Who Was Billy Bishop
Adapted From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop
Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace and Victoria Cross recipient of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace of the war. During the Second World War, Bishop was instrumental in setting up and promoting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Bishop was born in Owen Sound, Ontario.[2] He was the third of four children born to William A. and Margaret Bishop.[3] In 1911,[1] Billy Bishop entered the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario.
When the First World War broke out later in 1914, Bishop left RMC and joined the Mississauga Horse cavalry regiment.[9] He was commissioned as an officer but was ill with pneumoniawhen the regiment was sent overseas.[10] After recovering, he was transferred to the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles, a mounted infantry unit, then stationed in London, Ontario.[11] Bishop showed a natural ability with a gun, and excelled on the firing range. His seemingly "super-human" eyesight allowed him to put bullets in a target placed so far away others saw only a dot.[12]
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As an observer
On 1 September, he reported to 21 (Training) Squadron at Netheravon for elementary air instruction.[17] The first aircraft he trained in was the Avro 504, flown by Roger Neville.[18] Bishop was adept at taking aerial photographs, and was soon in charge of training other observers with the camera.[17] The squadron was ordered to France in January 1916 and arrived at Boisdinghem airfield, near Saint-Omer, equipped with R.E.7 reconnaissance aircraft.[19] Bishop' first combat mission was as an aerial spotter for British artillery.[20] At first, the aircraft could not get airborne until they had offloaded their bombload and machine guns.[21] Bishop and pilot Neville flew over German lines near Boisdinghem and when the German howitzer was found, they relayed coordinates to the British, who then bombarded and destroyed the target.[22] In the following months, Bishop flew on reconnaissance and bombing flights, but never fired his machine guns on an enemy aircraft.[23] In September 1916, he was accepted for training as a pilot at the Central Flying School at Upavon on Salisbury Plain. His first solo flight was in a Maurice Farman "Shorthorn".[28]
Aerial combat
In November 1916 after receiving his wings, Bishop was attached to No. 37 Squadron RFC at Sutton's Farm, Essex flying the BE.2c. Bishop disliked the flying at night over London, searching for German airships, and he soon requested a transfer to France.[29]
On 17 March 1917, Bishop arrived at 60 Squadron at Filescamp Farm near Arras, where he flew the Nieuport 17fighter.[30] At that time, the average life expectancy of a new pilot in that sector was 11 days, and German aces were shooting down British aircraft 5 to 1.[31]. Bishop claimed his first victory when his was one of four Nieuports that engaged three Albatros D.III Scouts near St Leger.[34] Bishop shot down and mortally wounded a Leutnant Theiller (although Shores (1991) has 12-kill ace Theiller as being killed vs 70 Squadron Sopwiths on 24 March; therefore this claim does not match with known losses) but his engine failed in the process. He landed in No Man's Land, 300 yards from the German front line. After running to the Allied trenches, Bishop spent the night on the ground in a rainstorm.[35] There Bishop wrote a letter home, starting:"I am writing this from a dugout 300 yards from our front line, after the most exciting adventure of my life."[35] On 30 March 1917, Bishop was named a flight commander.[37] The next day he scored his second victory.[38] Bishop, in addition to the usual patrols with his squadron comrades, soon flew many unofficial "lone-wolf" missions deep into enemy territory, with the blessing of Major Scott. As a result, his total of enemy aircraft shot down increased rapidly. On 8 April he scored his fifth victory and became an ace.[39] To celebrate, Bishop's mechanic painted the aircraft's nose blue, the mark of an ace. Former 60 Squadron member Captain Albert Ball, at that time the Empire's highest scoring ace, had had a red spinner fitted.[40]
Bishop's no-hold-barred style of flying always had him "at the front of the pack," leading his pilots into battle over hostile territory. Bishop soon realized that this could eventually see him shot down; after one patrol, a mechanic counted 210 bullet holes in his aircraft.[41] His new method of using the surprise attack proved successful; he claimed 12 aircraft in April alone, winning the Military Cross and a promotion to captain for his participation at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.[42] The successes of Bishop and his blue-nosed aircraft were noticed on the German side, and they began referring to him as "Hell's Handmaiden". Ernst Udet called him "the greatest English scouting ace" and one Jasta had a bounty on his head.[43]
On 30 April, Bishop survived an encounter with Jasta 11 and Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron.[44] In May, Bishop won the Distinguished Service Order for shooting down two aircraft while being attacked by four others.
On 2 June 1917, Bishop flew a solo mission behind enemy lines to attack a German-held aerodrome, where he claimed that he shot down three aircraft that were taking off to attack him and destroyed several more on the ground. For this feat, he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). His VC was one of two awarded in violation of the warrant requiring witnesses,[45] and since the German records have been lost and the archived papers relating to the VC were lost as well, there is no way of confirming whether there were any witnesses.
