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William ‘Billy Bishop: World War I Canadian Ace Fighter PilotAviation History | 3 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
His victories mounted steadily, and by May 31 Bishop had claimed 29, including two balloons. Always searching for any advantage, he determined that the best time to attack a German would be just at dawn, when — catching the aircraft on the ground — he could attack enemy planes singly as they rose to challenge him. Allied pilots who tried the same tactic in World War II had similar success. Subscribe Today
Bishop had planned to accompany Albert Ball on just such an early-morning raid, but Ball — at that point the British empire’s leading ace with 44 victories — was killed on May 7. So, early in the morning of June 2, which was supposed to have been his day off from flying, Bishop set out on what would be his most famous sortie. Taking off in his blue-nosed Nieuport 17 just before 4 a.m., Captain William Avery Bishop would go it alone.
Flying in the faint glow of pre-dawn, Bishop found himself slightly disoriented. He had already dived on a German aerodrome, Estourmel, only to find there was no activity there. Disappointed, Bishop continued flying low as he searched for some other target of opportunity. Then, circling at about 300 feet over the hamlet of Esnes, he spied a group of canvas hangars and six Albatros D.IIIs on the ground — some with their engines running — along with one two-seater. Making a strafing pass at 50 feet, Bishop scattered the men on the ground and then withdrew to the airfield’s perimeter as German machine-gun defenses opened up, holing his aircraft in several places. Doing his best to evade their fire, he waited until an Albatros began its takeoff run. Diving on it from behind, Bishop opened fire just as it lifted off the ground. Immediately the Albatros side-slipped and crashed.
Turning sharply, he caught sight of a second machine just off the ground. I opened fire and fired 30 rounds at 150 yards range, Bishop later recalled. He smashed into a tree. Two more enemy planes were taking off in opposite directions. Climbing to 1,000 feet, Bishop engaged one and downed it. The D.III fell to the ground a few hundred feet from the airfield. Changing the drum on his Lewis gun, Bishop expended a whole drum at the fourth Albatros. Luckily, at the moment I finished my ammunition, he also seemed to have had enough of it, said Bishop, as he turned and flew away. I seized my opportunity, climbed again and started for home.
Bishop’s early-morning solo raid won him even greater recognition and notoriety than he had yet received. His tactics were imitated by other fliers as the war progressed. For his June 2 sortie Bishop received the Victoria Cross, the 10th to be awarded to airmen and the first to a Canadian pilot. But fame had its price. In August, with his score at 47, the young Canadian was removed by General Hugh M. Trenchard from operational flying because he was deemed too valuable to lose; he was sent home to Canada to aid in recruitment.
Bishop did not return to active flying until May 22, 1918, when he came back as the leader of newly formed No. 85 Squadron, Royal Air Force, the Flying Foxes. Number 85 was equipped with the new SE-5a — the first British two-gun, single-seat fighter and some say the best and most sophisticated of all British World War I single-seaters. Almost one-third of Bishop’s aerial victories were achieved in the SE-5a in less than a month, raising his total to 72 — with 12 of them scored during his last four days of active flying.
With his final sortie on June 19, 1918, during which he downed five Pfalz scouts within five minutes, Billy Bishop entered the realm of legend. For succeeding generations, names such as Bishop and Richthofen would inspire awe, admiration and imitation. The century of the ace had begun.
This article was written by Rich Thistle and originally published in the May 1999 issue of Aviation History. For additional reading, try: Winged Warfare, by Lt. Col. William Avery Bishop; The Courage of the Early Morning, by William Arthur Bishop; and William Avery Billy Bishop, by David Baker. For more great articles subscribe to Aviation History magazine today! Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Aces, Aerial Combat, Aviation History, Historical Conflicts
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3 Comments to “William ‘Billy Bishop: World War I Canadian Ace Fighter Pilot”
hehyehehe
By 03we8w on Jun 16, 2008 at 11:43 am
this hero was a relative of mine and i am proud to see him on such a high pedastool. thank you to all those who helped in resurecting the story and background of William Avery Bishop and making it visible to to world who he was and what he stood for.
By Brandon William John Bishop on Apr 29, 2009 at 8:15 am
Dear Sir/Madam,
It is a fine bit of writing and a just tribute, to what was surely one of Canada’s most heroic figures. It is a strange travesty, that Canada has always had a problem with national icons.
It is difficult to imagine America disparaging the reputation of Sargeant York, or more relevantly, the justly famed LaFayette escadrille. It is doubly a black mark, that these false accusations came not from lame arm chair warriors, but from left leaning anti-war factions, one’s using public funds attributed to the National Broadcasting network.
These type of ugly distortions never quite go away, something that keenly shames one, as someone proud to be Canadain.
Though somewhat crude, it might be asked, how these left wing fanatical anti-war adherents, could out weight their limited contributions to our country, against Air Marshal William Avery Bishop’s massive contribution in creating, and or, otherwise promoting the Canadian Air arm of our highly estimed Canadian Armed services. Above all, however, they and we as a people, should ask individually and collectively, how we as a whole , would have performed flying machines that were little more than canvass and light wood frames, one’s offering for the most part, an extremely brief road to eternity.
Air Marsha lWilliam Avery Bishop belongs to a rare bred of men, one’s who in early manhood, were called upon and demonstrated a physical courage, one well beyond the norm in a field of endeavor where the attrition rate was most high. Like the great Air Aces of other lands and places, William Avery Bishop, stood at the pinnacle, sharing pride of place with such legendary figurs as Britain’s Albert Ball, a fellow V.C., and France’s well-beloved Captain Georges Guynemer.
In modern times, only the battle of Britain pilots rose to such fame, and though as young and courageous, in much better and more technically advanced flying machines. Even here, the dept to William Avery Bishop, stands out and above, as the vast majority of fighter pilots trained in schools founded by his foresight and ingenouity.
In the end, one should note, that by his singular courage and devotion to country, William Avery Bishop, should have earned the right to be judged only by his peers, and they chose to bestowed the V.C., D.S.O. and Bar, the Military Cross, the Flying Cross, the ED medal, the LĂ©gion d’ Honneur and the Croix de Guerre. In 1944 the Order of the Bath.
Considering the awe inspiring fact, that with the exception of the ED medal and the Order of the Bath, these are all valor oders for extreme galantry and courage, I should very much think, that a humbled people and nation, can honor the valiant and raw courage of an extremely young man, who rose to become our greatest World War 1 Ace, one who helped in a unique and singular manner to found the Canadian Armed Forces Air Arm.
In honouring William Avery Bishop, the Canadian people honour their estimed Armed Forces and the nation itself, for he embodies the best of our courage and devotion.
Faithfully yours,
Claude Cornet
By Claude Cornet on Aug 13, 2009 at 9:29 am