Just Call Me ‘Will’

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Just Call Me Will is a work of historic fiction. This book gives a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of Canada’s most decorated pilot of WW1.

The purpose of this book is to help the reader understand what life may have been like for a Canadian pilot in World War one.

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Chapter 1.

Canada, during the first few years of the war had no air force.

At the precise time Britain made its open declaration of war on Germany it was decidedly handcuffed to its destiny. For the next four years there was to be no escaping that horrific, blood-soaked announcement.

Britain desperately required reconnaissance aircraft whose pilots would secretly photograph enemy defensive trenches in the fields below.

No such men or machines were around.

The troops in the mud-filled trenches needed above-ground support. Blimps were ineffective. The British Admiralty desperately wanted swift aerial photographs showing troop movements, new battle lines drawn by trenches of the enemy, and the heavy guns that defended those trenches.

No such swift air support was around.

It also desperately required a replacement for hundreds of observation airships, dirigibles, and blimps, No such replacement was around. Yet.

The powerful Handley Page twin-engine biplane patrol bombers, needed to be invented to eventually replace the airships, these old airborne mechanisms employed in wars for more than a century.

Britain declared not just a war: it declared multiple huge, unpredicted problems which kept growing.

This is a story, based on fact, of a Canadian who answered the World War one British Empire call-to-arms.

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My mother told me she had great difficulty with my birth, but she said I was well worth all her pain. In her lifetime she was to give birth at least eight more times. She also told me I was born, early on a bitter, Manitoba-cold day in November, in a home made of logs on our small farm near the tiny hamlet of Dauphin, Manitoba in 1894. Two neighbours were there with a midwife to help. As we grew up, she told us lots of stories about how she came to Manitoba and helped build her first home: a sod hut.

I was four years old when my hamlet became a village, and my dad was voted the first mayor. Most of the rural settlers were farmers with ancestors in England.

My father taught me to use the Ross straight-pull bolt-action rifle before I could learn to read. I remember it as a rifle that hurt my shoulder as I shattered the old bottles on the farm stumps. Dad said nothing when I got my target, but he blasted me the few times I missed. So, I learned not to miss, longing for that word of praise.

It seemed easy for me to add shells, lift and pull the bolt to get ready for the next shot. I felt proud of myself, just like I felt proud that Dad would tell me to stay home from school to help him with the farm or to ‘harvest’ some rabbits or deer for the men he hired to help him run the only mill for miles around. Getting game was fun because I longed for praise from my dad, even the word “Good” would last me for weeks. My respect for him ran deep. He was my role model as my dad and as a respected leader in the area.

As I learned to saddle and ride a horse, I found it easy to shoot pheasant on-the-fly or most other birds for that matter. As I rode, the pounding of the horse’s hooves would scare up the birds nesting on the open fields. They would take flight. I would see where they were going, estimate where they would be when my bullet hit them and I was right, most of the time. I was sure the rifle sight was not good enough because I missed.

After giving the matter some thought and feeling I could hit a bird on the fly every time, the thought dawned on me that I needed a second sight, so I made my own peep-sight and fascine it to the rifle barrel. After a few practice shots, I knew my shot was dead-on. There were very few birds that got away that I aimed at them and fired from then on. My peep-sight helped me line up a more accurate aim for my rifle. I was really pleased with myself. Dad was proud of me too and so were his friends when they saw how deadly my shot was.

As more and more of us were born, the bigger our house had to be. Growing up in my family meant you had to speak up to be heard and if you spoke up your opinion was always shot down. With more than a half dozen sitting around the dinner table there were always more than half a dozen opinions on any one topic.

The years went by quickly and I was about to graduate from my Collegiate when I heard talking, shouting, arguing and information about what the British had done in early August. I wanted to join the military, but my dad encouraged me to finish my high school. Out of my deep respect for him, I went back to finish grade eleven but without enthusiasm. I didn’t have a heart for anything going on in the school.

My first love was the air machines doing loop the loop. They were a dream for me. I wanted to do that too. I wanted to fly ,and I was going to do anything to get up there and learn to fly.

I remember it was well before Christmas of 1914, when I enlisted in the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. It was a decision I would never regret since I got to meet so many others my own age who were also from rural farm life in different parts of Canada.

Training with the CMR was easy and I loved it when I was chosen to serve served as a machine gunner at Ypres. France, a place I didn’t know existed. 

After more than a full year of machine-gun work in France, I wanted something different. Those flying machines above me sparked my interest. Walking and shooting at a target I had done for many years. Horseback riding and shooting I had done for years. Flying and shooting sparked my imagination, so in the spring of 1916, I volunteered to serve in the RFC. When I learned about being a pilot in a B.E.2 seater reconnaissance by watching, listening and asking very few questions, I felt I could do this thing of being a pilot with ease. When my bosses saw how good I was as a first a gunner I was called in one day to the quiet, spotless office. I thought I was in trouble but something inside me felt good about this request. Perhaps the Major would say, “good” and give me some praise for the shots I fired with dead-on accuracy. I could not believe me ears when he offered me a commission as a second lieutenant. Not only was this a little praise of ‘good’ but it was a pat on the back, or a psychological hug, which I desperately needed.

He received his first MC doing aerial photography. 

