Aviation units belonged to the Australian Flying Corps, a corps of the Army formed in 1912. The lineage of Flying Corps has since passed to the Royal Australian Air Force, formed in 1921.
Flying Wings
1st (Training) Flying Wing
Formed Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England 1 September 1917 to control
5th,6th,7th and 8th (Training) Squadrons.
Flying
SquadronsThe flying squadron was the fundamental Aviation unit. In 1916 each squadron consisted of 19 officers and 138 other ranks. All squadrons had British designations as well as Australian ones until use of the British names was officially discontinued on 19 January 1918.
1st
Flying Squadron
Formed Point Cook Victoria, 6 January 1916. Departed Melbourne Orsova 16 March 1916. 1st Reinforcements
departed Melbourne Orsova 16 March
1916, 2nd Reinforcements departed Melbourne Malwa
25 July 1916, 3rd Reinforcements departed Melbourne Ulysses
25 October 1916. Also known as 67th (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.
Equipped with a BE2c on 4 June 1916. On 18 December 1916 one Martinsyde was allocated per
flight and in December BE2e began replacing the BE2c. In March 1917 the number of
Martinsydes was increased to two per flight and two BE12a per flight were added so that in
June 1917, the squadron consisted of 6 Martinsydes, 6 BE12a and 6 BE2e. From 17 October
1917 the RE8 began to replace the BE2e. Finally, from 29 December 1917, the squadron
re-equipped with Bristol Fighters. Returned to Australia Port Sydney 5 March 1919 where disbanded..
Sudan, Egypt, Western Desert, Sinai, Palestine
2nd
Flying Squadron (1)
Formed Point Cook, Victoria, 6 July 1916. Departed Melbourne Ullyses 25 October 1916. Arrived England 28
December 1916 where renumbered 3rd Flying Squadron.
England
2nd Flying Squadron (2)
Formed Egypt, 20 September 1916. Moved to United Kingdom 30 January 1917 and France 21
September 1917. Also known as 68th (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.
Equipped with DH5. Reequipped with SE5a December 1917. Returned to Australia Kaiser-i-Hind May 1919 where disbanded
June1919.
Western Front
3rd
Flying Squadron
Formed Point Cook, Victoria, 6 July 1916 as 2nd Flying
Squadron. Departed Melbourne Ullyses 25
October 1916. Arrived England 28 December 1916 where renumbered 3rd Flying Squadron.
1st Reinforcements departed Melbourne Ulysses
25 October 1916, 2nd Reinforcements departed Melbourne Hororata 23 November 1916, 3rd and
4th Reinforcements departed Melbourne Orsova6 December 1916. Also known as 69th
(Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Equipped with RE8. This squadron served as
the Australian Corps' aviation unit. Returned to Australia Kaiser-i-Hind May 1919 where disbanded
June1919.
England, Western Front
4th Flying Squadron
Formed Point Cook Victoria, 16 October 1916. Departed Melbourne Omrah 17 January 1917. 1st and 2nd
Reinforcements departed Melbourne Omrah 17
January 1917. Arrived England 27 March 1917. Moved to France 18 December 1917 and Germany
7 December 1918, the only Australian unit in the British Army of Occupation. Also known as
71st (Australian) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Equipped with Sopwith Camel.
Reequipped with Sopwith Snipe October 1918. Returned to Australia Kaiser-i-Hind May 1919 where disbanded
16 June 1919.
Western Front
5th (Training) Flying Squadron [1st
Flying Wing]
Formed Shawbury, England 1 September 1917. Also known as 29th (Australian Training)
Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Equipped with Avro 504, Maurice Farman Shorthorn and
Airco DH6. Disbanded Minchinhampton, England May 1919.
England
6th (Training) Flying Squadron [1st
Flying Wing]
Formed Yatesbury, England 1 September 1917. Also known as 30th (Australian
Training) Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Equipped with Avro 504, Bristol Scout, Sopwith
Camel, Sopwith Pup, SE5a and Airco DH5.
England
7th (Training) Flying
Squadron [1st Flying Wing]
Formed Yatesbury, England 24 October 1917. Also known as 31st (Australian Training)
Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Equipped with Avro 504, BE2c, RE8 and Bristol Fighter.
England
8th (Training) Flying Squadron [1st
Flying Wing]
Formed Yatesbury, England 25 October 1917. Also known as 33rd (Australian Training)
Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Equipped with Avro 504, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Camel and
Sopwith Snipe.
England
Miscellaneous Flying Corps Units1st Aeroplane Repair Section [1st
Flying Wing]
Formed England 1917 for 1st Flying Wing and based at Leighterton, England.
England
1st Two Squadron Station [1st Flying
Wing]
Formed England 27 June 1918 for 1st Flying Wing.
England
2nd Two Squadron Station [1st Flying
Wing]
Formed England 27 June 1918 for 1st Flying Wing.
England
Australian Flying Corps Training
Depot
Formed England 1917 at Perham Down, England and based at Halton Park Camp East,
Wendover, England.
England
Mesopotamia Half Flight
Formed Point Cook, Victoria February 1915. Departed Melbourne Morea 20 April 1915. Reinforcements departed
Melbourne Persia 10 August 1915. Also known as Mesopotamia
Flight, Indian Flying Corps and B Flight, 30th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.
This unit consisted of 4 pilots and 42 other ranks and was equipped with two Cauildron
GIIIs, two Maurice Farman Shorthorns, a Maurice Farman Longhorn and four Martinsyde S1s.
One of the pilots was killed in action, and 2 pilots and 9 other ranks were captured by
the Turks at Kut. Disbanded March 1916 and remaining personnel joined 1st Flying Squadron..
Iraq
Flying Corps Reinforcements1st Special Draft departed Melbourne Shropshire 11 May 1917, Sydney Marathon 10 May 1917, Sydney Beltana 16 June 1917, Melbourne Themistocles 4 August 1917, Melbourne Suevic 21 June 1917, Melbourne Aeneas 30 October 1917, Melbourne Port Sydney 9 November 1917, Melbourne Ulysses 22 December 1917, Melbourne Indarra 26 November 1917. 2nd Special Draft departed Melbourne Ulysses 22 December 1917. 3rd Special Draft departed Melbourne Nestor 28 February 1918, Melbourne Ormonde 7 March 1918, Sydney Osterley 8 May 1918, Melbourne Zealandic 5 October 1918. 4th Special Draft departed Adelaide Boonah 22 October 1918.
Page created by Ross
Mallett
ross@metva.com.au
Last update 28 June 2010