 The Mesopotamian Half @-@ Flight — also known as the Australian Half @-@ Flight — was the first AFC unit to see active service . On 8 February 1915 , the Australian Government had received a request for air assistance from the Viceroy of India for assistance fighting the Turks . The AFC was still forming and could provide enough aircrew and ground staff for only half a flight : the unit therefore became known as the Mesopotamian Half @-@ Flight and Captain Henry Petre was appointed commander . The AFC contingent sailed for Bombay , and on 20 April 1915 it left for Basra , arriving at the end of May . Flying underpowered and unreliable aircraft such as the Caudron , Maurice Farman Longhorn and Martinsyde , the Half @-@ Flight suffered a high attrition rate , losing two killed and six captured out of its strength of just nine pilots . The arrival of reinforcements allowed the formation of a squadron , ( No. 30 Squadron RFC ) , however by November 1915 only one of the original pilots remained . The squadron was mainly involved in unarmed reconnaissance , although later small 9 pounds ( 4 @.@ 1 kg ) bombs were added to the aircraft . In October , three Australian aircraft bombed an Arab tribe known to be hostile in an unsuccessful attempt to bring them to surrender . During the Siege of Kut the last Australian pilot in Mesopotamia , Captain Petre , dropped supplies to the garrison . When Kut surrendered , the AFC ground crewmen located in the city were captured , seven of them later dying in captivity . Petre flew the only remaining Shorthorn to Egypt on 7 December 1915 , where he rendezvoused with No.1 Squadron AFC , effectively marking the end of the Half @-@ Flight 's service . 
