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Number Date Type of EA downed Notes/Victims (if known)
1917
1 25 March Albatros D3 Lt. Renatus Theiller1
2 31 March Albatros D3 unknown Crashed2
Unc 6 April Albatros D3 DD near Cherisy Lt. Eicholz KIA27
3 7 April Albatros D3 DD near Arras
4 7 April Balloon Flamer near Arras
Unc 8 April Albatros C5 DOOC near Arras28
5 8 April Balloon DD near Arras
6 8 April Albatros D3 Lt. W. Frankl KIA DOOC3
7 8 April Albatros D3 Vfw. S. Festner DOOC4
8 8 April AEG C-4 2-seater DD Near Vitry.
9 20 April Aviatik 2-seater Flamer near Biache
10 22 April Fokker D3 DD near Vis-en-Artois5
11 22 April Fokker D3 DOOC near Vis-en-Artois5
12 23 April Albatros C-3 Vfw. Ebert, Lt. Berger FTL Vitry
13 23 April Albatros D3 Hpt. P. von Osterroht KIA6
14 27 April Balloon Flamer near Vitry
15 29 April C-type 2-seater Lt. H. Waldschmidt, KIA 7
16 30 April Aviatik 2-seater Lt. A. Rodenbeck, KIA 8
17 30 April Albatros C3 FTL near Monchy
Unc 30 April Albatros C3 FTL near Monchy
18 2 May Albatros C3 Uffz. Niese KIA, Vfw. Seifert WIA
19 2 May Albatros C3 DOOC near Epinoy
Unc 2 May Albatros C3 FTL near Lens
20 4 May AEG C-5 Crashed near Brebieres9
21 7 May Albatros D3 DOOC near Vitry
22 7 May Albatros D3 DOOC near Vitry 10
23 26 May Albatros D3 DOOC near Izel-les-Epeurchin
24 27 May Rumpler 2-Seater Crashed near Monchy11
25 31 May Albatros D3 Crashed near Phalempin Aerodrome
26 2 June Albatros D3 Crashed at Estourmel Aerodrome12
27 2 June Albatros D3 Crashed at Estourmel Aerodrome12
28 2 June Albatros D3 Crashed at Estourmel Aerodrome12
29 8 June Albatros D3 Crashed near Lille
30 24 June Albatros D3 Flamer near Beaumont13
31 25 June Albatros D3 DOOC near Dury14
32 26 June Albatros D3 Flamer near Etaing
33 26 June Albatros D3 DOOC near Etaing
34 28 June Albatros D3 DOOC near Drocourt
35 10 July Albatros D3 DOOC near Vitry15
36 12 July Albatros D3 Crashed near Vitry Vfw. L. Patermann KIA16
37 17 July Albatros D3 Flamer near Havringcourt17
38 17 July Albatros D3 Flamer near Marquion
39 20 July Albatros D3 DOOC near Havringcourt
40 28 July Albatros D3 Flamer near Phalempin
41 29 July Albatros D3 DOOC near Beaumont18
42 5 August Albatros D3 Flamer near Monchy Lt. B. Lehmann KIA19
43 5 August Albatros D5 DOOC near Monchy19
44 6 August Albatros D4* Crashed near Brebieres20
45 9 August Albatros C5 Crashed near Ecourt
46 13 August Albatros D3 Flamer near Douai
47 13 August Albatros D3 Flamer near Douai
48 15 August Albatros C5 DOOC near Henin
49 16 August Aviatik 2-seater Crashed near Harnes
50 16 August Albatros D3 Crashed near Carvin
1918
51 27 May C-type 2-seater Crashed near Houthulst21
52 28 May Albatros D5 Crashed near Cortemarck Uffz. Siche WIA
53 28 May Albatros D5 Crash landed Cortemarck Uffz. Peisker WIA
54 30 May C-Type 2-seater Crashed near Roulers22
55 30 May C-Type 2-seater Flamer near Roulers
56 30 May Albatros D5 Crashed near Armentieres witnessed by AA
Unc 30 May Albatros D5 DD smoking near Armentieres29
57 31 May Pfalz D3 FTL near Quesnoy23
58 31 May Pfalz D3 DOOC near Lille Lt. E. Kaus WIA Jasta 30
59 1 June Pfalz D3 Crashed near Estaires24
60 2 June Pfalz D3 Crashed near Armentieres25
61 4 June Albatros D5 Flamer off Ostend
