Air Vice-Marshal Frank McNamara

Depicts a montage portrait of First World War and Second World War No. 1 Squadron Australian Flying Corp and No. 5 Flying Training School; Air Vice Marshal Frank Hubert McNamara, VC, CBE, RAAF. The work is a montage of images of McNamara as a young man, a Cross, and the event for which he was awarded the VC, a generic training school group, and two images as an older man. The AFC was established in 1913. In 1915 Australia was asked by Britain to form compile squadrons for service with the RFC. Australia responded by despatching No. 1 squadron to Egypt. During the next two years the squadron operated first from Heliopolis and later in Palestine and Syria. More squadrons were raised in Australia for the Western Front. No. 2, 3, and 4 squadrons arrived in France during August, September and December 1917 respectively. No. 2 squadron (flying DH5s) was attached to the Third Army and during the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917 carried out patrol duties, ground strafing of enemy troops and bombing. No. 3 squadron (flying RE8s) was supporting the last phase of the Passchendaele campaign in Flanders. The last Australian squadron to arrive (No. 4 flying Sopwith Camels) took up its duties with the First Army. At the end of the First World War, the AFC was disbanded and replaced by the Australian Air Corps which became the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1921.