 In June 1917, the troop was redirected to France, where it was absorbed into the New Zealand Divisional Signal Company.New Zealand had no air force of her own during the First World War but several hundred New Zealanders served with the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Royal Air Force.The first New Zealand flying ace of the war was Flight Lieutenant Thomas Culling, who flew with the RNAS.