62 4 June Albatros D5 DOOC near Leffinghe
63 15 June Pfalz D3 Crashed near Estaires
64 16 June Pfalz D3 Crashed near Armentieres
65 16 June Pfalz D3 Crashed near Armentieres
66 17 June Halberstadt C-type Crashed near Staden
67 17 June Albatros D5 Crashed near Sailly-sur-Lys
68 17 June Halberstadt C-Type Flamer near Laventie
69 18 June Albatros D5 Crashed near Ypres Lt. R. Heins WIA
70 18 June Albatros D5 Crashed near Ypres Uffz. Kohler WIA
71 19 June Pfalz Crashed near Ploegsteert
72 19 June Pfalz Crashed near Ploegsteert26
73 19 June Pfalz Crashed near Ploegsteert26
74 19 June Pfalz Crashed near Ploegsteert
75 19 June LVG 2-seater Flamer near Neuve
First, you'll notice that this list gives Bishop 75 confirmed victories. That's because they include 3 balloons, that according to McCaffrey, were not previously included in any of Bishop's victory lists. If that's the case, then according to info I've seen, his score of confirmed victories should be close to 100. The reason being that several of his contemporaries claim for Bishop, that he shot down at least 23 balloons. IF that were true, that would make him the 4th ranking balloon buster, and THE Ace of Aces with 95 victories. But I doubt if we'll ever see any paperwork confirming that score. According to what I was told recently, a lot of British Empire pilots' records were lost enroute from the front back to England.
McCaffrey's claimed resources for the above list are Bishop's log book, records from 60 and 85 Squadrons, and the German "Luftstreitkrafte" casualty files.
He states further that "...Lieutenant John Grider of 85 Squadron and Lieutenant J.B. Crompton of 60 Squadron both reported seeing Bishop shoot down enemy machines. However, which two victories are involved has never been established."
The notes.
* I have no idea where this came from. I can only hope it's a typo. And the book it came from has more than a few typos in it.
1Witnessed by Lt.s Binnie and Bower, 60 Squadron, RFC, and AA. TJP lists his death as 24 March 1917
2Witnessed by AA and Lt. Leckie, 60 Squadron RFC
3The Jasta Pilots (referred to as TJP above and from now on) agrees he was KIA on 8 April 1917
4TJP lists his death as 25 April, 1917, because he survived this flight, though his aircraft did not, MvR had it scrapped!
5Witnessed by Lt.s Young, Horn, Fry and Rutherford, and Maj. Scott, all of 60 Squadron RFC
6TJP agrees he was KIA on 23 April, 1917. Witnessed by Nieuport pilot from 40 Squadron RFC.
7Witnessed by FE2B Crew from 11 Squadron RFC.
8FFA A.233 2nd crewman not identified, probably not a casualty.
9Witnessed by and shared with Lt. Willy Fry, 60 Squadron, RFC, and by AA.
10Witnessed by Lt. Lloyd, 60 Squadron, RFC.
11Vfw. Fritz Johanntges, KIA, Oblt. Gerd von Roedern, KIA
12These 3 victories are the ones Bishop got on his raid on Esnes that won him the VC. McCaffery, names the location as Estourmel, but we now know that's not possible as Estourmel was not occupied on this date. He also lists Lt. Townsend of 12 Squadron RAF as confirming the 3 claims in 1918, but according to Phillip Markham, Townsend objected to McCaffery's claims that he (Townsend) verified the claims. Townsend insisted that it was 3rd hand knowledge and not necessarily reliable.