In July of that year, he recorded his first victory, driving down a German scout airplane using his observer's gun. 

At the beginning of 1917, he was sent to flying school for four weeks' instruction to become a pilot. Promoted to flying officer in February 1917, Barker returned to the Western Front again in two-seater reconnaissance airplanes (the B.E.2 and the R.E.8), but this time seated in the front pilot's seat. Three months later, he was promoted to captain and given command of a flight of airplanes (four to six aircraft).

After being wounded in August 1917, he was transferred back to England to become a flight instructor. 

Hating his new job, he quickly got himself reassigned to active duty in France, though not before getting into trouble doing acrobatics over London. 

I began flying the Sopwith Camel, a single seater fighter, armed with twin synchronized machine guns. It proved to be a lethal combination of man and machine. Flying the highly manoeuvrable though temperamental Camel, I could fully exploit my skills as a marksman.

Shortly after his return to France in late October he officially became an ace, downing his fifth German airplane, a German Albatros D.III fighter. Other "kills" quickly followed. 

Barker's Sopwith Camel, serial number B6313, was to become the most successful fighter airplane in British history.

In early December of 1917 my squadron was transferred to the Italian Front. I took aim at Austrian air force. By April 1918, he had twenty-two victories. He also earned a reputation for taking down observation balloons, a deadly enterprise since the balloons were heavily protected by anti-aircraft guns. 

In July, he was promoted to major and given command of the No. 139 Squadron. 

Although the squadron flew the two-seater Bristol F.2b fighter and reconnaissance aircraft (also known as the "Brisfit"), Barker continued to prefer flying his cherished Sopwith Camel. When the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) visited the squadron in the summer of 1918, Barker took him aloft in a Brisfit, with the prince occupying the rear observer's seat. Barker flew the prince deep into enemy territory before returning to the Allied lines. Fortunately, although they encountered anti-aircraft fire from the ground, no Austrian airplane went up to challenge them.

By September 1918, he was a highly-decorated ace with at least forty-six victories to his credit. 

Even more to his credit was the incredible achievement of not losing a single pilot or airplane under his escort during the previous year of active duty. 

Ordered back to England to take command the flight school at Hounslow, Barker's greatest exploit, for which he was to earn the Victory Cross, was yet to come. 

Arguing that he needed to reacquaint himself with the Western Front to do his job properly, he obtained a 10-day roving commission in France. On 27 October 1918, on the last day of his commission and only two weeks prior to the end of the war, he encountered a German reconnaissance airplane over the Forêt de Mormal while flying the new Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe. 

Although Barker managed to down the two-seater craft, he made a rookie mistake and was caught unaware by a German fighter that had sneaked up behind him. He only found out that he was being pursued when his right leg was shattered by a bullet. Despite the pain, Barker managed to circle around the Fokker DVII, and bring it down too.

From there, things only got worse. Somehow during the dog fight with the Fokker, Barker had managed to stumble into an entire "circus" of German fighters. While accounts regarding the number of enemy aircraft vary from 15 to an incredible 60, Barker was vastly outnumbered. In front of thousands of Allied soldiers Barker managed to bring down two more German fighters but not before receiving crippling wounds to his left thigh and left elbow. 

His Snipe, hit repeatedly, with its fuel tank shot away, crashed behind British lines. Barker, amazingly still alive, was pulled from the wreckage by Scottish troops. On 20 November 1918, he was awarded the Victory Cross for this epic, single-handed battle, and the congratulations of his grateful Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and Sir Robert Borden, the Canadian Premier.

In early 1919, still recovering from his wounds, Barker flew again with the Prince of Wales, taking him on a tour of London by air. Barker needed canes to walk to the aircraft, and flew with his left arm strapped to his breast. Speaking of his flight, the Prince commented, "I have enjoyed it immensely but what a sensation it is when you go over backwards." 

The RAF promoted Barker to Lieutenant Colonel. 

On his return to Canada later that year, Barker entered civilian aviation in partnership with Billy Bishop. Together they operated an air-charter and aircraft maintenance firm located at Armour Heights Air Field in Toronto. In 1921, Barker married Jean Smith, the cousin of Billy Bishop. Their daughter Antoinette was born in 1923.

As was the case with many early civil aviation operations, Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes failed in 1922. 

Barker then joined the Canadian Airforce (CAF) and was made commanding officer of Camp Borden. Subsequently, he was made acting director of

William George Barker married Jean Kilbourn Smith. Three years younger and from Owen Sound, Ontario.

So who was William George (Billy) Barker?  He was a World War I fighter pilot who would go on to win the Victoria Cross and become Canada’s most decorated serviceman.

Born in Dauphin, Manitoba, at his family’s farm on 3 November 1894, Barker developed a passion for flying in his teens after watching pioneer aviators flying Curtiss and Wright Flyer aircraft at farm exhibitions.

In December 1914, Barker enlisted in the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles and went to England in June 1915 with the regiment.  From there he went to France the following September.  Barker served as a Colt machine gunner with the regiment’s machine gun section until late February or early March 1916.

Barker then transferred to No. 9 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps as a probationary observer, flying in the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 aircraft.

He was commissioned as a Second-Lieutenant in April 1916 and assigned to No. 4 Squadron, but by 7 July was transferred to No 15 Squadron.

