For the history and aviation buffs out there (and those who may want to learn a little bit more about Australia’s involvement in WW1) – Part 1 of a 4 part series to celebrate the centenary of military aviation in Australia.
No.2 Squadron De Havilland DH-5 scout plane 1917 (photo source: Australian War Memorial)
To commemorate the centenary of military aviation in Australia (1914 to 2014) I am writing a four-part series of articles on the key stages of the RAAF: 1914 to 1939 (World War One and the interwar years), 1939 to 1945 (World War Two), 1945 to 1953 (the Cold War begins and the Korean War) and 1953 to the present day (Communist Insurgency in Malaya, the Vietnam War, Iraq, Afghanistan, peacekeeping, peacetime operations and a glimpse into the future). So for now lets take a look at those early years of military aviation.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has operated some of the best aircraft available in its long and illustrious history. The title of the RAAF was established on March 31st, 1921 and it is the second oldest independent air arm of any nation (the United Kingdom was the first to establish an air force separated from…