Fleet Air Arm
Association of Australia
Wall of Service
Information updated 2 May 2009
Note: The application form for a plaque is at the foot of this page
Since early 2005, serving and ex-serving members of the RAN Fleet Air Arm and other ex-serving personnel attached to FAA units have had the opportunity to have a bronze plaque denoting their service mounted on a wall at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross.
To date, more than 760 plaques have been cast and displayed, and we are averaging about several orders a week, so a new order is placed with the foundry at about the same time as Slipstream magazine is published.
The plaques are simple, cast in bronze, and show initials and name (decorations and awards), rank/rate, official number and period of time served (month-year to month-year), with a modified logo of the Fleet Air Arm at the top. They are half brick in size and are permanently affixed to a commemorative brick wall.
The cost of each plaque is $110.
Eligibility to have a plaque fitted is governed by the following controls:
- Must have been or is a member of the Fleet Air Arm;
- Been attached to a unit of it - Store, Victualling, Cooks, Writers and Stewards were drafted to actual squadrons and as such qualify
- Some Army and RAAF personnel will also qualify - these must also conform to the qualification restraints
- CBGLO is also a qualifying posting but a posting to AJASS is not as they were not actual squadron personnel
- RN FAA loan personnel who served with the RAN are also eligible to participate in this program as long as they were actually posted or attached to an RAN FAA unit.
If in doubt about qualification, please check with the FAAAA secretary.
Groups of old classmates, relations or just good friends can be placed side-by-side as long as the plaques are ordered at the same time.
The Wall does not delineate between ranks, and the plaques are mounted on a 'first-in, first-up' basis, thus an Admiral can be alongside a Naval Airman (Seaman in today's language).
It is a unique feature available to all Fleet Air Arm personnel and is sited in the memorial garden area at the entrance to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross.
Naval aviation now has a chance to establish a "history of service" of all its ex-members that will be of major interest to them and their families for all times.
The plaques are simple - cast in bronze and denote name (with decorations and awards), rank/rate, official number, period of time served, and with a logo (modified) of the Fleet Air Arm Association with the initials 'RAN' replacing 'Fleet Air Arm Association'.
They are half brick in size and are permanently affixed to the brick wall. The layout of the plaque is locked in, there are no 'nick-names' and the listed name is as was on the records of the RAN. All plaques are similar and no alterations to the format will be accepted. This is to ensure that everyone stays "equal" and the Wall stays in state that is in keeping with the service we all were part of.
A plaque could be a very good birthday present for someone 'who has everything' or 'is hard to buy for' and would certainly be a nostalgic surprise. If you have any ex-service (FAA) friends who have not heard of the scheme, please mention it to them.
Plaques for anyone that are ordered by relations or friends must have the permission and approval of the NOK or direct descendants of them. This is to ensure their right to place a plaque on the Wall is a priority.
To keep the costs in check, plaques are ordered from the foundry in lots of between 20 and 50 and as such there will almost certainly be a delay between the actual order and the fitting to the Wall.
Notification of the actual affixing is by Slipstream, the FAAAA magazine.
A picture of the wall, and a close-up of a sample of wall plaques (see link below) show a selection of those displayed so far.
Plaque application form
To make an application, please click on this application form link. Print a copy, complete your details, and mail the form to the address on the form.
(Note: this form is a PDF file - you will need the Adobe Reader on your computer to read the form).
See also:
Pictures of Wall plaques
History of Wall of Service project