Bishop, Billy (1894-1956), was a famous Canadian pilot of World War I (1914-1918). He received credit for shooting down 72 German aircraft, but some historians have questioned that number. Bishop often flew solo, so many of his victories were self-reported. He was awarded several medals, including the Victoria Cross, the highest award for valor in the British armed services.
William Avery Bishop was born on Feb. 8, 1894, in Owen Sound, Ontario. He studied at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. When Canada entered World War I in 1914, Bishop was commissioned a lieutenant in the Mississauga Horse, a Canadian cavalry regiment. As part of the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles, Bishop embarked for Europe. In September 1915, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps , first as an observer and then as a pilot.
In March 1917, Bishop reached the Western Front in France as a pilot of 60 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. He registered his first “kill” on March 25, shooting down a German fighter plane near St.-Leger. Within five months, Bishop was promoted to captain and credited with 47 victories, including 3 on a single dawn attack on June 2—a feat that earned him the Victoria Cross.
Bishop was removed from active service in August 1917 but returned to combat as a major and commander of 85 Squadron in May 1918. In less than a month, he achieved a further 25 victories. In late June, Bishop was promoted to lieutenant colonel and called to England to assist in the formation of the Canadian Air Force, leaving the war with 72 victories.
During World War II (1939-1945), Bishop served as a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) air marshal in charge of recruitment. Bishop volunteered to help the RCAF during the Korean War (1950-1953), but his services were refused. He died in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 11, 1956, and is buried in the family plot at Greenwood Cemetery in Owen Sound.
