in the rain and mist. He arrived at a deserted German airfield. Disappointed, he continued on and arrived at a second aerodrome where there were 5 planes warming up. Dropping 200 feet. Bishop started his first attack along the line of aircraft, spraying bullets as he streaked across the field through a barrage of small arms fire from the alert ground defences. Lifting over the edge of the airfield, the Nieuport executed a tight banked turn for its reverse run, and Bishop saw that one Albatross pilot had already started to taxi for takeoff. Concentrating on this machine, Bishop fired just 15 rounds as the Albatross rose to a height of ten feet. The Albatross dipped a wing, hit the grass and disintegrated, spewing wreckage in a long slide along the field. (Canadian Air Force Office of Public Affairs, 1996)That was Billys first kill on his raid of the aerodrome, and two more followed. He shot at the second Albatross as it was starting its take off run. Billy missed but caused the German plane to swerve and the plane hit a tree. Billy went in and fired at the wreckage finishing what he started. As he climbed with intent to head back, two more Albatrosss took off and went after Billy. As he engaged one of them the other one waited, Billy got behind the Albatross and fired knocking it out of the sky causing it to crash near his airfield. After the fourth attacker left, Billy headed back to Allied territory at low altitudes because of the scouts he saw flying above. He made it back in one piece. Throughout July and August, Billys kill record became bigger and he was awarded a medal.Billy Bishop was awarded the Victoria Cross on August 9th that year. He was presented the award for his bravery on the solo raid of the aerodrome. General Trenchard, General-Officer Commanding Royal Flying Corps who defined Bishops solo sortie as, the greatest single show of the war (Canadian Air Force Office of Public Affairs, 1996). He was inform...
