Collishaw, Raymond (1893-1976), was a famous Canadian fighter pilot in the United Kingdom’s air forces during World War I (1914-1918). At the time of the war, the Dominion of Canada was part of the British Empire . Collishaw shot down 60 enemy aircraft during the war, more than any other pilot in the British Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Collishaw later served with distinction in the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF).
Collishaw was born on Nov. 22, 1893, in Nanaimo, British Columbia. He was the son of Welsh immigrants. Collishaw left school at age 14 and worked as a sailor off Canada’s west coast.
Collishaw joined the RNAS in 1915, the year after Canada entered World War I. He embarked for the United Kingdom in January 1916 and soon qualified as a pilot. He spent his first months of active service patrolling the English Channel, between the United Kingdom and France. In September, his unit transferred to France, where he flew combat missions over the front lines. Collishaw shot down his first German plane in October. After two more aerial “kills,” Collishaw received the Croix de Guerre (War Cross), a French decoration for bravery.
In April 1917, Collishaw began flying the Sopwith Triplane—a fighter plane with three pairs of wings. Most planes at that time were biplanes, with two pairs of wings. His “Black Flight” squadron, flying black-painted “Tripes,” enjoyed great success throughout the spring and summer. Collishaw shot down a number of German warplanes and became a flight commander. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), Britain’s second highest award for valor. In August, he went home to Canada on leave.
Collishaw returned to combat in late November. He flew the famous Sopwith Camel, a plane named for its aerodynamic “hump.” Collishaw soon became a squadron commander. In April 1918, the RNAS merged with the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. Collishaw was promoted to major in command of an RAF fighter squadron. That summer, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and added a bar to his DSO. A bar represents the repeated earning of a military award. 
In October 1918, Collishaw was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He then commanded a squadron supporting anti-Communist forces in the Russian civil war (1918-1920). He continued his military service in the 1920’s and 1930’s, flying many missions in the Middle East. Early in World War II (1939-1945), Collishaw, holding the rank of air commodore, led a fighter group based in Egypt. In 1943, Collishaw retired from active RAF service with the rank of air vice marshall. After World War II, he returned to British Columbia. Collishaw died on Sept. 29, 1976, in West Vancouver.
