30th December 2020

Golden Fleece uniform swap card

Australian Flying Corps

On the back of the card: ‘In November 1914, the A.F.C. sent two aircraft to serve in New Guinea, so becoming the first Dominion air corps on active service. In April, 1915, the half flight sailed for Bombay to fight the Turks in Mesopotamia. Other squadrons followed. Many of our famous aviation pioneers flew with the Australian Flying Corps.’

In 1912 the Australian Army ordered its first aircraft and appointed its first pilots. The first flying school was set up at Point Cook, Victoria, the following year. At first known as the Australian Aviation Corps, the Australian Flying Corps was the forerunner of the Australian Air Corps formed in 1919, then the RAAF, established in 1921. The AFC saw action in Mesopotania, Palestine and France during WW1.

Commonwealth Of Australia Gazette, 21st January 1926 page 61.

The example of the uniform tunics in the AWM collection have the general AMF buttons with the map of Australia. ( see http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/defence-forces-uniform-buttons/1901-ww2/  )

Australian War Memorial #REL36707. AFC officer’s service dress tunic.

Chronicle (Adelaide), 20th May 1916 page 27.

Sydney Mail, 20th December 1916 page