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Air Marshal William Avery Bishop (February 8, 1894 - September 11, 1956) was the top Canadian WWI flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories. In July 1915, after watching an RFC aircraft return from a mission, Bishop said "it's clean up there! I'll bet you don't get any mud or horse shit on you up there. If you die, at least it would be a clean death." In 1916 he received his pilot wings. In 1917 he was assigned to 60 Squadron in France where he flew the Nieuport 17 fighter. At that time, the average life expectancy of a new pilot in that sector was 11 days. In addition to the patrols with his squadron comrades, he flew many unofficial "lone-wolf" missions deep into enemy territory. The nose of his aircraft was soon painted blue, the mark of an ace. The Germans referred to him as "Hell's Handmaiden". In 1918 he was promoted to Major and given command of No. 85 Squadron, the "Flying Foxes". But the Canadian government became worried about the effect on morale if Bishop were to be killed, so they ordered him to return to England to help organize the new Canadian Flying Corps. By the end of the war, he had claimed some 72 air victories, including two balloons, 52 and two shared "destroyed" with 16 "out of control". In 1939, he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal of the Royal Canadian Air Force and he served during the war as Director of the Royal Canadian Air Force and placed in charge of recruitment. resigned his post in the RCAF. He died in his sleep in 1956, at the age of 62.
