28:
327:
The
Mesopotamian Half Flight was officially disbanded in October 1916. A total of nine pilots flew with the unit, and of them two were lost, presumed killed, and six were captured. Historian Alan Stephens has written that "overshadowed by the Australian public’s interest in the contemporary events
251:
aircraft, which were still not up-to-date, but generally preferred to the
Farmans. On 30 July, one of the Caudrons was forced to land in enemy territory due to mechanical problems. It was later reported that the crew – Lieutenants George Pinnock Merz (a medical doctor and formerly of the
224:) often reached 80 mph (129 km/h). Secondly, the warm desert air reduced the aircraft lift capability, rendering them unable to take off on occasions. The Longhorn was a second-hand aircraft and had persistent mechanical problems, meaning that it spent much time being repaired.
186:
on 1 April 1915. Upon establishment, the unit consisted of four officers and 41 enlisted personnel. The personnel assigned to the Half-Flight included four of the seven trained pilots in
Australia at the time. The Australians were to be augmented by personnel from the Indian Army and
218:" design, so-called because the propeller was placed aft of the engine, behind the cockpit. The planes were already obsolete and were not suitable for the desert conditions. To start with, their top speed was only 50 mph (80 km/h), while the desert wind (known as the
307:
The
Australian personnel of "B" Flight suffered an increasing number of losses with at least two crews being taken prisoner, either after being shot down or suffering engine failure. The Indian Army soon met with stiff opposition outside
316:. After five months of siege, the garrison at Kut surrendered. Nine Australian ground staff became prisoners of war. Like the rest of the Allied prisoners, AFC personnel taken prisoner in Mesopotamia endured a punishing forced march to
761:
135:. The unit's operations came to an end in December 1915 and the following month the flight was subsumed into other units of the AFC which were being formed in Egypt. It was officially disbanded in October 1916.
871:
866:
260:(a New Zealander) – were killed by armed civilians after a running gun-battle over several miles. They were Australia's first air-war casualties. In August the half-flight received four
320:
proper and only two of them survived captivity. Petre, the last remaining
Australian airman in Mesopotamia, left No. 30 Squadron and flew the only remaining Shorthorn to
271:, although the rest of 30 Squadron remained in Egypt for several weeks. The half-flight's personnel and aircraft were incorporated into "B" Flight, No. 30 Squadron.
123:(AFC) unit to see active service during World War I. Formed in April 1915 at the request of the Indian Government, the half-flight's personnel were sent to
675:
127:(modern-day Iraq) where they were equipped with a small number of outdated and barely serviceable aircraft. They later operated in the
817:
694:
856:
836:
798:
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on 7 December, where he and it were eventually incorporated into the
Australian Flying Corps squadrons that were forming there.
232:
132:
651:. Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. Vol. VIII (11th ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
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river was too shallow for the seaplanes to use at that time of year, they were converted into
Shorthorns. On 27 September,
253:
257:
289:
156:
831:. Centenary History of Australia and the Great War. Vol. I. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.
202:
The half-flight's aircraft were to be provided by the Indian
Government, and on its arrival in Basra on 26 May, two
244:
183:
167:, had no air support. On 8 February 1915, the Australian government received a request for air assistance from the
203:
275:
239:, and after arriving there in early June, the half-flight began operations in support of an advance towards
207:
120:
59:
172:
175:: the unit therefore became known as the Mesopotamian Half-Flight, or Australian Half-Flight and Captain
164:
152:
85:
171:. The AFC was still in its infancy and could provide enough aircrews and ground staff for only half a
227:
After arrival, the aircraft were immediately put to use on reconnaissance missions, operating in the
215:
265:
160:
69:
748:
268:
155:
forces were small and primitive. Most of the available aircraft and pilots were assigned to the
328:
at
Gallipoli, the Half Flight’s heroic and pioneering achievements went largely unrecognised".
832:
813:
794:
740:
709:
690:
671:
652:
628:
593:
148:
723:
Gardner, Nikolas (2004). "Sepoys and the Siege of Kut-al-Amara, December 1915 – April 1916".
732:
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27:
261:
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228:
220:
128:
313:
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648:
The
Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War, 1914–1918
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188:
176:
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144:
124:
104:
79:
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282:
744:
656:
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Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin; Bou, Jean (2008).
286:
279:
49:
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in support of British and Indian forces under the command of Major General
131:
in support of British and Indian forces under the command of Major General
309:
211:
708:. Weston Creek, Australian Capital Territory: Aerospace Publications.
317:
293:
236:
192:
762:"The AFC in Hotter Climes: The Air War Over the Mesopotamian Desert"
810:
Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War
321:
301:
196:
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aircraft and their RFC crews arrived from Egypt in late October.
247:. On 4 July, the half-flight's equipment was augmented with two
297:
240:
32:
Members of the Half Flight gather around a Short 827 seaplane
292:, arrived and were attached to the half-flight. Because the
235:. Shortly afterwards, the Indian Army captured the town of
342:
340:
689:(Second ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
312:, and were forced back to Kut on 4 December, where the
371:
369:
367:
872:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1916
687:
The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History
627:. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
300:was captured and the half-flight moved there. Four
98:
93:
75:
65:
55:
45:
37:
20:
867:Military units and formations established in 1915
486:, History of No. 30 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.
706:Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force
119:(MHF), or Australian Half-Flight, was the first
182:The Mesopotamian Half-Flight was formed at the
812:. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
264:. On 24 August, it was officially attached to
8:
579:
165:attacking the Ottoman Empire in Mesopotamia
767:. Military History & Heritage Victoria
791:Military Aircraft of Australia 1909–1918
600:. Australian Strategic Policy Institute
555:
543:
531:
519:
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495:
471:
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423:
411:
399:
346:
336:
667:The Knutsford Lads Who Never Came Home
483:
435:
375:
17:
793:. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
7:
592:Stephens, Alan (19 December 2016).
567:
387:
358:
70:No. 30 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
594:"Australia's Great War in the air"
14:
625:The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons
829:Australia and the War in the Air
191:. The AFC contingent sailed for
26:
243:from Amarah, with intervening
210:were handed over. These three
195:, and on 20 April it left for
1:
827:Molkentin, Michael (2014).
808:Molkentin, Michael (2010).
254:Melbourne University Rifles
169:British Government of India
888:
737:10.1191/0968344504wh302oa
204:Maurice Farman Shorthorns
179:was appointed commander.
25:
857:RAAF independent flights
643:Cutlack, Frederic Morley
274:During September, three
117:Mesopotamian Half-Flight
21:Mesopotamian Half Flight
862:Aviation in World War I
623:Barnes, Norman (2000).
522:, pp. 12 & 22.
285:and their crews, under
276:Royal Naval Air Service
245:operations in Nasiriyeh
208:Maurice Farman Longhorn
121:Australian Flying Corps
60:Australian Flying Corps
789:Isaacs, Keith (1971).
704:Eather, Steve (1995).
159:. This meant that the
664:Davies, Tony (2014).
184:Central Flying School
86:Mesopotamian campaign
760:Lax, Mark (2012).
287:Squadron Commander
269:Royal Flying Corps
677:978-0-95682-947-4
580:Dennis et al 2008
546:, pp. 25–26.
498:, pp. 11–12.
314:city was besieged
233:Charles Townshend
133:Charles Townshend
110:
109:
879:
842:
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670:. Dolman Scott.
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462:, pp. 9–10.
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143:At the start of
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782:Further reading
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450:, pp. 8–9.
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402:, pp. 3–5.
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349:, pp. 1–3.
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266:No. 30 Squadron
262:Martinsyde S.1s
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819:978-1742370729
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731:(3): 307–326.
725:War in History
720:
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696:978-0195517842
695:
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598:The Strategist
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536:
534:, p. 324.
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582:, p. 62.
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229:Tigris Valley
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157:Western Front
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129:Tigris Valley
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769:. Retrieved
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602:. Retrieved
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556:Cutlack 1941
551:
544:Cutlack 1941
539:
532:Gardner 2004
527:
520:Cutlack 1941
515:
508:Cutlack 1941
503:
496:Cutlack 1941
491:
479:
474:, p. 9.
472:Cutlack 1941
467:
460:Cutlack 1941
455:
448:Cutlack 1941
443:
438:, p. 8.
431:
426:, p. 7.
424:Cutlack 1941
419:
412:Cutlack 1941
407:
400:Cutlack 1941
395:
390:, p. 5.
383:
378:, p. 1.
361:, p. 6.
354:
347:Cutlack 1941
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306:
273:
258:William Burn
226:
219:
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181:
163:, which was
142:
116:
114:
66:Part of
15:
771:23 December
604:23 December
484:Davies 2014
436:Eather 1995
376:Barnes 2000
283:floatplanes
249:Caudron G.3
214:were of a "
189:New Zealand
177:Henry Petre
161:Indian Army
145:World War I
125:Mesopotamia
105:Henry Petre
80:World War I
76:Engagements
851:Categories
616:References
149:air forces
101:commanders
94:Commanders
753:159478598
745:1477-0385
657:220900299
280:Short 827
50:Australia
41:1915–1916
645:(1941).
568:Lax 2012
388:Lax 2012
359:Lax 2012
212:biplanes
310:Baghdad
278:(RNAS)
151:of the
139:History
99:Notable
46:Country
835:
816:
797:
751:
743:
712:
693:
674:
655:
631:
318:Turkey
302:B.E.2c
294:Tigris
256:) and
237:Amarah
221:shamal
216:pusher
206:and a
193:Bombay
173:flight
153:Allied
147:, the
56:Branch
38:Active
765:(PDF)
749:S2CID
332:Notes
322:Egypt
197:Basra
833:ISBN
814:ISBN
795:ISBN
773:2016
741:ISSN
710:ISBN
691:ISBN
672:ISBN
653:OCLC
629:ISBN
606:2016
115:The
733:doi
298:Kut
241:Kut
853::
747:.
739:.
729:11
727:.
596:.
366:^
339:^
199:.
841:.
822:.
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699:.
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637:.
608:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
