The photograph albums of the Royal Aero Club holds some photographs of those Australians who were granted the Aviator Certificate.
Looking at the biographies of these men, it appears that those who were taken by aviation at its infancy were an exceptional group of very high achievers. Many of the names are commonly known to Australians, even if they may not know anything about the man behind the name. Probably the most famous is Blinky Bill, the favourite bed time story for many generations of Australians. The name of this quirky koala is tied to the projected second Sydney airport at Badgery Creek. And then there were those who planned the defeat of Hitler by holding Britain aloft during that famous air battle in June 1940. Another was associated with the foundation of the South African airforce. Others played a role in developing aircraft. And so these names fill the pantheon of early aviators.
This album consists of these photographs.
Group portrait of officers of the 3rd Battalion. Back row, left to right: Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt) Cedric Errol Meyer Brodziak (later awarded DSO; killed in action 31 August 1918); Lieutenant (Lt) Ronald Burns (killed in action 25 April 1915); 2nd Lt William Christian Beeken (killed in action 6 August 1915); Lt John Carandini (Carrandine) Wilson (died of wounds 21 May 1915); Lt Robert Orlando Cowey; Lt (Honorary Captain) David McFie McConaghy (later awarded DSO and CMG; died of wounds 9 April 1918); 2nd Lt Leonard Ken Stevenson and 2nd Lt Lawrence (Laurence) Whistler Street (killed in action 19 May 1915). Second row: Captain (Capt) Charles Edward Leer (killed in action 25 April 1915) ; 2nd Lt Edward MacFarlane MacFarlane (died of wounds at sea 2 August 1918); Lt (Honorary Captain) Colin Douglas Austin (killed 6 August 1915); 2nd Lt Harold Edmund Butler; Lt Eric George Goldring; 2nd Lt Owen Glendower Howell-Price (later awarded DSO and MC; died of wounds 4 November 1916) and Lt George Edward McDonald. Front row, seated on bench: Honorary Lt George Wall; Capt John Willoughby Butler Bean, Medical Officer (MO); Major Alfred Joshua Bennett (later awarded CMG); Lieutenant Colonel Robert Haylock Owen, Commanding Officer (later awarded CMG); Captain Ernest Samuel Brown (killed in action 6 August 1915); Capt Malcolm St John Lamb; Capt Thomas Oscar Smith (killed in action 7 May 1915) and Capt William Bowman Douglas (died of wounds 5 May 1915). At front, seated on ground: 2nd Lt Harold William Goldring and 2nd Lt Kenneth John Hinde (killed in action 5 May 1915). The original contingent of the 3rd Battalion embarked from Sydney on 20 October 1914 on HMAT Euripides (A14).