On 21 July, Barker claimed a Roland scout “driven down” with his observer’s gun, and in August claimed a second Roland, this time in flames. He was Mentioned in Despatches around this time.

He officially qualified as an Observer on 27 August 1916 and on 15 September he worked for the first time with Canadian troops, including his old regiment.

On 15 November Barker and his pilot, flying very low over the Ancre River, during the Battle of the Somme, spotted a large concentration of 4000 German infantry massing for a counter-attack on Beaumont Hamel. They sent out a signal to nearby artillery regiments to fire on the troops.  Barker was awarded the Military Cross for this action.

In January 1917, Barker commenced pilot training and on 24 February 1917, returned to serve a second tour on Corps Co-operation machines as a pilot flying B.E.2s and R.E.8 aeropanes.

On 25 March Barker claimed another scout ‘driven down’ and on 25 April 1917, during the Arras Offensve, Barker and his observer Lieutenant Goodfellow, spotted over 1,000 German troops sheltering in support trenches. Barker and Goodfellow directed artillery fire into the positions, thereby nullifying a German counter-attack.

A month after being awarded a bar to his Military Cross in July 1917, Barker was wounded in the head by anti-aircraft fire.

Barker spend a short time as an instructor in the United Kingdom as an instructor before being transferred to “C” Flight of No. 28 Squadron as a scout pilot, flying the Sopwith Camel. Although Barker was reportedly not a highly skilled pilot, suffering several flying accidents during his career, he was an aggressive pilot and a highly accurate marksman.

No. 28 Squadron moved to France on 8 October 1917, and then onto Italy.

One of Barker's most successful but controversial raids was on 25 December 1917, an event which was fictionalized by Ernest Hemmingway in the short story, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”, saw Barker and his observer Lieutenant Harold Hudson, shooting up the airfield of Fliegerabteilung, setting fire to one hangar and damaging four German aircraft before dropping a placard wishing their opponents a “Happy Christmas.”

Barker was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in March 1918.

Barker was passed over as Commanding Officer of No. 28 Squadron, owing primarily to his tendency to ignore orders by flying many unofficial patrols. Barker requested a transfer to No. 66 Squadron in April 1918, where he claimed a further 16 kills by mid-July and then moved on to become Commanding Officer of No. 139 Squadron.

By this time, Barker’s personal Sopwith Camel (serial no. B6313) had become the most successful fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF, having used it to shoot down 46 aircraft and balloons from September 1917 to September 1918, for a total of 404 operational flying hours. It was dismantled in October 1918, with Barker keeping the clock as a memento, although he was asked to return it the following day.

Having flown more than 900 combat hours in two and one half years, Barker was transferred back to the UK in September 1918 to command the fighter training school at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome.  During his service in the Italian theatre, Barker claimed some 33 airplanes were destroyed and nine observation balloons downed individually or with other pilots.

Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross, highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth militaries in time of war, for his actions on 27 October 1918.  While serving as a temporary member of No. 221 Squadron, Barker attacked a German Rumpler, destroying it, but was wounded three times in the legs and one in his left elbow.  Despite being badly wounded, he managed to control his Snipe aeroplane and shoot down three more enemy aircraft. The dogfight took place immediately above the lines of the Canadian Corps. Severely wounded and bleeding profusely, Barker force-landed his aeroplane inside Allied lines and was quickly rushed to a field dressing station.

The fuselage of his Snipe aircraft was recovered from the battlefield and is preserved at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario.

After being hospitalized, he was in grave condition and was not able to be transported back to England until January 1919.  He was awarded his Victoria Cross at Buckingham Palace on 1 March 1919, although he was still having trouble walking at the time.

The Overseas Military Forces of Canada recognized Barker as “holding the record for fighting decorations” awarded in the First World War and the most decorated Canadian of the war, with the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two Bars, the French Croix de guerre and was mentioned in dispatches three times.

After the war, Barker went into the aviation business, founding Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes Limited with fellow Victoria Cross recipient and Canadian fighter ace Billy Bishop, although the venture lasted for only about three years. In 1922 he re-joined the fledgling Canadian Air Force at the rank of Wing Commander and served as the Station Commander of Camp Borden from 1922 to 1924.

In early 1924, Barker was appointed Acting Director of the RCAF and one of his achievements in the RCAF was the introduction of parachutes for pilots.

After leaving the RCAF he became the first president of the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club.

For the remainder of his life, Barker continued to suffer from the physical effects of the gunshot wounds he received in 1918.  His legs were permanently damaged and he suffered severely limited movement in his left arm. He also struggled with alcoholism in the last few years of his life, likely due to what we would now consider as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Barker died on 12 March 1930 while doing a demonstration flight at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, near Ottawa, when he lost control of his Fairchild KR-21 bi-plane and it crashed.  He was 35 years old and was the President and General Manager of Fairchild Aircraft of Montreal at the time.

Barker’s funeral in Toronto was the largest state funeral the city had ever seen, with an honour guard of 2,000 soldiers.  The procession stretched for more than a mile and a half and included the Chief of the General Staff and his senior officers, Lieutenant-Governor William Ross, Toronto Mayor Bert Wemp, three federal cabinet ministers, six other Victoria Cross winners and an honour guard from the United States Army.  Over 50,000 spectators lined the streets of Toronto along the procession route to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where Barker was interred in his wife’s family crypt in the mausoleum.

