William A. Bishop (1894 - 1956) - Find A Grave Memorial

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William A. Bishop

Birth:	Feb. 8, 1894 Owen Sound Ontario, Canada
Death:	Sep. 11, 1956 Palm Beach Florida, USA
Canadian World War I Flying Ace. He is credited with 72 victories, and earned the Victoria Cross (Britian's highest award). At the beginning of World War I, he joined the 8th Canadian Mounted Rifles, serving with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In December 1915, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and received his pilot's certificate in 1917. Many considered him a mediocre pilot, but his extraordinary eyesight and shooting skill made him an expert shot. As the Commander of the "Flying Foxes" he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after scoring 25 victories in just 12 days. On the morning of June 2, 1917, he single-handedly attacked a German aerodrome on the Arras front, destroying 7 airplanes on the ground and shooting an additional 4 airplanes down, before having to break contact due to lack of ammunition. For this action, he was awarded the Victorian Cross. He was also awarded a Military Cross, and the Distinguished Service Order (2 awards). In 1918, he wrote a book "Winged Warfare" which detailed his exploits in the air. Bishop was also the brother-in-law of Canadian air ace Henry Burden. (bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson) Search Amazon for William Bishop

Burial: Greenwood Cemetery Owen Sound Ontario, Canada
Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Jul 09, 2000 Find A Grave Memorial# 10460