Image Library

Harold Edwards was born on 11 May 1896 at the mining town of Bendigo, Vic., where his father, James Raymond Edwards, had a jewellery shop in Pall Mall. Harold commenced his education at the Central School, completing the sixth grade. Later he was enrolled at St Andrew's College

After finishing school, Harold completed an apprenticeship as a watchmaker.After finishing school, Harold completed an apprenticeship as a watchmaker. His brother had been killed at Gallipoli and he was keen to join up but his father said he would not let him enlist until he was 21. Enlisting in 1917, Harold Edwards was posted to the AFC and served on the Western Front with 3 Squadron as an air mechanic specialising in instrument fitting. Harold also made the plaque for the original grave marker of Baron von Richthofen and engraved it in both English and German.

Harold passed away in 1998 aged 102, the last survivor of the Australian Flying Corps.

• Harold Edwards Collection

Born in 1893 in the seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset. Gardner worked as a mechanic prewar and enlisted in the Navy a month after war was declared. Before he could take up his original posting to Pembroke with the rank of 2nd Class Air Mechanic, he was granted a commission and posted to Hendon for flight intruction. Gaining RAeC 1814 in October 1915, he would gain experience on both seaplanes and land based aircraft. Gardner had flown 25 types of aircraft and risen to the rank of Captain when the armistace was declared.

Post war he moved to Australian and was enlisted in the fledgling RAAF in 1924 with the rank of Flying Officer. He would resign his commission in 1928, and would become a flying instructor at various flight schools around the country. He would re-enlist in the RAAF during WW2.

• William Gardner Collection

Born in 1891 at Croydon, Victoria, Goble joined Victorian Railways and by 1914 was working as a relieving stationmaster. At the outbreak of war he tried to enlist in the AIF, but was twice rejected on medical grounds. Determined to join his three brothers on active servce, he paid his own passage to England where he was granted a temporary commission in the RNAS. After completing his flight training at Hendon, he was posted to Dover Air Station to test fly new aircraft.

He was then posted to Dunkirk where he gained his first victory, a German L.V.G. 2 seater whilst flying a Sopwith Pup. Goble became a founding member of the the RNAS' soon to be premier squadron, Naval 8. He would later be posted to Naval 5 where he would become its commanding officer

Post war Goble became founding member of the RAAF rising to the rank of Air Vice Marshal.

• Stanley Goble Collection

Thomas Edward Barham Howe was born in Ireland in 1886 but was living in Australia prewar. He enlisted in the AIF in October, 1914 and was posted to the 12th Battalion. Part of the initial landings at Gallipoli on April 25th, Howe was wounded on landing and was evacuated back to England with a gun shot wound to his left leg. Whilst recovering he gained a commission with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1916

Gaining his RAeC No. 3322 in August 1916, Howe would remain in England for the majority of the war in the role of flying instuctor. Howe was not immune form danger though, he wrote after the war that he was witness to 46 deaths in training accidents. Howe would finally be posted to 18 Squadron RAF in September 1918, and would end the war in France.

Howe remained in the RAF post war and rose to the rank of Air Commodore.

• Thomas Howe Collection

Born in Sydney in 1893, the family moved to Mt Wilson and with no schools in the area, Bell was educated at boarding schools and spent time at St Joseph's College and Camden Grammar School. After leaving school Bell worked on sheep stations in the Leeton area. Returning to Sydney to enlist, Joshua's mechanical background saw him hand picked as a member of the AFC and he was sent to Point Cook for 3 months training.

He would spend the war as an Air Mechanic with 3 Squadron working on engines exclusively. Joshua never flew, he was afflicted with servre motion sickness, although that didn't stop him recieving 7 days field punishment for exceeding the speed limit while driving a 3 sqaudron lorry.

Post war he opened a phtographic studio in Temora NSW as a direct result of his interest in photography during the Great War.

• John Joshua Collection