The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-01-24
Canada's Great Ace, Winner of
Seventy-twO Battles, In
sisted Upon Three.
ELLIOTT SPRINGS IN LIST
Lancaster Aviator One of Three
Americans Picked BY Colonel
Bishop for What Was Called
"His Circus.'

The following story appeared il
the New York Evening Sun of Jan
uary IA:
1t is difficult to believe that a
blue eyed, blonde, beardless 24-year-
older. weighing slightly more than
100 pounds and only feet z inch es
tall. was the terror of the Hun air
men. with price set on his head
and the victor Of seventy-two bat
ties.
But the German aviators-those
that are left-can verify the record
of Lieut.-Col. William Avery Bishop
Canada's premier ace, now visiting
New York.
The young Canadians decorations
won but not worn--are the Distin-
guished Service Order Ctwice con
rorred\. the Cross of the Legion of
Honor first class. of which he is
Chevaller; the French Croix de
Guerre. with palm; the British
Military Cross. the Special War
Medal of the Aero Club of America.
the Medal of Gold OF the Aero Club
of France, the Distinguished Flying
! Cross of the British Army. the Spe-
cial Medallion of the Air Fleet COM
mittoe OF Great Britain, and that
most coveted of honors (of which
| less than three hundred have been
/ conferred since it's foundation dur
/ ing the Crimean War;, the Victoria
Cross.
| The score Of Frances greatest
ace, George Guynemer, was fifty
three before he was killed. Baron
Richthofen, Germany's record air
! fighter was credited with eighty
! (but it is said by the German
method OF reckoning. this was based
on the men, not machines shot
DOWN, and Richthofen. too. went
west" Young Col Bishop. very
! much alive and unscathed. according
to official count brought down sew
enty-two planes in less than one
year OF air fighting and by fellow
officers is said to have almost
equalled that record in victories not
! officially credited
Almost an American.
Col. Bishop is literally next to be-
ing American" as he was born and
raised at Owen Sound, Ontario. di-
rectly across Georgian Bay from the
states. and has spent much OF his
life here. He graduated from the
Royal Military College OF Canada.
which compares with our West
Point, receiving the degree OF civil
engineer.
Then along came the war. and
early in 1915 he went overseas with
the Second Divisional Cavalry OF
| Canada. After some service with
| that unit he secured permission
with the greatest diffcultv-to en-
ter the air service, and late in the
! summer began training in England.
! Toward the end of the year he was
sent TO France as an aerial OBJ
server.
THAT sort of work in those
days" says Col. Bishop. was mos
/ DrecariOus: the observer was no
body's child He could not f'y him
self. in most cases, and if his pilot
was shot ii was good night I stuck
to the work for about year and
| succeeded in getting a leg broken
wher / was shot down in northern
| France After the hospital ] went
back to England. learned to use my
wings and went Yep chasing around
London during the air raids But.
/ alas, | never got a Zep
In the early spring o' 1917 I
went ont as fighting pilot, with my
! commission as Ienteant in the
! RovG' T'yirg Corps / rcmcmb Der
my first Roche got him and lot
! OF thrills at the same time. on
M"rch 25 1917 over Arras II was
about $50 O'Clock in the evening
and ! winged him about 5000 feet
in the air. He went down and |
went aft"r him thinking he was on
/ ly feinting. After I dropped
straight down for 5000 feet my en-
| -