Billy Bishop

The image of World War One aces has appeared in pop culture for decades. The image of these pilots, such as the popular Red Baron, appears in cartoons and in children’s toys. But not many people know much about these aces and what impact they had on the war. The introduction of airplanes in warfare enabled a group of young fighter pilots to demonstrate their bravery and become heroes to their people. This can be proven by looking at how planes contributed to the success of the World War One aces and the lives and accomplishments of the two highest ranking aces in the First World War.
The airplanes that the fighter pilots flew were new technology that paved the way for a new type of war hero. At the beginning of the First World War, planes …show more content…
Bishop was born February 8, 1894, in Ontario, Canada. He showed interest in aircraft and flying at a young age. At age 15, he built his own airplane out of cardboard and wood and tried to fly it off of his roof. He did not excel in school, so his father enrolled him in the Royal Military College at the age of 17. When the war broke out in 1914, he was assigned to a cavalry unit, but before he could leave to fight, he came down with pneumonia. After he recovered, he joined the Royal Flying Corps. At the time, there were no open positions to become a fighter pilot, so he became a photographer and observer. In November of 1916, Bishop was assigned as a pilot to the No. 37 Squadron. Soon, he requested a transfer to France and joined the No. 60 Squadron. In March, he got his first victory. He was made a flight commander and received the Military Cross for destroying an enemy observation balloon. Soon after that attack, he earned the Distinguished Service Order for shooting three enemy planes while being chased by three others (“William ‘Billy’ Bishop”). Only five weeks after beginning to fly in France, he had 17 victories and was the highest scoring ace for the British forces (Leach 50). In June of 1917, Bishop demonstrated his bravery by carrying out a dangerous raid on a German aerodrome and destroying three enemy planes. This attack on the airport won him the Victoria Cross. Bishop became the first soldier to win all of the military’s highest honors (“William ‘Billy’ Bishop”). General Hugh M. Trenchard was quoted by William Arthur Bishop saying, “‘My boy, if everyone did as well as you’ve done, we’d soon win this war,’” (“William ‘Billy’ Bishop”). At age 23, he was promoted to major, downed 47 planes, and had survived a battle against Richthofen. At the end of the war, he had 72 victories, only second to Germany’s Red Baron (Leach). He had a fearless