On this day in aviation history...

[Shiloh]

101 years ago today the great RFC became active and the rest is history. Here is a wiki excerpt:

 

With the growing recognition of the potential for aircraft as a cost-effective method of reconnaissance and artillery observation, the Committee of Imperial Defence established a sub-committee to examine the question of military aviation in November 1911. The following February the sub-committee reported its findings which recommended that a flying corps be formed and that it consist of a naval wing, a military wing, a central flying school and an aircraft factory. The recommendations of the committee were accepted and on 13 April 1912 King George V signed a royal warrant establishing the Royal Flying Corps. The Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers became the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps a month later on 13 May.

 

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/royal-flying-corps-founded'

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Corps

[+Olham]

Thanks for the reminder, Shiloh!

I recommend McCudden's book "Flying Fury" to all who want to read also about the RFC before they entered the war.

I like this recruiting poster. Can someone read and explain the wages?

 

 

[Maeran]

British money at the time was £SD. Pounds shilling and pence. The divisions between these were shown by back slashes /. So the wages here are using the last two sections of the register: shillings and pence. No pennies are actually involved, it's all in shillings. In 1912 the shilling was worth about £3.29 today, but this of course makes no consideration of the huge inflation experienced in the second half of the 20th century. Today it would get you 2 loaves of bread, but not lunch in a city centre. Back then 2 shillings a day was a good rate for a tradesman. Bear in mind that the RFC would not consider men without an appropriate trade until well into the war.

[+Olham]

Yeah, I see - thanks for the detail, Maeran.

Here in Germany, I guess they would have also just received some Mark - amounts

which wouldn't look much today. But back then it had a much better value.