A plaque on his tomb in the mausoleum, officially unveiled on 22 September 2011, describes him as “The most decorated war hero in the history of Canada, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth of Nations.”

In the years after his death, numerous honours have been bestowed upon Barker.  In his hometown of Dauphin, Manitoba, an elementary school is named in his honour as is local Royal Canadian Air Cadets squadron.  The Dauphin Airport (a former WWII British Commonwealth Air Training Plan training school location), was re-named the Dauphin – LCol W.G. (Billy) Barker, VC Airport in 1998.

The Southport Aerospace Centre, formerly RCAF Station Portage La Prairie and current home of No 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School, named their new flight student barracks after Barker in 2012.

The First World War had seen a quantum leap forward in aviation.

Before the war, airplanes were still in their infancy — slow, underpowered, ungainly and expensive.

During the war, airplane design evolved rapidly so that by the end of the fighting in 1918 the technology had matured and people began to see commercial applications.

Billy Bishop and fellow ace pilot, Billy Barker, were two such individuals.

When the war ended, both highly-decorated men returned to Canada uncertain what to do with their future. Eventually, they hit on the idea of establishing a company that would fly between Toronto and Muskoka, offering wealthy patrons a faster alternative to trains or, slower still, automobiles.

Certain that their business would be a success, Barker and Bishop purchased a surplus United States Navy HS-2L float plane.

Bishop was related by marriage to Timothy Eaton, the founder of the Eaton’s department store chain, who summered on Lake Rosseau, opening the door to the rich-and-famous clientele he and Barker hoped to serve.

When it made its inaugural flight in 1920, Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes Ltd. became the first commercial air service anywhere in Canada.

Though passengers would have to sit in an open cockpit, exposed to the elements and with the drone of the engines echoing in their ears, the flight was a (then) lightning-fast two hours.

Among the first passengers to take advantage of this novel service — perhaps the first — was Florence Eaton, the wife of Timothy Eaton’s son, Sir John.

By early September, Barker-Bishop had made as many as a dozen flights between Toronto and Muskoka, each one without incident. That changed on Sept. 10, with Russell McRae, a former Royal Australian Air Corps pilot, at the controls of the aircraft.

The aircraft was an hour into the flight when the engine began to wheeze like an old man, and then stalled.

McRae fought the controls of an airplane that was now bucking wildly, threatening to drop out of the sky.

The air engineer climbed behind McRae and began to feverishly work on the engine in an effort to coax it back to life. In a desperate effort to keep the aircraft aloft, McRae ordered the ashen-faced passengers out onto the wings to help keep the hydroplane in balance.

Finally, when all hope at restarting the engines had passed, McRae ordered everyone back into the plane and to brace themselves for a crash landing.

Branches broke and wings snapped as the plane crashed into dense forest. Finally, it came to a sudden jarring halt as a mangled wreck hung up in the trees. Miraculously, everyone survived without serious injury.

Bishop and Barker were disappointed but not deterred.

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Both men were still convinced the future of commercial aviation was exciting and profitable, so they went about purchasing a replacement aircraft.

They transferred operations to Florida and lasted three more years before financial problems and a second crash forced the pilots to give up on their dreams.

Today, travellers have the opportunity to bypass highway traffic by flying to the Muskoka airport from Toronto. The Bishop-Barker idea was merely a century premature.

Barker fell in love with aviation after watching pioneer aviators flying Curtiss and Wright Flyer aircraft at farm exhibitions between 1910 and 1914.

He was a Boy Scout at Russell, Manitoba, and a member of the 32nd Light Horse, a Non-Permanent Active Militia unit based at Roblin, Manitoba. He was in Grade 11 at Dauphin Collegiate Institute in the fall of 1914, just before his enlistment. On December 23, 1914, soon after the outbreak of the First World War and the subsequent call to arms in the Dominion of Canada, Barker enlisted with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles, signing his Attestation Paper as a Trooper (106074) in Brandon, Manitoba, at the age of 20, naming his next-of-kin as his father, G.W.J. Barker of Dauphin, stating that he had served at Camp Sewell with the 32nd Light Horse, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Student at Collegiate.

