German Flechette (aerial dart) : Aircraft Mechanic F R Rawlinson, 3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps AIF

One piece cylindrical flechette (aerial dart) with pointed tip and four grooved fins set into the shaft.

This flechette was collected by 424 Frank Ronald Rawlinson at an aerodrome at Bailleuil in Flanders. Rawlinson enlisted in the AIF in August 1916 and embarked with the 6th reinforcements to 2nd Machine Gun Company on 20 October 1916, aboard HMAT Port Lincoln. He arrived in England via Sierra Leone in December. While in England he transferred to the 4th Division Machine Gun Company in February 1917. Then, at his brother Percy's suggestion, Rawlinson transferred to the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) in May. Percy had served in the AFC and later served with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). He died on 30 November 1918 from the Spanish Influenza.

Rawlinson proceeded to France in November 1917 and was taken on strength with 69 Squadron (Australian) RFC, which was later re-designated 3 Squadron AFC. In November 1917, the squadron moved to Flanders, operating in support of the Australian Corps. Its duties included locating enemy gun emplacements, artillery spotting and bombing patrols. In early 1918 operations extended to dropping propaganda leaflets and, in February, photographic reconnaissance work. During the German spring offensive, the squadron moved to the Somme Valley and was involved in vital artillery spotting operations.

Rawlinson was stationed with his unit at Bailleuil between November 1917 and March 1918. The unit was moved to an aerodrome at Abbele, after Bailleuil and its aerodrome had been severely shelled in March 1918 by German artillery. In May he was admitted to hospital with the measles. He rejoined his unit, before having leave for 2 weeks from late November 1918 in England. A few weeks after finishing leave he was admitted with influenza, which kept him hospitalised for nearly a month. He served in England for a few more months, followed by several months leave without pay. Rawlinson embarked for Australia in December 1919. He was discharged in July 1920.

Flechettes, or aerial darts, are essentially short steel rods with a sharp point at one end, and fins at the other. Originally invented by the Italians in 1911-1912, during the First World War they were first said to have been used by the French in 1914, although they were also later used by the British and Germans. The Germans took the opportunity to make a point about the development of the use of flechettes by stamping some of their flechettes (that were the same in style to the French ones), 'INVENTION FRANCAIS, FABRICATION ALLEMANDE' [French invention, German made] in French for their enemy to read.

Flechettes were dropped from aeroplanes or airships in great numbers, each canister holding between twenty and 250 darts. One French airman in March 1915 dropped 18,000 in a single day day over the German lines. The idea was that by dropping them at great heights they would acquire sufficient momentum (like a bullet) to allow them to pierce the heads, or bodies of enemy soldiers or civilians. The canisters were attached under the fuselage. A wire was pulled to open the bottom of the canister, which released the flechettes.

They were also used by the British to try and down German airships by dropping them from aircraft flying above. This failed to work, much in the same way firing normal ammunition at airships failed to work - they may have been able to penetrate the envelope of the airship, but did not cause much damage. Incendiary weapons were generally more successful. Against troops and civilians their success was variable. There are accounts of men being killed by flechettes, which were recorded as making thin, but deep wounds. Flechettes were primarily used early in the war, although some were still being used in January 1917. The British found them to be unsatisfactory - to work they had to score a direct hit, but there was no opportunity to direct them once they had been released from the aircraft. They were regarded as less formidable or effective than a bomb dropped by aircraft, which could inflict a broader range of damage.