When thinking of flying aces from World War I, most people mention either German pilots such as Manfred von Richthofen or French pilot Rene Funk, or British flying aces such as Edward “Mick” Mannock. But there was a Canadian pilot who had 72 official victories and was the highest scoring ace in the British Empire and the third in the First World War. William Avery Bishop, also known as Billy Bishop, was born in Ontario on February 8, 1894. He enjoyed solo sports such as shooting and horseback riding since he was a child. When he was a child, his father gave him a .22 caliber rifle to hunt squirrels in the family orchard. At 15, he demonstrated his love of flying by trying to build his own “airplane” out of sheets, wooden boxes and rope. He tried to fly it off the third floor of his home, but it crashed. His sister Louise rescued him from the rubble and he was safe and sound. Billy Bishop joined the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in 1911. After poor academic performance in his first year and narrowly avoiding expulsion for cheating, Bishop struggled in his first year, but in the 1912-13 semester he re-enrolled as a second-year student, improving his class standing. In 1914, he joined the Mississauga Horse Team cavalry In January 1915, the regiment was transferred to the 7th Canadian Cavalry Rifles. On June 6, 1915, his unit left Canada for England as part of a convoy on the requisitioned cattle ship Caledonia. On June 21, off Ireland, German submarines attacked a convoy, sinking three ships and killing 300 Canadians. However, Bishop’s ship arrived safely in Plymouth Harbor on June 23. Canadians lived in tents and faced dust storms in dry weather, but usually they were dealing with dirt and horse manure. As a result, Bishop spent more time in the hospital in late July. Frustrated by the muddy conditions in the trenches, he requested a second transfer to the Royal Flying Corps, believing the air of war would be much cleaner.
Billy Bishop’s first military service
Billy Bishop was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps and sent to pilot training on 1 September 1915, flying an Avro 504. After a month of basic training, Bishop began shooting training on October 2, 1915. At the end of that month, he began flying as an observer with No. 21 Squadron. On November 24, his plane crashed while landing in the UK, but both he and the pilot suffered only minor injuries. In January 1916, No. 21 Squadron began moving to France and took delivery of new Royal Aircraft Factory RE.7 aircraft. Bishop’s experience as an observer included taking aerial photographs and serving as an aerial observer on reconnaissance missions without firing a gun. In May 1916, after injuring his knee, he persuaded medical staff to allow him to take leave and travel to England. During his recovery, he impressed important social circles, which led to his return to Canada for further recovery. In September 1916, Billy Bishop returned to England and began pilot training at the Central Flying School. He made the first solo flight in the Morris Farman “Shorthorn”. In November 1916, after completing training, he joined No. 37 Squadron, RFC, where Bishop flew the BE.2c. On 8 December 1916, Bishop was serving as a flying officer and, although he disliked flying at night over London in search of German aircraft, he requested a transfer to France. On 17 March 1917, Bishop joined No. 60 Squadron near Arras, France, flying a Nieuport 17. At that time, the average life span of a new pilot was only 11 days, and they faced the German ace pilots with a record of 5 to 1. His first patrol on March 22 was unsuccessful; he struggled to fly the aircraft, narrowly escaped anti-aircraft fire, and became separated from his team. After the crash landing on March 24, he was ordered to return to flight school, but somehow managed to hold on to his position until a replacement arrived. Bishop scored his first victory the next day, near St. Leger, in a group of four Nieuports against three Albatros D.III Scouts. Bishop shot down Lieutenant Seiler and seriously wounded him, but his engine failed during the battle. He had to land in no man’s land 300 yards from the German front line.
Billy Bishop’s Ace Tour
On March 30, 1917, Bishop became flight commander and achieved his second victory on March 31. On April 8, he achieved his fifth victory and officially became an ace pilot. By the end of April, he had 12 victories and was awarded the Military Cross. On April 30, Bishop faced Jasta 11 and Manfred von Richthofen, known as the “Red Baron”. In May, he received the Distinguished Service Medal for shooting down two planes while four others were attacking him. On June 2, 1917, Bishop flew alone behind enemy lines to attack a German. Airport. He claimed to have shot down three aircraft that took off to attack him, and destroyed several aircraft on the ground. For this action he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) on 30 August 1917. In July, No. 60 Squadron took delivery of the faster and more powerful Royal Aircraft Factory SE5. In August 1917, Bishop achieved 47 victories, surpassing the late Albert Ball and becoming the temporarily highest scoring ace in the Royal Flying Corps and the Air Force. The third trump card In the war, only behind the Red Baron and Rene Funk. At the end of August 1917, Billy Bishop was appointed chief instructor of the Aerial Gunnery School and received the temporary rank of major. After spending time in Canada, Bishop returned to England in April 1918. He was promoted to major and awarded Order He served with No. 85 Squadron, flying SE5a reconnaissance aircraft. On 22 May the squadron moved to Petit-Cint, France, and five days later Bishop scored his first victory since August 1917 when he shot down a German observation plane. Over the next few days, Bishop shot down eight more aircraft, including German ace Paul Bielick, bringing his official score to 59 points, making him once again the leading Allied ace, surpassing James McCarten. The Canadian government was worried about the impact Bishop’s murder would have on morale, so it ordered him to return to the UK to assist on June 18. organize Canadian Flying Team, which frustrated him. On the morning of departure, he completed his last solo patrol, scoring five victories, including two Pfalz D.IIIa reconnaissance aircraft and a reconnaissance aircraft.
WWII and legacy
On August 5, 1918, Billy Bishop was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and became “Commander Designate of the Canadian Air Department”. He retired from the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 31 December and claimed 72 aerial victories, although historians Hugh Halliday and Brereton Greenhous believe the actual number may have been only 27. After the war, Bishop established United Aircraft Co. has been in trouble due to legal issues and crashes. In 1921, he moved to England and worked in various aviation-related businesses, becoming chairman of British Airways in 1929. However, the stock market crash of 1929 destroyed his family’s fortune, causing them to return to Canada, where Bishop became vice president of the McColl-Frontenac Oil Company. In January 1936, Bishop became Canada’s first Air Force Lieutenant General. After the beginning of World War II, he was promoted to Air Marshal. As Director of Recruiting for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Billy Bishop created a pilot training system that trained more than 167,000 pilots. In 1944, he resigned due to poor health and returned to Montreal to live a private life. But he remained involved in aviation and helped found the International Civil Aviation Organization. In the early 1950s, Bishop wanted to join the Korean War, but was refused due to health problems. He later died on September 11, 1956, at the age of 62. His funeral was held in Toronto, and there was also a memorial service in the UK. For his services, Bishop was awarded many decorations, including the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Military Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor. On 1 June 1944 he became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the King’s Birthday Honors List. In the Aces series, Billy Bishop is one of the best Allied Aces of all time. Read more Ace stories here.