The regiment went to England in June 1915 and then to France on September 22nd of that year. Barker was a Colt machine gunner with the regiment's machine gun section until late February or early March 1916, and after eight months in the trenches, he was transferred as a probationary Observer to 9 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps on April 2, 1916, flying in Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 aircraft. He was commissioned as a Second-Lieutenant in April and was given five days leave in London, to acquire an officer's uniform and equipment. On his return, he was assigned to 4 Squadron on April 7th and on July 18th was transferred to 15 Squadron, still flying in the B.E.2. On July 21st, Barker claimed a Roland scout 'driven down' with his observer's gun, and in August claimed a second Roland, this time in flames. He was Mentioned in Despatches around this time. He officially qualified as an Observer on August 27th and by September 15th, worked for the first time with Canadian troops, including his old regiment. On November 15th, Barker and his pilot, flying very low over the Ancre River, spotted a large concentration of German troops massing for a counter-attack on Beaumont Hamel. The crew sent an emergency Zone Call brought to bear all available artillery fire in the area onto the specified target. The force of some 4,000 German infantry was effectively broken up. He was awarded the Military Cross for this action in the concluding stages of the Battle of the Somme. The citation for Captain Barker's Military Cross appeared in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 29898 of Tuesday, January 9, 1917, on Wednesday, January 10, 1917, page 455: "For conspicuous gallantry in action. He flew at a height of 500 feet over the enemy's lines, and brought back most valuable information. On another occasion, after driving off two hostile machines, he carried out an excellent photographic reconnaissance." In January 1917, after spending Christmas on leave in London, he commenced pilot training at Netheravon, flying solo after fifty-five minutes of dual instruction. On February 24, 1917, he returned to serve a second tour on Corps Co-operation machines as a pilot, flying B.E.2s and R.E.8s with 15 Squadron. On March 25th, Barker claimed another scout 'driven down'. On April 25, 1917 during the Arras Offensive, Barker, flying an R.E.8 with observer Lt. Goodfellow, spotted over 1,000 German troops sheltering in support trenches. The duo directed artillery fire into the positions, thereby avoiding a counter-attack. He was awarded the 1st Bar to his Military Cross as a Captain, the citation appearing in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 30188 of Tuesday, July 17, 1917, on Wednesday, July 18, 1917, page 7216: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has done continuous good work in co-operation with the artillery, and has carried out successful reconnaissances under most difficult and dangerous conditions." He was later awarded a 2nd Bar to the Military Cross, the citation appearing in the Third Supplement to the London Gazette 30901 of Friday, September 13, 1918, on Monday, September 16, 1918, page 10877: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When leading patrols he on one occasion attacked eight hostile machines, himself shooting down two, and on another occasion seven, one of which he shot down.

