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Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Geoffrey Morey was a student when war was declared in 1914. Travelling with his brother Alan Morey to England in 1914 Geoff was enrolled in Radley College. To young to join up Morey had to wait until his 17th birthday when he enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman, being promoted two months later to Midshipman.

Posted to HMS Lucifer a Laforey-class destroyer in December 1916, Lucifer and her crew would form part of the Dover patrol from March 1917. Morey was transferred to the RNAS in December 197 and would qualify as a pilot a month later. Posted to No. 6 Wing Morey would serve in Italy, Malta and Egypt. He would see the war end instructing new pilots at the Sea Plane base at Abu Qir (Aboukir).

Post war Morey returned to his studies and completed his medical degree, enlisting during WW2 he rose to the rank of Colonel.

• Geoffrey Morey Collection

Born in Sydney in 1893, Gordon Oxenham was educated at St Ignatius' College (Riverview), Lane Cove and was a keen rower. Pre war he worked as a wool classer and grazier in the Boggabri district of NSW. Enlisting in 1916, Oxenham later was accepted as a sudent at the NSW Aviation School at Richmond as part of the 2nd course conducted there. He gained his aero licence there and a few weeks later was posted to 1 Squadron AFC with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

He would receive further training in aerial gunnery and fighting tactics at Aboukir and was taken on strength with 1 Squadron in April 1918. Oxenham was involved in a length dogfight on June 27th, 1918 and his Bristol F2B A7236 was brought down, sadly Oxenham was killed while his observer Lawrie Smith survived and was taken prisoner. Smith believed that ground fire was the cause of Oxenham's death..

Gordon Oxenham has no known grave.

• Gordon Oxenham Collection

Born in London in 1888, Arthur Payne worked as a fitter mechanic in Paddington, Sydney pre war. He enlisted with the AIF during January 1916 and was quickly identified as a candidate for the AFC due to his mechanical skills. Upon arrival at Heliopolis in April 1916, Payne was attached to 14 Squadron RFC, he would remain here for a year before joining 1 Squadron.

Promoted to Corporal, Payne was Mentioned in Despatches in May 1918 for "distinguished service rendered in connection with Military operations under his command". Payne would be attached to X Aircraft Park before returning to his unit. Admitted to hospital just after the Armistice, Payne would be evacuated medically unfit back to Australia.

• Arthur Payne Collection

Fred Pye was born in Sydney in 1895, and his family were well known in grazing circles throughout Australia, so it was no surprise that Fred fell into the family business. Enlisting in March 1916 Pye was originally allcated as a reinforcement for the Field Company Engineers, but on arrival in England was attached to the AFC Depot. He would later be attached to the 17th Field Ambulance and AMSC before being transferred to the AFC as an Air Mechanic 2nd class in October 1917.

In January 1918 he was accepted for flying instruction as a cadet, Pye would graduate later that year in April. In May he was posted to 5 Training Squadron AFC, he would be admitted to hospital the same month after he fell and fractured his elbow, he would spend the next 4 months recovering. He would spend the remainder of the war with 6 Training Squadron before returning to Australia in 1919.

• Frederick Pye Collection

A career soldier, Edgar Reynolds was born and educated in Sydney gaining an Arts and Engineering Degree from Sydney University. He first gained a commission with the Army in April 1901 and had risen through the Artillery ranks. Whilst attending a staff college in England, military aviator, Major Robert Brooke-Popham greatly influence Reynolds. On his return to Australia Reynolds began lobbying for an Australia air corps, and with the support of Senator Pearce the AFC was born.

Pilot training at Point Cook commenced two weeks after the outbreak of WW1, Reynolds ran an observer’s course with a total of six men selected for the course, however, seven graduated. The seventh was Reynolds who can be seen in some early photographs wearing observer wings. He assumed command of 1 Squadron when it left for Egypt, but before the squadron disembarked in the Suez, Reynolds had been ordered to continue to London as the senior AFC staff officer at RFC HQ.

He would return to Australia late in 1918 to take up the position of Director of Military Artillery RMC Duntroon.

• Edgar Reynolds Collection