13Witnessed by FE2B crew, 11 Squadron RFC.
14Witnessed by Lt.s Rutherford, Young and Soden 60 Squadron, RFC.
15Witnessed by Maj. Scott, 60 Squadron, RFC.
16TJP agrees on date of KIA, but not location, that is listed as Montfaucon. Witnessed by Lt. Robert Little, 8 Squadron, RNAS.
17Witnessed by Lt. Barnett, 11 Squadron RFC. Jasta 4. By looking at TJP casualty lists, only one Jasta 4 pilot was wounded that day, Lt. Richard Krüger who was wounded over Comines and died of wounds later in hospital.
18Witnessed by Capt. Caldwell, 60 Squadron, RFC.
19Witnessed by Lt. Molesworth, 60 Squadron, RFC.
20Witnessed by Lt.s Clement and Carter, 11 Squadron, RFC.
21FFA A204, Flieger Kark Andreison, KIA, Lt. Keil, WIA, Witnessed by AA
22Lt. Koch, KIA, Lt. Felder, KIA
23Witnessed by Lt. Horn, 85 Squadron RAF.
24Witnessed by Lt. Springs, 85 Squadron, RAF. McCaffrey claims this was Leut. Paul Billik, but TJP lists his date of being WIA and made POW as 10 August, 1918. However, there was one Jasta 52 pilot who was shot down and KIA on 1 June, 1918. Lt. Wilhem Saint Mont, his aircraft went down in flames over Mourmelon, near Lille, he jumped in a parachute which also burned, he fell to his death.
25Witnessed by Lt. Callahan, 85 Squadron, RAF. McCaffrey lists the victim as "Flieger M. Sawatski, KIA" In TJP, the closest listing I could find was Flgmt Horst Sawatzki of MFJ1. He was shot down on this day, but he was flying an Albatros D5, and he was only WIA, not KIA.
26Witnessed by Lt.s John Gurdon and J.J. Scaramanga of 22 Squadron, RAF
27In spite of McCaffrey's identification, I could find no listing in TJP for a Lt. Eicholz
28McCaffrey lists this one as UNconfirmed, yet Above The Trenches lists it as Bishop's 5th confirmed victory, both list it as shared with Maj. Scott. From McCaffrey's book it reads as follows: "Shared and witnessed by Major Scott, 60 Squadron, RFC. Why this victory is not confirmed is a mystery." Seems to me, Mr. McCaffrey missed something.
29The interesting thing is that McCaffrey lists Bishop with 2 C-types and one single seater as confirmed on 30 May, 1918, while ATT lists Bishop with 1 C-type, and two Albatross D5's as officially confirmed.
And with a new publication of OTF last year, which had an article written by Willy Fry, published for him by his friend, Alex Revell. In this article, Fry basically denies that he and Bishop shot down an enemy aircraft on May 4, 1917. Why he waited until after his death to say this, is anyone's guess. But he did, you can draw your own conclusions.
However, I have to state that I have some problems with Dan McCaffrey's list. There are more than a few inconsistencies, consequently, I have to state that I just do not trust it completely. But then I don't trust the German records completely either.
The arrow will return you to the Bishop main page.Created May 22, 1999
Last updated: December 29, 2005
© 1999 by Albert Lowe, All rights reserved.
The opinions expressed on this web page are mine alone. By no means should the use of any reference be construed as to suggest that anyone else mentioned on this site shares those opinions, unless stated explicitly so.
If you have any problems with my opinion, you should email me, Al Lowe
.
References for this web page are...
"Billy Bishop, Canadian Hero" by Dan McCaffrey, published by James Lorimer & Company.
"The Jasta Pilots" by Norman Franks, Frank Bailey, and Rick Duiven, published by Grub Street
And "Above The Trenches", by Christopher Shores, Norman Franks, & Russell Guest, published by Grub Street.
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