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The outbreak of World War I saw a small Indian Flying Corps assigned for defence of the Suez Canal against a Turkish attack.<ref name=fly/> In January 1915, Captain P W L Broke-Smith, AssistantDirector of the Indian Flying Corps, set to work to establish an airfield as at Basra, in Mesopotamia.<ref>"Only A Sideshow? The RFC And RAF In Mesopotamia 1914-1918" by Guy Warner. Refer [[Royal Air Force#External links|External links]]</ref>A small group of pilots from the Indian Army operated in Mesopotamia, described both as the Indian Flying Corps,<ref>Old Man. [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=210583 Seeking Info On R.N.A.S. Unit In Mesopotamia, Sept. 1915;June 1916] ''Great War Forum'' thread 27 April 2014, quoting "The Indian Flying Corps and the Australian Half-Flight", by Dr. Brian P. Flanagan. ''Cross and Cockade Journal'' (Summer, 1976, vol 17 no 2) , the US journal, now renamed ''Over the Front'' </ref> or the Mesopotamia Flight, Royal Flying Corps<ref>Page 142, ''Cavalry Of The Clouds Aspects of the Air War in the Eastern Theatre,1914-1918'', by CH. Whitley 1997 . Refer [[Royal Air Force#External links|External links]]</ref>, to which was attached an Australian contingent, known as the Mesopotamia Half Flight, or Australian Half Flight.
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An Indian Central Flying School was established at [[Sitapur]] in December, 1913, commanded by an officer of the 29th Punjab Regiment. <ref name =fly>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070805/spectrum/book1.htm "Flying high at 75"] by B. G. Verghese August 5, 2007 ''Spectrum: The Tribune''</ref>. Prior to establishment it was stated that "we propose... to confine the work in the first instance to experiments and not to include the tuition of beginners.
It is intended to begin with four officers, all of whom are in possession of pilot certificates. They will be provided with six aeroplanes for experimental purposes".<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/rthonmresmontagu00mont#page/216/mode/2up "The Indian Budget 1913"] page 216 ''The Rt. Hon. Mr. E. S. Montagu on Indian Affairs'', published 1917. Archive.org.</ref> The School was part of the Royal Flying Corps, Military Wing, part of the British Army, although details appear in the Navy Lists.<ref> [https://archive.org/stream/navylistaug1914grea#page/512/mode/2up Page 431f ''Monthly Navy List August 1914'']</ref>. The School was closed on mobilisation.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/navylistjan1915grea#page/725/mode/1up Page 431k ''The Navy List January 1915'']</ref>
==First World War==
The outbreak of World War I saw a small Indian Flying Corps assigned for defence of the Suez Canal against a Turkish attack.<ref name=fly/>
==31 Squadron Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force==
*[http://www.raf.mod.uk/links/contacts.cfm Royal Air Force: Contacts]
*[http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk Royal Air Force Museum] London . The website includes a ‘Research' category, which includes details of a Library collection, which contains a "substantial collection of periodicals produced by RAF stations and units, which provide a fascinating insight into service life" and Archives collection, including [http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/default/archive-collection/first-world-war-casualty-cards.aspx First World War Casualty cards] (which extend to 1928, and cover all theatres of operation). Some records, including Casualty Cards, are now available online for free at a companion website [http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/page/26565-home Royal Air Force Museum Story Vault]. The Search facility is accessed through the 'Archive' tab. Currently (August 2014) the Search results appear erratic, and it may be preferable to search on surname only.
*Mesopotamia
**[http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/10092/2085/1/Thesis_fulltext.pdf ''Cavalry Of The Clouds: Aspects of the Air War in the Eastern Theatre,1914-1918''] by C H Whitley 1997. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History in the University of Canterbury. A pdf download, which depending on your browser, you may need to locate in your downloads folder.
**[http://mhhv.org.au/wp-content/uploads/The-AFC-in-Hotter-Climes-The-Air-War-Over-the-Desert-Dr-Mark-Lax-OAM-Air-Commodore-RAAF-Rtd-Former-Director-General-of-Strategic-Policy.pdf "The AFC In Hotter Climes: The Air War Over The Mesopotamian Desert"] by Air Commodore Mark Lax. Part of the conference ''By The Seat Of Their Pants'' the Proceedings of the Conference held at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook by Military History And Heritage Victoria 12 November 2012.
**[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=ODT19160404.2.38 "In Mesopotamia"] ''Otago Daily Times'' , Issue 16660, 4 April 1916, Page 6. Flight Lieutenant J W H Scotland first entered the service of the Indian Government as an aviator, and subsequently served in Mesopotamia.
*[http://www.rafweb.org/Menu.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation]. The Site Map & Main Menu includes details, including units based there, of various RAF Stations worldwide, listed alphabetically. Not all RAF Stations in India are included, but of those available for India, the following is a selection: [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-A.htm#Agra Agra] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-A.htm#Ambala Ambala] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-A.htm#Asansol Asanol] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-B.htm#Baigachi Baigachi] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-B.htm#Bhopal Bhopal] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-C.htm#Chaklala Chaklala, Rawalpindi] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-D.htm#Delhi Delhi] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-D.htm#Dum%20Dum Dum Dum, Calcutta] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-K.htm#Kohat Kohat] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-K.htm#Kolar Kolar] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-K.htm#Karachi Karachi (including Drigh Road)] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-L.htm#Lahore Lahore] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-M.htm#Mauripur Mauripur, in the vicinity of Karachi] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-P.htm#Peshawar Peshawar] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-P.htm#Poona Poona] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-R.htm#Ranchi Ranchi] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-R.htm#Risalpur Risalpur] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-S.htm#St%20Thomas%20Mount St Thomas Mount] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-S.htm#Secunderabad Secunderabad] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-T.htm#Trichinopoly Trichinopoly] [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-V.htm#Vizagapatam Vizagapatam] (retrieved 27 June 2014)
*[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/index.html Flightgobal Archive], the original pages of ''Flight Magazine'' from 1909-2005 which are fully searchable. Contains pages relating to “Service Aviation”. (retrieved 18 April 2014)
