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Cley Marsh and its birds: Fifty years as warden
133 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
2 people want to read
About the author
William Avery Bishop
17 books2 followersAir Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop, VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace in World War I.
Billy Bishop was Canada's top fighter ace of the First World War, credited with shooting down 72 German aircraft in aerial combat over the Western Front during 1917 and 1918.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Bishop was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and he served during the war as Director of the Royal Canadian Air Force and placed in charge of recruitment.
Bishop was so successful in this role that they had to turn many applicants away. He created a system for training pilots across Canada and became instrumental in setting up and promoting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained over 167,000 airmen in Canada during the Second World War. In 1942, he appeared as himself in the film 'Captains of the Clouds', a Hollywood tribute to the RCAF.
By 1944, the stress of the war had taken a serious toll on Bishop's health, and he resigned his post in the RCAF to return to private enterprise in Montreal, before retiring in 1952. His son Arthur later commented that he looked 70 years old on his 50th birthday in 1944. However, Bishop remained active in the aviation world, predicting the phenomenal growth of commercial aviation postwar. His efforts to bring some organization to the nascent field led to the formation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal. He wrote a second book at this time, 'Winged Peace', advocating international control of global air power.
With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Bishop again offered to return to his recruitment role, but he was in poor health and was politely refused by the RCAF. He died in his sleep on 11 September 1956, at the age of 62, while wintering in Palm Beach, Florida. His funeral service was held with full Air Force Honours in Toronto, Ontario. The body was cremated and the ashes interred in the family plot in Greenwood Cemetery in Owen Sound, Ontario.
A Memorial Service for Air Marshal Bishop was held in St Paul's Church, Bristol, United Kingdom on 19 September 1956.
Billy Bishop was Canada's top fighter ace of the First World War, credited with shooting down 72 German aircraft in aerial combat over the Western Front during 1917 and 1918.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Bishop was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and he served during the war as Director of the Royal Canadian Air Force and placed in charge of recruitment.
Bishop was so successful in this role that they had to turn many applicants away. He created a system for training pilots across Canada and became instrumental in setting up and promoting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained over 167,000 airmen in Canada during the Second World War. In 1942, he appeared as himself in the film 'Captains of the Clouds', a Hollywood tribute to the RCAF.
By 1944, the stress of the war had taken a serious toll on Bishop's health, and he resigned his post in the RCAF to return to private enterprise in Montreal, before retiring in 1952. His son Arthur later commented that he looked 70 years old on his 50th birthday in 1944. However, Bishop remained active in the aviation world, predicting the phenomenal growth of commercial aviation postwar. His efforts to bring some organization to the nascent field led to the formation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal. He wrote a second book at this time, 'Winged Peace', advocating international control of global air power.
With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Bishop again offered to return to his recruitment role, but he was in poor health and was politely refused by the RCAF. He died in his sleep on 11 September 1956, at the age of 62, while wintering in Palm Beach, Florida. His funeral service was held with full Air Force Honours in Toronto, Ontario. The body was cremated and the ashes interred in the family plot in Greenwood Cemetery in Owen Sound, Ontario.
A Memorial Service for Air Marshal Bishop was held in St Paul's Church, Bristol, United Kingdom on 19 September 1956.
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