The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-03-02

Fouf victories IN lWelve Days.
On September Z Quette badly dam
aged an enemy machine ear the reser-
voir IN the Aisne region. During a pa
troll September 8 he attacked the Ger
On September 10 he destroyed an air.
plane near Filain; September 10 he
triumphed over another at the same
place; on September - he shot down
two Boche planes, n near Courteau,
the other les Corbeny-four official
victories in II days!
The leading Italian lace" is Captain
Baracca, with 81 victories. Major Pic
clio, who is probably the dean of all the
fighting 'aces"-he is forty years old
has 10 victories, and the Duke Ruffo di
Calabria and Captain Baracchini ID
each. The italian aviation is far SUI
perior to the Austrian and there are
many Italian fliers who have destroyed
five or more Austrian machines.
Greatest Living Aviator.
Last, but not least, I speak of Maj.
w. A. Bishop, the greatest living war
aviator, who has shot down and de-
stroyed, by the British official count, At
German airplanes. Major Bishop, who
is but twenty-five years old, is a Ca
madam, born at Owen Sound, of Ca
madam parentage. He graduated with
the class of 1914 at the Kingston Mill
tary college and on the outbreak of
war enlisted in the Seventh Canadian
cavalry. On arriving in England he
was yersed, at his demand, into the
royal flying corps, and came out to the
French front in January, 1916. Less
than three months later he was chief
of ~escadrille and patrol commander. In
his first 81 combats he shot down 81
enemy airplanes and two observation
balloons.
Major Bishop is the only Canadian
officer who has received the military
cross, the distinguished service order,
the Victoria cross, and a letter of fe-
licitation from Sir Douglas Haig. The
exploit which gained for Bishop the
Victoria cross is almost unbelievable,
and unique in the annals of aviation.
Biggest Feat of the War.
One morning he set out alone on pa
troll. He directed himself toward an
enemy airdrome, but on arriving there
found nc machines on the field. He con-
tinued on to another aviation camp,
20 kilometers within the Boche lines.
Seven airplanes were lined up in front
of the hangers, with their motors turn
ing. Bishop descended to within TWEEN
ty meters of the ground and opened
fire. A mechanic who was starting a
motor was hit and fell over. One of
the Boche pilots wished to avenge him,
and rose to pursue the daring Cana
dian. The latter let the Boche ap-
proach, then fired Is cartridges, send
ing his enemy to earth.
Another BOche started to rise, but
before his machine could leave the
ground Bishop had wounded him so
badly that he lost control of the air.
plane, which crashed into a tree.
By this time two other German pilots
had got into their machines and came
after Bishop. The latter rose to a
higher altitude, getting his opponents
separated, and then calmly shot them
to earth.
Reaches His Lines Safely.
He started back for his own lines.
Four German airmen, who had seen
from afar his exploits, escorted him at
some 300 meters distance to within a
kilometer of the trenches, but they did
not attempt an attack. On landing,
Bishop found that his machine had
been literally riddled by bullets from
the machine guns defending the Ger
man aviation field.
Major Bishop returned to Canada in
September OF three weeks leave of
absence, and while there married Miss
Burden of Toronto. Just bfore going
home he fell 1000 feet in a flaming
airplane. When he crashed to earth
his clothes were aire, but he was un-
hurt. l am told that the British war
office is now keeping Major Bishop at
an English aviation school, to teach
young pilots some of his marvellous
fighting methods.