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No 3 Sqn, Australian Flying Corps were largely equipped with the grossly inadequate RE. 8, hence the lack of "kills" compared with the other AFC squadrons flying Camel and Pup fighters. (Australian War Memorial neg no E1359.)
Australian Fighter Aces
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THIS IS PART TWO OF A SERIES. In Part One we told the story of the early aces and how the term originated. We then followed the development of the first fighter aircraft and their impact on air warfare. The article concluded by comparing the top-scoring aces of both world wars and the place the Australians hold in this select band. We now begin the stories of our own individual aces, starting with the First World War.
The Squadrons
Australia had four squadrons on active service in World War One, plus four in a training role. Of the four operational squadrons, three served in France and one in Egypt. No. 1 Squadron arrived in Egypt in April and remained there for the rest of the war. The other three squadrons were much later and did not become operational until the latter half of 1917. No. 3 Squadron arrived in France in August 1917, No. 2 Squadron followed in September, and No. 4 Squadron in December 1917. Less than a year later, the war was over, but some spectacular results were achieved by these units and their pilots.
Nos 1 and 3 Squadrons were ·general purpose and reconnaissance squadrons, operating two-seater aircraft, although No. 1 Squadron did have some fighter aircraft on strength for its own protection. Nos 2 and 4 Squadrons were purely fighter squadrons and flew single-seaters. There was great rivalry between the squadrons, particularly the two fighter units, and very soon the aces began to appear.
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