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Aeroplanes made an important contribution to military success during the First World War—one that grew in importance as the conflict wore on.
Before the First World War, Canadian political and military leaders were skeptical about investing in the aeroplane as a weapon of war. Leaders in Great Britain saw potential for the flimsy devices made of wood, fabric and wire that could barely fly 100 miles per hour and created the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In 1918, the RFC and RNAS were combined to create the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Canadian Air Forces (CAF) was formed in 1920 and on 1 April 1924, it was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
After war was declared in 1914, citizens of the British Empire flocked to Great Britain to fight for God, King and country, in the air, on the ground and at sea. Canadians who did not want to join the Army or the Navy had to pay their own way to learn how to fly and then travel to Britain to join the RFC or the RNAS. In 1917, the RFC established the RFC Canada to train pilots and air crew in Canada and the United States.
Would-be Canadian aviators who lacked the means to pay their own way joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and transferred to the RFC or RNAS overseas. Many Canadians transferred to the air services after experiencing, or to avoid, the horrors of trench warfare.
More than 22,000 Canadians served in the RFC, RNAS and RAF, including over 13,000 served as aviators—pilots, gunners and observers. The remainder served as ground crew—mechanics and support personnel. By the end of war, Canada boasted some of the British Empire’s greatest flying aces, including Billy Bishop, William Barker, and Raymond Collishaw.
Flying in combat during the First World War took immense courage because flying a slow, flimsy, and flammable aeroplane was a perilous activity. First World War aeroplanes were not armoured against bullets and fires were deadly. For most of the war, aircrew could not wear parachutes. Aeroplanes suffering mechanical failure or damage required an emergency landing, often behind enemy lines. Almost 1,400 Canadian aviators are known to have been killed, 1,100 were wounded or injured, and almost 400 were interned or became prisoners of war.
During the First World War, many Canadian aviators received decorations for their bravery, leadership and devotion to duty, with multiple instances usually represented by bars to the original medal.
The Victoria Cross (VC) is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty, in the presence of the enemy.
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) rewards individual instances of commendable or distinguished service whilst under fire or under conditions equivalent to actual combat with the enemy.
The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is awarded for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operations against the enemy.
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is awarded to for the performance of commendable or distinguished services before the enemy.
The Military Cross (MC) was awarded for distinguished and commendable service in battle.
The Air Force Cross (AFC) was awarded for an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, but not while in active operations against an enemy.
The Medal of Military Valor was awarded by Italy for exceptional valor in the face of the enemy. It was awarded in three grades: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The Croix de guerre (CdG) was awarded by France for acts of heroism involving combat with the enemy, including those who have been “mentioned in dispatches”.
To be Mentioned-in-Despatches (MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy is described.
The Efficiency Medal (ED) was awarded for 12 years of service to non-permanent active militia, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Auxiliary and reserve before 17 August 1942.
Special honours were bestowed by Canada and her allies upon the most deserving Canadian aviators:
Companions of the Order of Canada (CC)
Commander of the Honourable Order of the Bath (CB)
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Medal of Merit (United States) Legion of Merit (United States)
Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur (France)
To be declared an Ace, a pilot had to destroy at least five enemy aeroplane or balloons in battle. 22,000 Canadian served in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War. Of the 863 known British Empire aces, at least 171 were Canadian. Of the 26 empire aces credited with 30 or more victories, 10 were Canadian. Of the 171 Canadian aces, 21 were born in Manitoba or emigrated to Manitoba before the war. Seventeen survived the war, of which four were captured and became prisoners of war (POW), and four were killed in action (KIA).
William George Barker VC DSO & Bar MC was born in Dauphin in 1894. In high school, he joined the 32nd Light Horse in Roblin. After the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, he enlisted in the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles and, in 1915, he sailed to England. In 1916, he transferred to the RFC. In October 1918, he won the Victoria Cross for his bravery during his last dogfight when he engaged at least 15 German fighters; he shot down four but was wounded severely. His tally for the war was 50 victories, the fourth most amongst Canadian aviators. He was also awarded two Silver Medal for Military Bravery by Italy, and the Croix de guerre by France. Barker returned to Canada in 1919 as the most decorated Canadian in the war. After the war, he started a flying boat service with Billy Bishop, served as the first director of the RCAF, and was the first President of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club. Barker died in an aeroplane accident in Ottawa in 1930, aged 35. The Royal Canadian Air Force W/C William G. Barker VC Aerospace College at 17 Wing in Winnipeg is named in his honour and, in September 2024, the LCol William G. Barker Memorial Park was dedicated at the site of the First World War Rockcliffe Air Station in Ottawa.
Louis Drummond Bawlf was born in Winnipeg in 1896. At the beginning of the First World War, he served with the 144th Infantry Battalion (Winnipeg Rifles) before he transferred to the RNAS in 1916. He is credited with five victories. Bawlf served with the RCAF during the Second World War and died in 1966, aged 69.
