FIRST - Canadian Airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross - Ottawa, Ontario
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Weathervane
N 45° 19.218 W 075° 53.559
18T E 430038 N 5018920
Billy Bishop was the first Canadian Airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross. A plaque listing his achievements is located in Billy Bishop Park, on Birkendale Drive, in Ottawa (Kanata), Ontario.
Waymark Code: WMYKF6
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 06/25/2018
Views: 4
Text of the plaque:
William "Billy" Bishop was born on February 8, 1894 in Owen Sound, Ontario.
At the outbreak of the first World War, Bishop was a cadet at the Royal Military Academy College in Kingston and eventually enlisted with the 9th Mississauga Horse, Canadian Expedition Force, on September 30, 1914. He later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and would receive many decorations. He was the first Canadian Airman to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during an early morning attack on an enemy airfield near Cambrai, France on June 2, 1917. Flying a solo mission behind enemy lines, and against all odds, Bishop destroyed seven aircrafts stationed at an enemy aerodrome. By the end of the first World War, Bishop had a score of 72 aces which made him the British Empire's second highest scoring ace.
During World War II, Bishop was assigned Air Marshall with the Royal Canadian Air Force and assisted with recruiting. After several years of ill health, Bishop died on September 11, 1956 in Palm Beach Florida and was laid to rest at Greenwood cemetery in Owen Sound, Ontario.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Person or Group
Date of FIRST: 08/11/1917
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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