Billy Bishop

World War I fighter pilot

• Born: February 8, 1894
• Birthplace: Owen Sound, Ontario
• Died: September 11, 1956
• Place of death: Palm Beach, Florida

Contribution: Billy Bishop was one of Canada’s most decorated World War I flying aces. He is credited with downing seventy-two enemy planes, the most victories for any pilot in the British Empire. His service to the Canadian military is acknowledged with many awards and recognitions, and he is also remembered for his valuable service during World War II.

Early Life

William Avery Bishop was born February 8, 1884, in Owen Sound, Ontario. He attended the Royal Military College and joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles at the outset of World War I in 1914. He was then stationed in London, Ontario. The cavalry left Ontario for England in June of 1915, and Bishop soon developed an aversion to mud, manure, and rain—elements that the soldiers constantly endured in trench warfare. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in July and began as an observer on reconnaissance flights over Germany. Bishop never fired a shot but went to the hospital in April 1916 after injuring his knee in a crash landing. He was allowed to recuperate in Canada after his father suffered a stroke.

World War I

Bishop returned to England in September of 1916 and applied to train as a pilot. He was accepted and, despite a tendency to become violently airsick, received his wings in November. Early on, Bishop was not regarded as a particularly good pilot since he often crash-landed his planes.

Bishop was assigned to the 60 Squadron and was stationed near Arras, France, in March of 1917. The life expectancy of a new RFC pilot was eleven days at that time, and within a few days of his arrival, Bishop flew his first mission. The mission was not especially memorable for Bishop as he was often disoriented and at one point lost sight of his squadron. He landed safely and without serious damage to his plane, however, and gained considerable first-hand knowledge from the experience. .

Bishop’s fighting style was legendary. He was known for flying straight at German planes and just before impact, shooting a burst of rounds into the cockpit and suddenly backing away. One morning, Bishop chased away five enemy planes without downing them, prompting his commanding officer to give him the afternoon off.

On another notable day, Bishop flew against the famed German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. Although Bishop fired several shots into the plane’s fuselage, Richthofen swerved his plane, never giving Bishop a clear shot into the cockpit. Bishop, likewise, left the fight with several bullet holes in his own fuselage and flew home.

Bishop the Ace

By 1917, Billy Bishop was the most famous pilot on the Allied side of the war and was credited with downing forty-seven enemy planes. In October of that year, he returned to Canada to marry high-school sweetheart Margaret Burden. Following the wedding, Bishop was assigned to the United States to help the Americans organize wartime aircraft production. In January 1918, Bishop and Margaret sailed to England where he was expected to assemble, train, and lead his own squadron. The 85 Squadron, dubbed the Flying Foxes, left for France in late May. A few days after arriving, Bishop took his first solo flight to the front lines and scored a series of wins against German planes. By early June, he was the top pilot in the Allied ranks.

By mid-June, however, Bishop received orders requiring him to stay on the ground. The Canadian government had decided that Bishop’s life was too valuable to the country’s morale, and he was ordered back to England to help pull together the new Canadian Flying Corps. Not surprisingly, Bishop ignored this directive and managed to shoot down an additional twenty-five German planes in the twelve days before departing for England to assist the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Life after Flying

Bishop served in World War II as an air marshal in the RCAF and was in charge of recruitment. He also developed a training system for Canadian pilots.

Bishop offered his help in recruiting pilots for service in the Korean War, but his health was such that the RCAF refused his services.

Over the course of his military career, Bishop was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Victoria Cross, Military Cross, and Distinguished Service Order. The Toronto City Airport was renamed the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in November of 1999 in his honor.

Bishop died at the age of sixty-two on September 11, 1956, while vacationing in Palm Beach, Florida.

Bibliography

“Air Marshal William Avery ‘Billy’ Bishop.” Canada-Heros. Canada-Heros/Dow Jones, 2 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.

Bashow, David. “The Incomparable Billy Bishop: The Man and the Myths.” Billy Bishop. Albert Lowe, 2003. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.

Cosgrove, Edmund. Canada’s Fighting Pilots. 1965. Ottawa: Golden Dog, 2003. Print.

Gray, John, and Eric Peterson. Billy Bishop Goes to War. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 2012. Print.

McCaffery, Dan. Billy Bishop: Canadian Hero. Toronto: J. Lorimer, 1988. Print.

Sherman, Stephen. “Billy Bishop: Canada’s Leading Ace with 72 Credited Victories.” Acepilots. Acepilots.com, 11 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2013.

Springs, Elliot White. Letters from a War Bird: The World War I Correspondence of Elliot White Springs. Columbia: U of South Carolina P, 2012. Print.