William Otway Boger DFC was born in Brandon in 1895. He attended the Royal Military College during the 1913 school year. In 1916, he joined the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), part of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. He was seconded to the RFC before the end of the year. He is credited with five victories. In 1918, his patrol of three aeroplanes was ambushed by German fighters and he was killed in action. Boger is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial at Arras, Pas de Calais in France.
Cecil Guelph Brock was born in Winnipeg in 1897 and joined the RNAS in 1916. He is credited with six victories. He was present during the dogfight in which Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, was killed. A couple of months later, he was wounded in action during a low level attack on German ammunition wagons. He is credited with six victories. Brock died in 1967, aged 69.
William Gordon Claxton DSO DFC & Bar was born in Gladstone in 1899 and enlisted in the RFC on his 18th birthday in 1917. After training in Canada, he scored his first of 37 victories over the Western Front in France in April 1918. He was badly injured in August 1918, after he scored three victories in a lopsided fight with German fighters. He crashed behind enemy lines and a German surgeon saved his life. After the war, he pursued a career as a journalist. Claxton died in 1967, aged 68.
Arthur Claydon DFC was born in Deeping St James, Lincolnshire, England in 1885 and emigrated to Winnipeg with his older brother in 1902. In 1903, he joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers and enlisted in the 38th Battery, 10th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery, CEF in 1916. After arriving in England, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot. He is credited with seven victories before he was killed in action in 1918. Claydon is buried at the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery at Souchez in France. The Province of Manitoba named Claydon Island in his honour.
Harry Neville Compton was born in Winnipeg in 1899. During the First World War, he served with the Canadian Military Engineers before he transferred to the RFC in 1918. He is credited with 5 victories. Compton died in 1951, aged 52.
James Alpheus Glen DSC & Bar was born in Turtle Mountain in 1890. He joined the RNAS in 1915 and, in 1916, was one of two Canadians who participated in the first strategic air attack on Germany when he dropped bombs on a fuel depot. He is credited with 15 victories and received the Croix de guerre avec Palme from France. Glen retired from the RAF in 1928, and he died in 1962, aged 71.
Albert Earl “Steve” Godfrey MC AFC was born in Killarney in 1890. He enlisted first in the 11th Mounted Rifles and, in 1915, proceeded overseas in with the 1st Pioneer Battalion of the CEF. In 1916, he transferred to the RFC and is credited with 14 victories. He transferred from the RFC to the RCAF after the war and, by 1939, was serving at the Imperial Defence College as a Group Captain. In 1944, he was promoted to Vice Air Marshall and, during a convoy protection patrol over the Atlantic Ocean in a waist-gunners seat, became the highest ranking officer to directly engage the enemy (U-422) during the war. After the war, he pursued a career in politics. In 1982, he was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. Godfrey died in 1982, aged 91.
Acheson Gosford Goulding DFC MC was born in Holland in 1893. He joined the 28th Battalion (Northwest), CEF on 14 December 1914. In 1917, he transferred to the RFC and served in Macedonia. He is credited with 9 victories and received the Croix de guerre from France. After the war, he opened a construction company in Winnipeg. He joined the RCAF in 1940 and, rising to the rank of Group Captain, commanded No. 18 Flying Training Service School at Gimli, Manitoba. Goulding died in 1951, aged 57. The Goulding School in the RM of Gimli was named in his honour.
Ernest Charles Hoy DFC was born in Dauphin in 1895. He was serving in the 93rd Regiment when he enlisted in the regular forces and joined the CEF in 1915. He transferred to the RAF in 1918 and is credited with 13 victories, including two victories on the same day on three different occasions. In September 1918, he was shot down and became a POW. After the war, he carried the first airmail from Vancouver to Calgary across the Rocky Mountains. Hoy eventually settled in the United States, where he died in 1982, aged 86.
Alfred Alexander Leitch was born in 1894 in Killarney. He enlisted in the CEF in 1917 and subsequently transferred to the RFC. He is credited with 7 victories. In 1919, he participated in deck trials on the world's first aircraft carrier, HMS Argus. In 1919, he crashed near Archangel, Russia. He retired from the RCAF in 1938. During the Second World War, he served as a civilian safety officer with No. 16 Technical Detachment in Edmonton, Alberta. Leitch died in 1954, aged 60.
Robert Hazen Little was born in Mills, Michigan in 1898. When he enlisted in the RFC in 1916, he was a teacher in Newton Siding. He is credited with five victories. Little died in 1955, aged 57.
Ross Morrison MacDonald was born in Winnipeg in 1895 and enlisted in the 179th Battalion (Cameron Highlanders of Canada), CEF in 1916. In 1917, he transferred to the RFC. He is credited with five victories before he was shot down and became a POW in 1918. Later in life he operated Ross MacDonald and Company. MacDonald died in 1960, aged 71.