In two months he himself destroyed four enemy machines and drove down one and burned two balloons." He was graded as a Pilot in July 1917, then joined No. 47 Squadron on July 12th. Barker was wounded in the head by anti-aircraft fire on August 7, 1917, then briefly with No. 15 Squadron as on August 17th. After a short spell in the United Kingdom as an instructor, Barker's continual requests for front line service resulted in him being transferred to become a scout pilot, being offered a post with either 56 Squadron or 28 Squadron. He chose command of C Flight in the newly formed 28 Squadron, flying the Sopwith Camel that he preferred over the S.E.5s of 56 Squadron. Although Barker was reportedly not a highly skilled pilot, suffering several flying accidents during his career, he compensated for this deficiency with an aggressiveness in action and highly accurate marksmanship. The unit moved to France on October 8, 1917, with Barker downing an Albatros DV on his first patrol, though he did not claim it, as the patrol was unofficial. He claimed an Albatros of Jasta 2 (Lt. Lange, killed) on October 20th, and two more, of Jasta 18, on October 27th (Lt. Schober killed, Offstv. Klein, force landed). On November 7, 1917, 28 Squadron was transferred to Italy with Barker temporarily in command, and most of the unit, including aircraft, travelled by train to Milan. On November 29th, he downed an Austrian Albatros D.III flown by Lt. Haertl of Jasta 1 near Pieve di Soligo. A Jasta 39 pilot was shot down and killed and a balloon of BK 10 destroyed on December 3rd. One of his most successful, and also most controversial raids, fictionalized by Ernest Hemingway in the short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro, was on December 25, 1917. Catching the Germans off guard, he and Lt. Harold Hudson, his wingman, shot up the airfield of Fliegerabteilung (A) 204, setting fire to one hangar and damaging four German aircraft before dropping a placard wishing their opponents a "Happy Christmas." Lt. Lang of Jasta 1 was killed by Barker on January 1, 1918, and two balloons, two Albatros fighters (one flown by Feldwebel Karl Semmelrock of Flik 51J) and a pair of two-seaters fell to Barker during February. He later also claimed three more Albatros and an observation balloon. Temporary Captain Barker was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, his citation appearing in the Third Supplement to the London Gazette 30530 of Friday, February 15, 1918, on Monday, February 18, 1918, page 2156: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When on scouting and patrol work he has on five different occasions brought down and destroyed five enemy aeroplanes and two balloons, though on two of these occasions he was attacked by superior numbers. On each occasion the hostile machines were observed to crash to earth, the wreckage bursting into flames. His splendid example of fearlessness and magnificent leadership have been of inestimable value to his squadron." As a Captain (Temporary Major), he was awarded the Bar to the Distinguished Service Order, his citation appearing in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 30989 of Friday, November 1, 1918, on Saturday, November 2, 1918, page 12959: "A highly distinguished patrol leader whose courage, resource and determination has set a fine example to those around him. Up to the 20th July, 1918, he had destroyed thirty-three enemy aircraft - twenty-one of these since the date of the last award (second Bar to the Military Cross) was conferred on him. Major Barker has frequently led the formation against greatly superior numbers of the enemy with conspicuous success." Owing to his tendency to ignore orders by flying many unofficial patrols, Barker was passed over when the post of Commanding Officer of 28 Squadron became vacant. Dissatisfied, he applied for a posting and joined 66 Squadron on April 10, 1918, where he claimed a further 16 kills by mid-July. On April 17th, he shot down Oblt. Gassner-Norden of Flik 41J, flying an Albatros D.III (Oef), over Vittorio. He then became Squadron Commander of 139 Squadron on July 14, 1918, flying the Bristol Fighter. Barker however took his Sopwith Camel with him and continued to fly fighter operations. He carried out an unusual sortie on the night of August 9th, when he flew a Savoia-Pomilio SP.4 bomber to land a spy behind enemy lines. By this time, Barker's personal Sopwith Camel (serial no. B6313) had become the most successful fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF, having used it to shoot down 46 aircraft and balloons from September 1917 to September 1918, for a total of 404 operational flying hours. It was dismantled in October 1918, Barker keeping the clock as a memento, although he was asked to return it the following day. During this time Barker trialed a series of modifications to B6313, in order to improve its combat performance. The Clerget rotary engine's cooling efficiency was poorer in the hotter Italian climate, so several supplementary cooling slots were cut into the cowling. The poor upward visibility of the Camel resulted in Barker cutting away progressively larger portions of the centre-section fabric. He also had a rifle-type, notch and bead gun-sight arrangement replace the standard gun sight fitting. Having flown more than 900 combat hours in two and one half years, Barker was transferred back to the United Kingdom on September 30, 1918, to command the fighter training school at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome. Barkerended his Italian service with some 33 airplanes calmed destroyed and nine observation balloons downed individually or with other pilots. At Royal Air Force Headquarters in London, he persuaded his superiors he needed to get up to date on the latest combat techniques in France and he was granted a ten-day roving commission in France, wherein he selected the Sopwith Snipe as his personal machine and attached himself to No. 201 Squadron RAF on October 17, 1918, whose Squadron commander, Major Cyril Leman, was a friend from his days as a Corps Co-operation airman. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on day ten, Sunday, October 27, 1918. While returning his Snipe to an aircraft depot, he crossed enemy lines at 21,000 feet above the Forêt de Mormal. He attacked an enemy Rumpler two-seater which broke up, its crew escaping by parachute (the aircraft was of FAA 227, Observer Lt. Oskar Wattenburg killed). By his own admission, he was careless and was bounced by a formation of Fokker D.VIIs of Jagdgruppe 12, consisting of Jasta 24 and Jasta 44. In a descending battle against 15 or more enemy machines, Barker was wounded three times in the legs, then his left elbow was blown away, yet he managed to control his Snipe and shoot down or drive down three more enemy aircraft (two German pilot casualties were Lt. Hinky of Jasta 44, wounded; and Vfw. Alfons Schymik of Jasta 24, killed). The dogfight took place immediately above the lines of the Canadian Corps. Severely wounded and bleeding profusely, Barker force landed inside Allied lines, his life being saved by the men of an RAF Kite Balloon Section who transported him to a field dressing station (The fuselage of his Snipe aircraft was recovered from the battlefield and is preserved at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario). Acting Major Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross, his citation appearing in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 31042 of Friday, November 29, 1918, on Saturday, November 30, 1918, page 14203: "On the morning of the October 27, 1918, this officer observed an enemy two-seater over the Foret de Mormal. He attacked this machine and after a short burst it broke up in the air. At the same time a Fokker biplane attacked him, and he was wounded in the right thigh, but managed, despite this, to shoot down the enemy aeroplane in flames. He then found himself in the middle of a large formation of Fokkers who attacked him from all directions, and was again severely wounded in the left thigh, but succeeded in driving down two of the enemy in a spin. He lost consciousness after that, and his machine fell out of control. On recovery, he found himself being again attacked heavily by a large formation, and singling out one machine he deliberately charged and drove it down in flames. During this fight his left elbow was shattered and he again fainted, and on regaining consciousness he found himself still being attacked, but notwithstanding that he was now severely wounded in both legs and his left arm shattered, he dived on the nearest machine and shot it down in flames. Being greatly exhausted, he dived out of the fight to regain our lines, but was met by another formation, which attacked and endeavored to cut him off, but after a hard fight he succeeded in breaking up this formation and reached our lines, where he crashed on landing. This combat, in which Major Barker destroyed four enemy machines (three of them in flames), brought his total successes to fifty enemy machines destroyed, and is a notable example of the exceptional bravery and disregard of danger which this very gallant officer has always displayed throughout his distinguished career." At a hospital in Rouen, France, Barker clung to life until mid-January 1919, and then was transported back to England. He was not fit enough to walk the necessary few paces for the Victoria Cross investiture at Buckingham Palace until March 1, 1919. Barker is officially credited with one captured, two (and seven shared) balloons destroyed, 33 (and two shared) aircraft destroyed, and five aircraft "out of control", the highest "destroyed" ratio for any RAF, RFC or RNAS pilot during the conflict. The Overseas Military Forces of Canada recognized Barker as "holding the record for fighting decorations" awarded in the First World War. In addition he was Mentioned in Despatches and 'A' Listed three times; as a Captain, he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre as mentioned in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette 30913 of Friday, September 20, 1918, on Saturday September 21, 1918, page 11259; and as a Temporary Captain, he was awarded the Italian Silver Medal for Military Valour by the King of Italy, for Distinguished Services rendered in the course of the campaign, as mentioned in the Third Supplement to the London Gazette 30895 of Tuesday, September 10, 1918, on Thursday, September 12, 1918, page 10742 and in Flight Magazine on September 26, 1918. Barker returned to Canada in May 1919 as the most decorated Canadian of the war, with the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two Bars, the Italian Silver Medal for Military Valour, and the French Croix de Guerre, as well as Mentioned in Despatches and 'A' Listed three times. The Canadian Daily Record, a publication of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada, wrote in December 1918 that William Barker of Dauphin, Manitoba was the Canadian holding the record for "most fighting decorations" in the war. No other Canadian soldier, sailor or airman has surpassed this record, and the Canadian War Museum exhibit, located in Ottawa, Ontario, states: "Lieutenant Colonel William G. Barker, one of the legendary aces of the war, remains the most decorated Canadian in military service." Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop, VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED, LL.D. described Barker as "The Deadliest Air Fighter that Ever Lived". A plaque on his tomb in the mausoleum of Toronto's Mount Pleasant Cemetery, officially unveiled on September 22, 2011, describes him as "The most decorated war hero in the history of Canada, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth of Nations." Barker formed a business partnership, Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes Limited, with fellow Victoria Cross recipient and Canadian ace Billy Bishop which lasted for about three years. In 1922, he rejoined the fledgling Canadian Air Force in the rank of Wing Commander, serving as the Station Commander of Camp Borden from 1922 to 1924. Barker was appointed acting director of the Royal Canadian Air Force in early 1924 and he graduated from Royal Air Force Staff College, Andover, in 1926. While waiting to start RAF Staff College Course No. 4, Barker spent two weeks in Iraq with the RAF to learn more about the uses of air power. He formally reported on his findings to the Minister of National Defence, and informally to Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, of the United States Air Service. One of his achievements in the RCAF was the introduction of parachutes. After leaving the RCAF, he became the first president of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club, and was involved in tobacco growing farms in southwestern Ontario. Barker continued to suffer from the physical effects of his 1918 gunshot wounds, his legs were permanently damaged and he suffered severely limited movement in his left arm. He also struggled with alcoholism in the last few years of his life. He died on March 12, 1930, when he lost control of his Fairchild KR-21 biplane trainer during a demonstration flight for the RCAF, at Air Station Rockcliffe, near Ottawa, Ontario. Barker, aged 35, was at the time the President and General Manager of Fairchild Aircraft in Montreal. His funeral, the largest national state event in Toronto's history, was attended by an honour guard of 2,000 soldiers. The cortege stretched for more than a mile and a half, and included the Chief of the General Staff and his senior officers, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Mayor of Toronto, three federal government cabinet ministers, and six other Victoria Cross recipients. An honour guard was also provided by the United States Army. Some 50,000 spectators lined the streets of Toronto en route to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where Barker was interred in his wife's family crypt in the Mausoleum. In his hometown, Dauphin, Manitoba, an elementary school and the Barker Airport (dedicated in 1998) are named in his honour. The Dauphin squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets is named for Barker. An elementary school at CFB Borden in Ontario was also named after Barker before its closure in the mid-1990s. In 2012, Southport Aerospace Centre named their new flight student accommodation building after him. During the week of January 8,1999, the Canadian Federal Government designated Barker a person of national historic significance. The Discovery Channel's Flightpath series, a television documentary, included an episode entitled "First of the Few", a biography of William Barker, broadcast in Canada on April 27, 1999. In 2003 History TV broadcast "The Hero's Hero - The Forgotten Life of William Barker." Barker's only daughter, Jean Antoinette Mackenzie (nee Barker), died in July, 2007. On September 22, 2011, a memorial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto was unveiled to mark William Barker as the “most decorated war hero in the history of Canada, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth of Nations.”

