Historical information
The Oakey Army Aviation Centre is a training facility formed in October 1943 at Oakey, Queensland. It was built with the purpose of providing a maintenance facility: the units would erect, repair and insect aircrafts and engines. At the end of the war in 1945, the depot was used to store surplus aircraft. In early 1946, the RAAF Station Oakey was disbanded and categorised ‘to be retained but not maintained’. Since then, the RAAF Station Oakey facilities have been used few times for some minor activities.
Significance
Although there are no information relating to the owner or usage of the cup; it holds historic significance for its direct link with the Australian Army Aviation Centre in Oakey and its involvement in World War II; and more generally for its link to the Australian Army.
Physical description
Large white cup with a handle; decorated with a blue ink symbol (displaying a crown and below it, a bird handling two swords) and blue ink inscriptions (from the Army Aviation Centre Oakey).
Inscriptions & markings
Inscription on top: 'Frank McNamara VC Club'
Inscription at the bottom of the symbol: 'Vigilance'
Inscription circling the symbol: 'Army Aviation Centre Oakey'
References
- Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, Volume 7: Maintenance Units This book can be found online for free and provides one chapter on the RAAF Station Oakey’s history.