John Gerald Manuel DSC DFC MiD was born in Winnipeg in 1893. He joined the Alberta Dragoons before the war and in 1914 he enlisted in the Canadian Field Artillery. In 1917, he transferred to the RNAS. He had been credited with 13 victories when, in June 1918, he was killed in an air-to-air collision, aged 25. Manuel is buried in Y Farm Military Cemetery at Bois-Grenier, Nord in France.
Wilfrid Reid “Wop” May OBE DFC was born in 1896 in Carberry. In 1916, he joined the 202nd (City of Edmonton Sportsmens’) Battalion, CEF. He transferred to the RFC in 1917 and, in April 1918, he participated in the aerial engagement in which Baron Manfred von Richthofen – the Red Baron – was killed. He is credited with 13 victories. After the war, he was involved in the development of civilian air services in Alberta, pioneering air search and rescue and air mail services in the north. During the Second World War, he managed No. 2 Air Observer School in Edmonton. He was awarded the US Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm for implementing a parachute rescue service to assist aircrew who crashed whilst flying to Alaska from Edmonton. May died in 1952, aged 56.
Clifford Mackay “Black Mike” McEwen CB MC DFC & Bar MiD was born in Griswold in 1896; he was raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. He enlisted in the 196th Battalion (Western Universities) of the CEF in 1916 and transferred to the RAF in 1918. He fought on the Italian Front and is credited with 27 victories. After the war, he transferred to the RCAF and, by 1939, rose to the rank of Group Captain. During the Second World War, he commanded No. 1 Group at St. John’s, Newfoundland and Air the No. 6 (Bomber) Group in Britain. He retired from the RCAF in 1946 having been awarded the Italian Bronze Medal for Valour and made a Commander of the Legion of Merit and an Officer of the Légion d'honneur. For two years he was a director of Trans-Canada Air Lines, the predecessor of Air Canada. McEwen died on 6 August 1967, aged 71. In 2003, 15 Wing Moose Jaw was renamed Air Vice-Marshal C. M. McEwen Airfield.
Harold Edgar Mott was born in Winnipeg in 1897. In 1916, he joined the RNAS and graduated from the Wright Flying School at Mineola, New York. He is credited with five victories. In 1917, he was posted to the Aerial Gunnery School at Beamsville, Ontario, in charge of crash investigations. Mott died in 1992, aged 94.
Redford Henry Mulock CBE DSO & Bar MiD was born in Winnipeg in 1886. In 1911, he enlisted in 13 Battery, Canadian Field Artillery and in 1914 went overseas with the CEF. In 1916, he was amongst the first three Canadians to join the RNAS. He was the first Canadian to attack a submarine and was the first Canadian and RNAS pilot to be credited with five victories. He rose to the rank of Wing Commander in 1918. When the RAF was established on 1 April, he was called upon to form and lead the RAF’s Bomber Wing. He finished the war in the rank of Group Captain, making him the highest ranking Canadian airman of the First World War. France inducted him into the Légion d'honneur. After the war, he served with the RCAF Reserve, rising to the rank of Air Commodore by 1935. In 1930, he joined Canadian Airways Limited. Mulock died in 1961, aged 74. In 2010, he was inducted posthumously into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.
William Samuel Stephenson CC MC DFC was born in Winnipeg in 1897. In 1916, he volunteered for service in the 101st Overseas Battalion (Winnipeg Light Infantry), CEF. He was wounded during a gas attack on the Western Front and, in 1917, transferred to the RFC. In 1918, he was credited with 12 victories before he was wounded in combat and crashed his aeroplane behind enemy lines. He was captured by the Germans and held as a POW until the end of the war. After the war, he pursued numerous business ventures in Canada and England. For his intelligence exploits during the Second World War, he earned the sobriquet The Man Called Intrepid. For his many accomplishments, he was made a Knight Bachelor and received the Medal for Merit. Stephenson died in 1989, aged 92. In Winnipeg, he is honoured in numerous way, including a street and a library that are named after him. His storied life is further commemorated elsewhere in Canada, in the United States and Great Britain, and in Bermuda, where he is buried.
John Edward Sharman DSC & Bar was born in Oak Lake in 1892. He joined the RNAS in 1916 and is credited with 8 victories. He was cited for the Croix de guerre avec palme by French General Castelnau for services in 11 long distance air raids. In 1917, during a patrol over the Western Front, he was killed in action when his aeroplane suffered a direct hit from German ground fire. He was 20 years old. Sharman is buried in Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery at la Gorgue in France. The Province of Manitoba named John Edward Sharman Lake in his honour.
This page was prepared by Robert Nash.
Page revised: 31 October 2024
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