Most Australians are aware of the contribution of the Australian Army and Navy in WW1 but few are aware that in the Great War Australia pulled well above its weight in the air war too.
During the First World War Australia was the only member of the British Commonwealth to raise its own independent Flying Corps – The Australian Flying Corps (AFC). The AFC contributed 4 operational Squadrons to the War effort. No.1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC) served in Palestine and Numbers 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons AFC flew on the Western Front in France.
Warbirds Online has been very fortunate to have acquired an unnamed WW1 AFC veteran’s photo collection about 40 years ago taken while he was training at both Minchinhampton and Leighterton UK. The photos are taken with a typical rudimentary camera of the day and the image quality is not that good, however they represent a priceless archive of Australian service men and women in the Great War.
In this year the 100th Anniversary year of Gallipoli we thought it would be worthwhile to present these images to our readers.
Such was the depth of the AFC commitment that Australia also had 4 training Squadrons based in the United Kingdom (UK) in Gloucestershire, Numbers 5 and 6 Training Squadrons AFC, at Minchinhampton and Numbers 7 and 8 Training Squadrons AFC at Leighterton. Those four AFC squadrons formed the 1st Training Wing AFC with its headquarters and AFC hospital in Tetbury. All 3 villages are only a few miles apart in the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside.
The image (left) shows AFC Barracks block either Minchinhampton or Leigherton Gloucestershire UK. The image (right) shows AFC personnel at Tetbury railway Gloucestershire UK headquarters of No. 1 Training Wing AFC.
Minchinhampton was by all accounts a less attractive air field featuring canvas hangers whilst in the later stages of the war Leighterton featured permanent brick, metal and wood hangers although not much remains today except for a few buildings.
The AFC hospital at Tetbury also treated many AFC personnel and victims of the inevitable training accidents at the two close by airfields.
The image (left) shows a 130 hp Clerget 9B Rotary engine from a Sopwith Camel undergoing work at No 1 Training Wing AFC base Leighterton Gloucestershire UK. The image(right) shows Avro 504K and Sopwith Snipe aircraft at AFC No.1 Training wing base at Minchinhampton Gloucestershire UK, possibly post war as they are dismantled
To this day the Australian Embassy in the UK sends the Australian air attaché to the Leighterton Church cemetery every Armistice, to pay tribute to the young Australians buried there who died in training. Twenty four Flying Corps members are buried in Leighterton cemetery. The Cemetery is worthy of a visit should you be visiting the UK.
The image (left) shows E1804 504J K Built as one of a batch of 300 Avro 504J K aircraft by A V Roe Co and served with No.5 Sqn AFC at AFC No.1 training wing base Minchinhampton Gloucestershire UK. The image (right) shows Sopwith Pups A6249 and D4159 built by Whitehead Aircraft UK this aircraft Served with 5 and 6 Sqn’s AFC at the AFC 1 Training wing base at Minchinhampton Gloucestershire UK.
Aircraft featured in use as training machines include Sopwith Pups , Se5A, Avro 504K,Sopwith 1 and a half strutters, HP400, Sopwith Camel, Bristol Fighter and Sopwith Snipe. Also of great interest in the photos of daily life are photos of the Australians at the Tetbury Railway station, the base accommodation Barracks at Leighterton and a photo of the AFC personnel and nurses gathered at AFC Leighterton.
The image (left) shows Sopwith Snipe 7F.1 E7378 One of 500 Snipes built to contract 35A433C301 by Ruston Proctor Lincoln Served with 5 Sqn at 1 Training Wing at Minchinhampton Gloucestershire UK. The image (right) shows Captain (Capt) G. F. Malley MC, Officer Commanding (OC) C Flight, No. 5 (Training) Squadron, Australian Flying Corps (AFC), at Minchinhampton AFC standing next to an all-white Sopwith Camel 1.F.1 E7259.
With training of pilots inevitably comes accidents and the photos also reveal some of the incidents which befell the trainee pilots including a rather spectacular intrusion by one machine into a huge canvas hanger.
We hope you will enjoy this very rare slice of WW1 Australian Aviation History. Not a lot of photos survive of these men and women, their bases and their service to Australia.
We will be posting the remaining AFC photographs form this collection in our AFC image gallery.
© John Parker 2015
Hello. My father’s older brother served in 4 Squadron AFC on the Western front. Lt. Jack Weingarth was a fighter pilot who was in the first flying school training group at Richmond, NSW in 1916 . He was regularly on missions over the Front, then sent to train in England, dying in a training accident at 26 years of age just after the end of the War. In 2015,the Centenary of ANZAC Day, I wore his medals as the only representative of a WW1 airman in the Sydney march. There needs to be more representation of the 410 Aussie pilots that flew in the War particularly at the opening of the Monash Centre in France and in 2018 special events in Australia. I’d like to give talks as I have to high school students about the role of the AFC. Any ideas on this?
Hi Steve
We have a great interest in this area, particularly the Training Squadrons based in the UK during WWI. We would be very interested in any material you may have on that time and we are happy to promote it. In addition, we suggest you contact the AWM and the RAAF Museum Point Cook, Victoria in regard to the educational talks. Depending on the State in which you live there are also a number of groups active in promoting the Centenary of WWI and they may be able to assist you. Please contact us via our contact page should you wish to communicate further about your uncle & 4 Squadron AFC – thank you for your feedback.
kind regards
John
Col Oswald ‘Toby’ Watt was trained in france and flew for french at beginning WW1 – australia and England had no airforce
He ended up training pilots in Tetburu
I am Travelling in England ar the moment but there is alot written about this wonderful Australian . A book by his friends and famil after he drowned at Bilgola Beach Sydney in 1921
Funds from his will started a gold flying medal award
Hi Anne
Thank you for sending the information about Col Oswald ‘Toby’ Watt. We appreciate you getting in touch. Happy travels.
kind regards
John
John, I enjoyed your article. I am also fascinated by the AFC training bases in Gloucestershire. I lived nearby for several years at Tewkesbury and only realised when I returned to Sydney that Australia had had these airstrips in our backyard. I was doubly disappointed in myself because my late father had been a keen glider pilot and neither had I visited the Cotswold Gliding Club (http://www.cotswoldgliding.co.uk/about_the_club) after watching the planes fly overhead when we were out and about. So what am I saying? Minchinhampton airstrip was used by the Ministry of Defence throughout most of the 20th Century but was known as Ashton Down. IT was sold to the Gliding Club in 1981. Last time I was back in the UK I went to visit the sites, both the Leighterton war cemetery, which is very peaceful and moving, and Ashton Down, which was interesting but closed for the winter. I have become absolutely fascinated by the AFC and am researching the story of Les Holden one of the pilots and for a time CO of No 5 Squadron at Minchinhampton. Tim
I currently live at Leighterton Aerodrome, it’s so strange to think all these buildings use to be here (Sadly all gone now).
We use to have a lot of Australian soldiers come and point out exactly where they use to sleep work etc, however as expected they have stopped with time. So i was always aware of the amount of building around but seeing the photos really puts it in perspective. It’s so lovely to see all the photos and see what my home use to look like back in the war.
Hi M
Thank you for your comments, they’re fascinating – could we ask if its possible to get some current photos of the site – empty as it is?
Kind regards
John