In July, 60 Squadron received new Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s, a faster and more powerful aircraft with better pilot visibility. In August 1917 Bishop passed the late Albert Ball in victories to become (temporarily) the highest scoring ace in the RFC and the third top ace of WW1, second only to René Fonck and third to the Red Baron. Soon after, he was informed he had won the Victoria Cross for his June attack on the German aerodrome.
Bishop was born in Owen Sound, Ontario.[2] He was the third of four children born to William A. and Margaret Bishop.[3] In 1911,[1] Billy Bishop entered the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario.
When the First World War broke out later in 1914, Bishop left RMC and joined the Mississauga Horse cavalry regiment.[9] He was commissioned as an officer but was ill with pneumoniawhen the regiment was sent overseas.[10] After recovering, he was transferred to the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles, a mounted infantry unit, then stationed in London, Ontario.[11] Bishop showed a natural ability with a gun, and excelled on the firing range. His seemingly "super-human" eyesight allowed him to put bullets in a target placed so far away others saw only a dot.[12]
.
As an observer
On 1 September, he reported to 21 (Training) Squadron at Netheravon for elementary air instruction.[17] The first aircraft he trained in was the Avro 504, flown by Roger Neville.[18] Bishop was adept at taking aerial photographs, and was soon in charge of training other observers with the camera.[17] The squadron was ordered to France in January 1916 and arrived at Boisdinghem airfield, near Saint-Omer, equipped with R.E.7 reconnaissance aircraft.[19] Bishop' first combat mission was as an aerial spotter for British artillery.[20] At first, the aircraft could not get airborne until they had offloaded their bombload and machine guns.[21] Bishop and pilot Neville flew over German lines near Boisdinghem and when the German howitzer was found, they relayed coordinates to the British, who then bombarded and destroyed the target.[22] In the following months, Bishop flew on reconnaissance and bombing flights, but never fired his machine guns on an enemy aircraft.[23] In September 1916, he was accepted for training as a pilot at the Central Flying School at Upavon on Salisbury Plain. His first solo flight was in a Maurice Farman "Shorthorn".[28]
Aerial combat
In November 1916 after receiving his wings, Bishop was attached to No. 37 Squadron RFC at Sutton's Farm, Essex flying the BE.2c. Bishop disliked the flying at night over London, searching for German airships, and he soon requested a transfer to France.[29]
On 17 March 1917, Bishop arrived at 60 Squadron at Filescamp Farm near Arras, where he flew the Nieuport 17fighter.[30] At that time, the average life expectancy of a new pilot in that sector was 11 days, and German aces were shooting down British aircraft 5 to 1.[31]. Bishop claimed his first victory when his was one of four Nieuports that engaged three Albatros D.III Scouts near St Leger.[34] Bishop shot down and mortally wounded a Leutnant Theiller (although Shores (1991) has 12-kill ace Theiller as being killed vs 70 Squadron Sopwiths on 24 March; therefore this claim does not match with known losses) but his engine failed in the process. He landed in No Man's Land, 300 yards from the German front line. After running to the Allied trenches, Bishop spent the night on the ground in a rainstorm.[35] There Bishop wrote a letter home, starting:"I am writing this from a dugout 300 yards from our front line, after the most exciting adventure of my life."[35] On 30 March 1917, Bishop was named a flight commander.[37] The next day he scored his second victory.[38] Bishop, in addition to the usual patrols with his squadron comrades, soon flew many unofficial "lone-wolf" missions deep into enemy territory, with the blessing of Major Scott. As a result, his total of enemy aircraft shot down increased rapidly. On 8 April he scored his fifth victory and became an ace.[39] To celebrate, Bishop's mechanic painted the aircraft's nose blue, the mark of an ace. Former 60 Squadron member Captain Albert Ball, at that time the Empire's highest scoring ace, had had a red spinner fitted.[40]
Bishop's no-hold-barred style of flying always had him "at the front of the pack," leading his pilots into battle over hostile territory. Bishop soon realized that this could eventually see him shot down; after one patrol, a mechanic counted 210 bullet holes in his aircraft.[41] His new method of using the surprise attack proved successful; he claimed 12 aircraft in April alone, winning the Military Cross and a promotion to captain for his participation at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.[42] The successes of Bishop and his blue-nosed aircraft were noticed on the German side, and they began referring to him as "Hell's Handmaiden". Ernst Udet called him "the greatest English scouting ace" and one Jasta had a bounty on his head.[43]
On 30 April, Bishop survived an encounter with Jasta 11 and Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron.[44] In May, Bishop won the Distinguished Service Order for shooting down two aircraft while being attacked by four others.
On 2 June 1917, Bishop flew a solo mission behind enemy lines to attack a German-held aerodrome, where he claimed that he shot down three aircraft that were taking off to attack him and destroyed several more on the ground. For this feat, he was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). His VC was one of two awarded in violation of the warrant requiring witnesses,[45] and since the German records have been lost and the archived papers relating to the VC were lost as well, there is no way of confirming whether there were any witnesses.
