Billy Bishop Lone Wolf Hunter: The RAF Ace Re-examined - Hardcover

Peter Kilduff

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 190980813X ISBN 13: 9781909808133

Publisher: Grub Street, 2014

Synopsis

William Avery Bishop best known as Billy has been hailed as the British Empire s highest-scoring World War I fighter ace. Officially credited with victory in seventy-two air battles, the Canadian-born pilot was honoured in a special ceremony by King George V, who presented Bishop with the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross at the same time. Bishop also became an early recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Making lone wolf attacks on German aircraft, the daring young flyer pursued targets over enemy lines without having to be responsible for less experienced men in a patrol. Bishop's approach to aerial combat was extremely dangerous, however, making him more vulnerable to his adversaries. And, with sparse independent corroboration of his air fighting claims, Bishop's tactic left him open to suspicions about the veracity of his combat reports. A key point of this book is Peter Kilduff's careful review of the ace s existing combat reports and private correspondence, as well as accounts by friends and foes. Another side of Billy Bishop is revealed in many letters to his fiancée (later wife) relating death-defying experiences while sharing tender inner thoughts. Drawing on some five decades of extensive, even-handed and thorough research into World War I aviation history, Kilduff examines a wealth of German sources for this in-depth study of the ace's aerial exploits. Drawing on all his experience, the author sheds new light on Bishop's air missions and combats, which so far are steeped in controversy. Such methodology provides as complete an account as possible. Billy Bishop Lone Wolf Hunter also serves as a valuable reference work, containing over seventy illustrations relating to Bishop and his adversaries, many previously unpublished.

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Review

Veteran Forumites will recall that almost from the start of Scott's website in the late 1990s, Billy Bishop has been thoroughly cussed and dis-cussed. Much of the controversy attending his reputation concerns not only his questionable Victoria Cross action in June 1917, but how few of his victory claims are substantiated by German records. Enter Peter Kilduff, one of the elder statesmen of Great War aviation history and arguably its leading biographer. Among his 15 previous books are studies of Manfred von Richthofen, Hermann Goring, Rudolf Berthold, and Carl Degelow. Kilduff's study of the leading British Empire fighter ace is marked by a willingness to examine the subject broadly and objectively. His bibliography and footnotes cover twenty pages, replete with passages from Bishop's correspondence and published works; other biographies; and especially official British and German documents. However, Bishop began his wartime service as a cavalryman before becoming an aerial observer and proceeding to pilot training. The author provides a detailed account of that phase of the nascent ace's time in France in 1915-16. While Kilduff clearly admires his subject, the author maintains a proper historical approach, noting both Bishop's strengths and weaknesses. Clearly Bishop was driven to succeed, constantly measuring himself against his rivals (other British aces plus French and German heroes), and equally clearly coveting the highest decorations available. Bishop's revelations to his fiancee' and wife paint himself as an intensely ambitious young man, age 23 and 24 at the height of his combat career. Kilduff thoroughly examines Bishop's victory claims by meticulously sorting through British and German records. Of the ace's 72 credited victories, 10 are positively identified, 11 possibly match German losses, and the balance have no equivalent records or enemy documents are incomplete. The airfield that Bishop reputedly attacked on June 2, 1917, remains unidentified, and the three planes he claimed shot down cannot be verified. Nonetheless, he received the only VC ever awarded in violation of the requirement for witnesses to the action. That fact remains a permanent blot of Bishop's credibility. Yet, as Kilduff, demonstrates, Bishop was a tireless, aggressive combatant. He consistently outflew everyone in both of his fighter squadrons No. 60 as a flight leader and No. 85 as commanding officer. Peter Kilduff has done a superb job in slicing through the fog and controversy of nearly a century to produce a readable, objective account of Billy Bishop the lone hunter. Five stars. --Barrett Tillman - http://www.theaerodrome.com

