadrons. Colonel Richard Williams took over from Edgar Reynolds in 1919.

Most AFC units were closed down during 1919. The AFC was replaced by the Australian Air Corps. This corps was then replaced by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1921. Many former AFC members, like Cobby, McNamara, Williams, Lawrence Wackett, and Henry Wrigley, helped create the new RAAF. Others, like John Wright, who served with No. 4 Squadron, went back to ground roles in the army.

See Also

• Military history of Australia during World War I

Images for kids

• 

  Captain Harry Cobby (centre), Lieutenant 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

• 

  Members of the Half Flight gather around a Royal Naval Air Service Short 827

• 

  R.E.8s of No 3 Sqn AFC

• 

  Serny, France, November 1918. A score board recording the claims for enemy aircraft destroyed by No. 80 Wing RAF from July–November 1918, including Nos. 2 and 4 Squadron AFC.