William Avery Bishop

William Avery "Billy" Bishop was born in 1894 in Owen Sound, and went on to become Canada's most famous First World War aviator. Bishop attended Royal Military College in Kingston with his brother, but left when the war broke out to join the Mississauga Horse cavalry regiment. In England, Bishop quickly transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and became an observer. After recovering from a knee injury, Bishop trained at the Central Flying School and gained his wings in November 1916. Over the...See more

William Avery "Billy" Bishop was born in 1894 in Owen Sound, and went on to become Canada's most famous First World War aviator. Bishop attended Royal Military College in Kingston with his brother, but left when the war broke out to join the Mississauga Horse cavalry regiment. In England, Bishop quickly transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and became an observer. After recovering from a knee injury, Bishop trained at the Central Flying School and gained his wings in November 1916. Over the course of his war career, Bishop is credited with shooting down seventy-two enemy aircraft and was awarded the Military Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Victoria Cross for his service. Upon his return to Canada, Bishop wrote his autobiography Winged Warfare. He died in 1956 at the age of 62. See less