Bishop, William Avery 'Billy' VC (Air Marshal,l RCAF)

Survived 1917-June-02

Bishop enlisted in the 8th Btn, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF. He transferred to the RFC as an observer on 1915-09-01and went to 21TS, Netheravon for training. By October Bishop was crossing the Channel to fly missions in France and Belgium with 21 Sqn in RE-7s, a notoriously BAD aircraft, but he survived despite many air and non-air injuries. A Medical Board on May 26 sent him back to Canada for four months to recuperate. With his return in September 1916 he went for pilot training and was then assigned to 60 Sqn. On 1917-06-02, while flying a Nieuport scout with 60 Squadron, he made a single handed attack of a German aerodrome, shooting down three enemy aircraft and winning the Victoria Cross. He toted up a total of 72 aerial victories and survived the War. He was appointed an Air Vice- Marshall in the RCAF in 1936, and Air Marshall in 1939, with the outbreak of war. He was made Director of Recruiting in 1940 and was instrumental in the success of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program. He died in his sleep at the age of 62.