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Arthur Christian William Avery "Bish" Bishop

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Bish Bishop
Willy Cummings, John Orpen (Adj.) & "Bish" - Catterick, April '43

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18-Year-Old Son Of Billy Bishop Joins R.C.A.F.

Ottawa, Sept. 8, 1941 — (CP) — Arthur Bishop, 18-year-old son of Air Marshal W. A. Bishop, director of Royal Canadian Air Force recruiting, enlisted in the R.C.A.F. today. He applied for training as aircrew, following the lead of his father, who was one of Canada's first Great War air aces.
Arthur Bishop was a pupil pilot at Montreal Light Airplane Club five years ago when 13 years old.
David C. Seton of Montreal, also 18, and one of Arthur's schoolmates, enlisted at the same time.

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Name order may be William Arthur Christian Avery
Born June 13, 1923 at home -
(34 Chester Terrace, London, UK)
Son of WW1 Ace Billy Bishop & Margaret Eaton Burden.
Moved to Canada in 1930.
Home in Toronto, Montreal & Ottawa.
Attended Bishop's College School from 1935-41.
Joined RCAF on Sept. 8, 1941 in Ottawa (#R125798)
(Recruiting center at the Corner of O'Connor & Metcalfe).
Winged at Uplands July 31, 1942.
Sent overseas.
Served with 401 Squadron.
Patrolled the beaches of Normany on D-Day.
He said after the war that he worried more about
screwing up & getting kicked off the squadron than
he did of the Germans.
Died in his sleep on 14 February 2013 in Toronto.

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Tells Graduates They Are Better Than Foe

Ottawa, July 31, 1942 - (CP) - Air Marshal W.A. Bishop today pinned pilot's wings on the tunic of his 19-year-old son, Leading Aircraftman A.C.W.A. Bishop, during a Wing's parade at nearby Uplands Service Flying Training School. The son of the first Great War ace, who now is director of recruiting for the Royal Canadian Air Force, was one of a large class to receive their wings. The graduates came from all parts of Canada and the United States.
Air Marshal Bishop told the class that theirs was a "most important and glorious task," and added, "This war will be won in the air. This is your hour. You must grasp it and make the most of it. I know you will.
Overseas they would meet a "fierce and fighting foe" but they would meet him with a great advantage.
"You can meet him with confidence that you are better trained than he is, that you are better equipped and, much more important, you are a better man than he is," he said. “You will win, never fear."
Ontario graduates were: E.L. Ashbury, A.K. Keats, E.A.K. Mundy, Charles Spring, C.H. Reeves, Toronto; C.W. Archer, Bartonville; G.M. Hyndman, T.P. Hyndman, Oakville; W. Wood, W.E. Worthington, Hamilton; A.C.W.A. Bishop, F.C. Boweing, J.M. Brady, P.K. Davidson, Ottawa; W.E. Cummings, North Bay; F.G. Doyle; Chatham; L.J. Hurrell, Carleton Place; J.R. McLaughlin, Colborne; L.A. Wearn, Enniskillen.

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"About this time the station padre decided we needed some religion, and arranged a church service. I can't recall that we'd had one since I joined the squadron. It was held on the grass outside the dispersal hut. The sermon was not what we had expected or liked. As a group of fighter pilots putting in time between flights, we presumed the padre would provide us with some inspiration for what we were doing. No bloody way. Instead he castigated us for our coarse language and told us that in all his years in the service he had never encountered an outfit that used such filthy language so much and so often. We came away resenting both him and his uncalled for remarks. Who the hell did this sanctimonious asshole think he was?
Some days later, because the weather was duff—cloudy and drizzly—we were inside the dispersal hut. Jim Murchison and I were battling it out over a game of table hockey when he suddenly broke off, got up, and said, "Hold it for a minute. I've got to take a shit."
The padre, who I noticed for the first time was sitting right next to me, admonished, "Do you have to announce it?"
Ormy, with a wide grin, turned to him and countered, "Well, Padre, he didn't know you were here. Next time when you come through the door, fart three times and we'll all know you've arrived." A couple of guys clapped, whereupon the insipid little twerp stomped out of the hut, never to be seen again. Good riddance — justice had been served."

Quote & photo from Art's book 'Winged Combat'

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Airmen With Invasion Honors Among 200 From Overseas

Ottawa, Aug. 13, 1944 - (CP) - More than 200 Canadian airmen, many of them with decorations earned in action over the Normandy bridgehead climbed today from a repatriation train here to renew acquaintance with a homeland many of them had not seen for as long as three years. Among the repatriates was F/O W.A. Bishop, son of Air Marshal W.A. (Billy) Bishop, Director of recruiting for the R.C.A.F., who was met by his father. Another was W/C G.C. Keefer, D.F.C. and Bar, of Charlottetown, back after two completed tours of operations.
Others returning included W/C J.W. Reid, Kingston, and F/L J.L. McCauly, D.F.C., Toronto; S/Ls. R.A. Buckham of Mission City, B.C., and Howard Cleveland, D.F.C., of Vancouver, who both ran up impressive scores of enemy aircraft destroyed.
Buckham has a record of six and one-half planes destroyed, two "probables" and two damaged. Cleveland claimed nine destroyed and one damaged in a single tour of operations.
The returning fliers, all happy to be back, plowed hungrily into the ice cream and soft drink offerings of Canadian Legion representatives who met them at the station.
In the group were S/L G.W. Conrad, Richmond, and F/L A.J. Van Rassell, Timmins

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Victories Include :

7 June 1944 1/2 Ju88 destroyed over Gold Beach

Shared with Scotty Murray

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Victory Over Gold
Nicolas Trudgian's "Victory Over Gold" shows the scene over Gold Beach
as Bishop's Spit, YO-K, peels off after determining the fate of a Ju88

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Read his obituary at the Globe & Mail

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