File:William Avery Bishop (6282413689).jpg

60 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps

William Avery Bishop, better known as Billy Bishop, Royal Flying Corps was awarded the VC for the following action on the Western Front in France:

On 2 June 1917, whilst serving with No 60 Squadron RFC, Bishop flew a solo mission behind enemy lines to attack a German-held aerodrome, where he shot down three aircraft that were taking off to attack him and destroyed several more on the ground.

Billy Bishop was born in Ontario, Canada and, on the outbreak of the First World War, served initially with Canadian cavalry regiments. He travelled to England with the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles on board the CALEDONIA in June 1915.

After a month in the trenches on the Western Front, Bishop transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an observer. He was accepted for pilot training the following year and in March 1917 joined No 60 Squadron RFC on the Western Front, where his success in shooting down enemy aircraft soon gained recognition.

After earning the VC (the only one to be awarded without independent verification from witnesses) Bishop served in various capacities, culminating in the command of No 85 Squadron from April 1918.

By the end of the war, Bishop claimed 72 kills. During the Second World War, Bishop, by now an Honorary Air Marshal, was in charge of recruitment and training for the Royal Canadian Air Force. He died in 1956.

Faces of the First World War

Find out more about this First World War Centenary project at www.1914.org/faces.

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