In July, 60 Squadron received new Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s, a faster and more powerful aircraft with better pilot visibility. In August 1917 Bishop passed the late Albert Ball in victories to become (temporarily) the highest scoring ace in the RFC and the third top ace of WW1, second only to René Fonck and third to the Red Baron. Soon after, he was informed he had won the Victoria Cross for his June attack on the German aerodrome.
Second World War
Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, 1942
In January, 1936, Bishop was appointed the first Canadian air vice-marshal. Shortly after the outbreak of war in 1939, he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served during the war as Director of the Royal Canadian Air Force and was placed in charge of recruitment.[1] He was so successful in this role that many applicants had to be turned away.[61]
He created a system for training pilots across Canada and became instrumental in setting up and promoting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained over 167,000 airmen in Canada during the Second World War. In 1942, he appeared as himself in the film Captains of the Clouds, a Hollywood tribute to the RCAF.
By 1944 the stress of the war had taken a serious toll on Bishop's health, and he resigned his post in the RCAF to return to private enterprise in Montreal, before retiring in 1952.[49] His son later commented that he looked 70 years old on his 50th birthday in 1944. However, Bishop remained active in the aviation world, predicting the phenomenal growth of commercial aviation postwar. His efforts to bring some organization to the nascent field led to the formation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal. He wrote a second book at this time, Winged Peace, advocating international control of global air power.[62]
Porter Airlines Dash-8 landing at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (CYTZ/YTZ)
Air Marshal William Avery Bishop Museum (948 3rd Avenue West) in Owen SoundWith the outbreak of the Korean War, Bishop again offered to return to his recruitment role, but he was in poor health and was politely refused by the RCAF. He died in his sleep on 11 September 1956, at the age of 62, while wintering in Palm Beach, Florida.[49] His funeral service was held with full Air Force Honours in Toronto, Ontario. The body was cremated and the ashes interred in the family plot in Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound, Ontario. A memorial service for Air Marshal Bishop was held in St Paul's Church, Bristol, England on 19 September 1956.[1]
HONOURS AND TRIBUTES, OFFICIAL CITATIONS
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Bishop's Medals: Billy Bishop's decorations (now part of Canadian War Museum collection) include the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order with Bar, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, 1914–1915 Star, British War Medal 1914–1920
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Victoria Cross
Billy Bishop's decorations (now part of Canadian War Museum collection) include (left to right) Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order with Bar, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, 1914–1915 Star, British War Medal 1914–1920.Bishop's decorations include the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order & Bar, Military Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, légion d'honneur and the Croix de Guerre with palm. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the King's Birthday Honours List of 1 June 1944.[64]
The citation for his VC, published in the London Gazette on 11 August 1917, read:
For most conspicuous bravery, determination, and skill. Captain Bishop, who had been sent out to work independently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome; finding no machines about, he flew on to another aerodrome about three miles southeast, which was at least 12 miles the other side of the line. Seven machines, some with their engines running, were on the ground. He attacked these from about fifty feet, and a mechanic, who was starting one of the engines, was seen to fall. One of the machines got off the ground, but at a height of 60 feet, Captain Bishop fired 15 rounds into it at very close range, and it crashed to the ground. A second machine got off the ground, into which he fired 30 rounds at 150 yards range, and it fell into a tree. Two more machines then rose from the aerodrome. One of these he engaged at a height of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum of ammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from the aerodrome, after which Captain Bishop emptied a whole drum into the fourth hostile machine, and then flew back to his station. Four hostile scouts were about 1,250 feet above him for about a mile of his return journey, but they would not attack. His machine was very badly shot about by machine gun fire from the ground.[65][66]
Distinguished Flying Cross
His citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross read:
A most successful and fearless fighter in the air, whose acts of outstanding bravery have already been recognised by the awards of the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order, Bar to the Distinguished Service Order, and Military Cross. For the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross now conferred upon him he has rendered signally valuable services in personally destroying twenty-five enemy machines in twelve days—five of which he destroyed on the last day of his service at the front. The total number of machines destroyed by this distinguished officer is seventy-two, and his value as a moral factor to the Royal Air Force cannot be over-estimated.[67]
For Wiki References please see link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop
Distinguished Service Order
His citation for the Distinguished Service Order read:
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While in a single-seater he attacked three hostile machines, two of which he brought down, although in the meantime he was himself attacked by four other hostile machines. His courage and determination have set a fine example to others.[67]
Distinguished Service Order Bar
BarHis citation for the Distinguished Service Order bar read:
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when engaging hostile aircraft. His consistent dash and great fearlessness have set a magnificent example to the pilots of his squadron. He has destroyed no less than 45 hostile machines within the past 5 months, frequently attacking enemy formations single-handed, and on all occasions displaying a fighting spirit and determination to get to close quarter with his opponents which have earned the admiration of all in contact with him.[67]
For Wiki References please see link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop
British War Medal 1914–1920
The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War
The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War