Kilduff tackles Bishop's victory claims in his usual analytical fashion, utilizing all available sources, including the RFC War Diary, British squadron record books and combat reports, as well as his considerable collection of German material from the weekly Nachrichtenblatt intelligence summaries to pertinent Kommandeur der Flieger [Army Air staff] reports. Sometimes the evidence comes out in Bishop s favor, sometimes not, but no one will put this book aside thinking that Kilduff had made up his mind going in and failed to consider all the relevant data. Does this book settle the controversy? Not quite. We are no more likely to stop arguing about Billy Bishop than we are to quit debating who killed the Red Baron (or JFK for that matter). But Kilduff s latest biography considers the facts and leaves prejudices and jingoism out of the discussion. The latter is refreshing and makes this book a most valuable contribution to the arguments.
--Over the Front
Excellent book, written without bias. -- Avion Magazine.

I greatly appreciate the research that Peter put into it. I truly believe he left no stone unturned in his search for the truth. And yes, I d say that even if his search had found that Billy had lied about his claims. But, he didn't, so there it is. Even Billy s detractors couldn't find proof that he lied. Only conjecture. Hopefully, this will put that conjecture to rest. I doubt it will, but I m going to hope for it anyway.
--The Aerodrome

In the annals of the Great War aces Billy Bishop is up there as number two after the Red Baron with seventy-two victories. But almost a century on his position in the league table is far from undisputed. Down the years there have been many questions about the veracity of Bishop s claims, not least for the action that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross. This solidly constructed book by Peter Kilduff analyses the career of Canada s greatest ace. The author combines his work pouring over British and German records in addition to the many letters our hero wrote to his beloved wife and family. There is no doubt Bishop embellished things when he wrote home but this seems all very trivial and, dare I say it, innocent. He had something like a wonderlust for decorations. But being a man of modest means this would appear to be his need to justify himself to his wife s very rich family. Bishop came home the holder of the VC, the DSO and Bar, the Military Cross and the new DFC in addition to French medals. His combat record is immense and having been sceptical about him on reading this book I found I was less inclined to believe he was a conman. The author is quick to illustrate that the gaps in British and German records do not in themselves mean our hero was on the fiddle. While British records were fairly indepth, German files are much more inconsistent. Just because there may be no record of a combat loss in German records it does not mean Bishop was lying. On a number of occasions casualty records reveal aircraft were involved in mortal combat and the fact is we will never know for certain if any of Bishop s claims were false. The author describes the use of necrology and here I am admitting it is a new word to me. We live and learn. For my own part I fail to see why he would fake anything. He was a natural air fighter who was aggressive and cunning. He knew his business and the urge he had to outdo the scores of other Allied pilots offers no obvious connection to him having been a cheat. He wanted glory and he got it. He was unashamed in his pursuit of more and more victories to make him the best at his craft. In being a top ace, Billy Bishop had found the one thing he could do extremely well when he was at the peak of his powers. His reputation as a lone wolf is clear for all to see in his combat reports. This aspect alone is what has drawn so much disquiet over his claims. Bishop was awarded the VC for a solo attack on a German aerodrome on a dark morning and this event more than other is the one that causes concern. There were no British witnesses to his attack and German records are sketchy and his nomination flew in the face of standard procedure. But there was nothing humdrum about William Avery Bishop. Billy Bishop is one of a small number of men who fired the imagination of the Canadian public at a time when the country was coming out from under Britain s petticoats to reveal a new confident nation. He was the embodiment of the superior colonial warrior to flaunt at an often condescending British establishment. These are all crucial elements to his story. Canada had provided a massive number of men to fight in the war and at a time when that commitment was wobbling with anger at the prospect of conscription, the Ottawa government needed heroes. There is no doubt Billy Bishop was heaven sent. Peter Kilduff has done a very good job here. The prose isn t electrifying but it gets along at a reasonable pace and is supported by excellent photographs. Grub Street do these aviation histories very well and here's hoping they continue. --War History Online

About the Author

Peter Kilduff has been studying and researching aviation history for over fifty years. He was a journalist and professional communicator for over forty years, and retired as Director of University Relations at his Alma Mater Central Connecticut State University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Grub Street
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 190980813X
• ISBN 13: 9781909808133
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192