William George “Billy” Barker is the most decorated serviceman in the history of
Canada and the British Empire. Barker is one of our country’s most renowned First
World War flying aces and interestingly, has roots in Norfolk County – in the
village of Lynedoch. A fascinating fact my Executive Assistant Bobbi Ann Brady
stumbled upon.

To learn more about this hero, I visited Mount Pleasant Cemetery while working at
Queen’s Park. A plaque on his tomb was officially unveiled September 2011, and
describes Barker as “The most decorated war hero in the history of Canada, the
British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations.”

Much the same is stated in Ottawa’s Canadian War Museum: “Lieutenant Colonel William
G. Barker, one of the legendary aces of the war, remains the most decorated Canadian
in military service.”

After enlisting at age 20 in 1914, Barker returned to Canada in May 1919 with the
Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two
Bars, two Italian Silver Medals for Military Velour, and the French Croix de guerre.

Barker’s feats are legendary. He could hit anything that moved and had an easy-going
but reckless spirit. Historians note the deadlier the war got the better Barker
became. During his service, Barker downed 50 enemy aircraft, and in his last 12
months of combat, not one pilot under his command was lost. On October 27, 1918,
Barker was wounded three times but managed to shoot down three enemy aircraft before
crash landing.

No other Canadian warrior has surpassed Barker’s record. While the name Billy Bishop
remains synonymous with WWI, Barker’s accomplishments are often forgotten. While
they did not serve together, Bishop described Barker as “the deadliest air fighter
who ever lived,” and the two were good friends. Bishop kept Barker’s story alive in
every speech, news article and book often referencing the frontier childhood he had
growing up in Manitoba where he spent his days riding horses and hunting birds.

