Billy Bishop VC
The Cavalryman who became a leading fighter ace.
Canadian Mounted Rifles
With 72 victories William Avery Bishop was ranked second on the list of British aces. He was born at Ontario on 8th February 1894. At age 17 he entered the Royal Military College and after graduating he joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles. At the outbreak of war in August 1914 his regiment was sent to England.
Royal Flying Corps
It became obvious to Bishop that cavalry would have limited fighting opportunities, and following a period of training he became an observer with 21 Squadron. Bishop was injured in a landing accident and on his discharge from hospital he trained as a pilot. In March 1917 he was posted to 69 Squadron, a unit equipped with Nieuport scouts. His first combat success was on 25 March when he shot down an Albatros scout. Over the next fortnight Bishop scored 6 more victories including an observation balloon and for the last exploit he was awarded the Military Cross.
Further Successes
It was the start of a phenomenal career and by early May his score had risen to 20. Bishop virtually lived in the air and frequently logged seven hours flying time on daily offensive patrols. On 2 May he had 9 combats, and in the course of attacking a total of19 enemy aircraft he shot down two of them. For this exploit he was awarded the D.S.O.
Victoria Cross
On the following month Bishop was awarded the Victoria Cross. This was for a daring solo raid on a German airfield. He shot down three machines which took off to attack him, and also damaged three on the ground. With his score at 45 Bishop was promoted to major and awarded a Bar to his DSO.
A Spectacular Period
His squadron had converted to SE5s but he had little opportunity to increase his score. In September he was sent back to Canada to assist in recruiting. In early 1918 he returned to England and after a period instructing he was given command of 85 Squadron. Bishop took the unit to France in May 1918 and although his instructions were to do limited operational flying he resumed combat flying in spectacular fashion. In the space of 12 days he shot down a further 20 enemy aircraft.
The Armistice
Bishop was considered too valuable to be risked in further combat and was ordered back to England. He was transferred to Canadian H.Q in August 1918 to assist in the formation of a Canadian Air Force. The Armistice was signed before this came into being and Bishop never flew in combat again. He returned to Canada and began a commercial aviation venture in partnership with William Barker V.C.
World War 2
During World War 2 he served as an Air Marshal in the Canadian Air Force, and was a familiar and popular figure as he liaised with Canadian units serving in the UK. Billy Bishop died peacefully in Florida in September 1956, after a fighting career that could well be called unique.
William Bishop
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Nieuport Scout
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