» Ashleigh Brown: AFC to RAAF
Ashleigh Brown delivered the 2024 Eric Watson Memorial Address at the AGM on 16 November.
Ashleigh’s topic was the development of Australian military aviation, 1918–1921.
29th Nov 2024
Australian Society of WW1 Aero Historians
Dedicated to the study of First World War aviation.
Membership benefits
Why you should join
Founded 1962, we are the oldest continuously-operating First World War aviation society in the English-speaking world.
High quality publications
Receive two volumes of the respected ’14–’18 Journal each year, plus a quarterly newsletter jam-packed with news, pics, links and articles.
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Choose a less expensive digital membership or pay a little more for printed journals, sent worldwide.
Extensive digital archives
Gain online access to all back issues of the journal and newsletter, plus the Society’s digitised collections.
Events and talks
Hear from experts and enthusiasts at our meetings, held in-person in Sydney and live-streamed online.
Knowledgeable community
Join a friendly and knowledgeable community who share your passion for WW1 aviation.
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Have your say in the Society’s future with voting rights at our meetings. Volunteer for the committee.
Biannual publication
The ’14 – ’18 Journal
Our flagship publication. First produced in 1964 and still going strong. In-depth, illustrated articles on a broad range of topics. Download sample articles. Join to access all back issues.
For Russia: interview with the late Capt. A.V. Serapinin; Pfalz E.V 1/48 scale drawings; the philosophy of scratch building; aeroplane compasses – their design and development; reminiscences of Cecil W. Suckling, RFC/RAF; the Diamler Mercedes aerofoil radiator; Dornier – man of vision; and much much more. 96 pages.
Interview with 2Lt A.B. ‘Brolga’ Hill, 29 Sqn RFC; experience of F.C. Veale with a photographic section in 1 Sqn AFC; recollections of W.C. Cambray, MC; memories of the School of Special Flying at Gosport; 160hp Mercedes aero engine; bombs & bearings, a miscellany of WW1 techniques; and much more. 104 pages.
Morane Bullets in 60 Sqn; the Fiat-Revelli machine gun; Early days – an interview with B.M. Wainwright; the Bristol Box Kite described and evaluated; Australia’s flying Scotsman – interview with Capt Scotty Allan; Rich pickings from the archives; Putting the troops in the picture; and more. 101 pages.
Personal letters of Capt R.W. Howard, MC, AFC; RAF gallantry awards instituted 1918-1919; Duigan and Roe, another examination of John Duigan’s alleged influence on Avro aircraft design; Podporuchik Nikolai Petrovich Kirillov - Imperial Russian Air Service; Information Technology 1914-1918 style; German sky camouflage; and much more. 103 pages.
Unsung RNAS pilot – Flt Lt James Earle Minifie; An assessment of the effectiveness of some allied aircraft; Australians who joined then died whilst serving with the RFC; Frederic Morley Cutlack and the Writing of the Australian Flying Corps’ Official History; 1Lt Phillips Merrill Payson, 55 Squadron RAF & 166th Aero Squadron, USAS; History of 1 Sqn AFC; and more. 70 pages.
Submarine hunter, Capt Charles Sydney Coltson; Presentation aircraft from the South Pacific; Stanley James Goble; The first air observation posts; Friendly fire - one of the hazards of artillery observation; and more. 70 pages.
U-boats sunk by RNAS aircraft alone; Final flights - RAF in the last days of the war; John Henry Dollittle, aviation enthusiast; 2Lt Paul Burgman Wilkins MC DFC - a Welsh observer in the Independent Force; Andrew Delfosse Badgery, pioneer aviator. 70 pages.
German Army airships, trials and triumphs; The Vickers F.B.14, a detailed examination; The air defence of Anzac; Adrian Trevor Cole, pilot and fighter ace; ‘One of our finest and most brilliant pilots’—the short life of 2Lt Stanley Walter Mann, RFC.
Open access database
Australian airmen of the Great War 1914-18
The Society has developed a comprehensive database containing records of over 6,000 Australian men and women who served in the air forces during the Great War. This significant project, begun by Wing Commander Barry Videon and expanded by David Perkins, represents years of dedicated work by the Society.
Now freely accessible to all, this database is your first stop for researching Australian air service personnel from World War One. It provides a valuable resource for historians, researchers, and anyone interested in the contributions of Australians to the air war.
Pictured: Officers of ‘A’ Flight, No. 4 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, on the Western Front, 16 June 1918. (Australian War Memorial, E02661)
What’s new
Society updates
Website refresh
The Society’s website has a new look for 2025.
We’ve moved to a streamlined content management system (CMS), allowing for simpler and faster updates.
This new iteration benefits from the strong foundation laid by our former webmaster, Andrew Smith. Andrew’s foresight and hard work establishi...
24th Nov 2024
» Watch: James Oglethorpe’s talk on Frank McNamara VC
Only one VC was awarded to an Australian airman in WW1. So what was so special about this case?
Watch James Oglethorpe's presentation on Frank McNamara VC and the ‘Most Famous Incident in Australian Flying Corps History’.
14th Aug 2024
Questions?