Barker’s exploits earned him celebrity status upon his return home. Bishop and
Barker formed various companies and co-founded Canada’s first commercial airline.
The pair also launched the Canadian International Air Show at Canadian National
Exhibition (CNE). In 1927, Conn Smythe, also a flyer in WWI, named Barker the first
President of the newly-christened Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team.

Barker also married Bishop’s cousin Jean Kilbourn Smith. In 1924, the couple
arrived at Lynedoch, Haldimand-Norfolk, to grow tobacco. Although I don’t know the
location of the farm, if anyone reading knows, please advise. Respond to this post or contact me via email.

Sadly, Barker suffered permanent physical damage in his legs and left arm from the
war, and in the last few years before his tragic death, he struggled with
alcoholism. Barker died in 1930, at the age of 35, when he lost control of his
biplane trainer during a flight demonstration for the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF), near Ottawa.

Barker’s state funeral was the largest in Toronto history with 50,000 attending,
including political and military leaders and an honour guard of 2,000.

William George “Billy” Barker is the most decorated serviceman in the history of
Canada and the British Empire. Barker is one of our country’s most renowned First
World War flying aces and interestingly, has roots in Norfolk County – in the
village of Lynedoch. A fascinating fact my Executive Assistant Bobbi Ann Brady
stumbled upon.

To learn more about this hero, I visited Mount Pleasant Cemetery while working at
Queen’s Park. A plaque on his tomb was officially unveiled September 2011, and
describes Barker as “The most decorated war hero in the history of Canada, the
British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations.”

Much the same is stated in Ottawa’s Canadian War Museum: “Lieutenant Colonel William
G. Barker, one of the legendary aces of the war, remains the most decorated Canadian
in military service.”

After enlisting at age 20 in 1914, Barker returned to Canada in May 1919 with the
Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two
Bars, two Italian Silver Medals for Military Velour, and the French Croix de guerre.

Barker’s feats are legendary. He could hit anything that moved and had an easy-going
but reckless spirit. Historians note the deadlier the war got the better Barker
became. During his service, Barker downed 50 enemy aircraft, and in his last 12
months of combat, not one pilot under his command was lost. On October 27, 1918,
Barker was wounded three times but managed to shoot down three enemy aircraft before
crash landing.

No other Canadian warrior has surpassed Barker’s record. While the name Billy Bishop
remains synonymous with WWI, Barker’s accomplishments are often forgotten. While
they did not serve together, Bishop described Barker as “the deadliest air fighter
who ever lived,” and the two were good friends. Bishop kept Barker’s story alive in
every speech, news article and book often referencing the frontier childhood he had
growing up in Manitoba where he spent his days riding horses and hunting birds.

Barker’s exploits earned him celebrity status upon his return home. Bishop and
Barker formed various companies and co-founded Canada’s first commercial airline.
The pair also launched the Canadian International Air Show at Canadian National
Exhibition (CNE). In 1927, Conn Smythe, also a flyer in WWI, named Barker the first
President of the newly-christened Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team.

Barker also married Bishop’s cousin Jean Kilbourn Smith. In 1924, the couple
arrived at Lynedoch, Haldimand-Norfolk, to grow tobacco. Although I don’t know the
location of the farm, if anyone reading knows, please advise.

Sadly, Barker suffered permanent physical damage in his legs and left arm from the
war, and in the last few years before his tragic death, he struggled with
alcoholism. Barker died in 1930, at the age of 35, when he lost control of his
biplane trainer during a flight demonstration for the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF), near Ottawa.

Barker’s state funeral was the largest in Toronto history with 50,000 attending,
including political and military leaders and an honour guard of 2,000.

As time marches on, it’s important we continue to share stories of our Canadian war
heroes. Their overseas service was just part of the sacrifice they made for you and
me, as when they returned home they were forever changed – a personal haunting we
will never know.

Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk

He received his first MC doing aerial photography. 

In July of that year, he recorded his first victory, driving down a German scout airplane using his observer's gun. 

At the beginning of 1917, he was sent to flying school for four weeks' instruction to become a pilot. Promoted to flying officer in February 1917, Barker returned to the Western Front again in two-seater reconnaissance airplanes (the B.E.2 and the R.E.8), but this time seated in the front pilot's seat. Three months later, he was promoted to captain and given command of a flight of airplanes (four to six aircraft).

After being wounded in August 1917, he was transferred back to England to become a flight instructor. 

Hating his new job, he quickly got himself reassigned to active duty in France, though not before getting into trouble doing acrobatics over London. 

Barker began flying the Sopwith Camel, a single seater fighter, armed with twin synchronized machine guns. It proved to be a lethal combination of man and machine. Flying the highly manoeuvrable though temperamental Camel, Barker could fully exploit his skills as a marksman. Shortly after his return to France in late October he officially became an ace, downing his fifth German airplane, a German Albatros D.III fighter. Other "kills" quickly followed. 

Barker's Sopwith Camel, serial number B6313, was to become the most successful fighter airplane in British history.

When his squadron was transferred to the Italian Front in late 1917, Barker took aim at Austrian air force. By April 1918, he had twenty-two victories. He also earned a reputation for taking down observation balloons, a deadly enterprise since the balloons were heavily protected by anti-aircraft guns. 