Contributions of Canadian Aviators
FOCUS ON Canadian Aviators
Were the risks faced by Canadian pilots worth taking?
When World War I began, airplanes were still new. Few people believed that they could be useful in wartime. But the success of Canadian pilots helped change people’s minds.
Canada did not have an air force in 1914, so would-be Canadian aviators joined the British Royal Flying Corps or the Royal Naval Air Service. About 22 800 Canadians served as pilots, gunners, mechanics, and aircrew. Britain began training pilots in Canada. By the end of the war, 40 per cent of British pilots were from Canada.
Risky Business
Flying these early airplanes at the front was dangerous. Their open cockpits offered little protection, and pilots often flew low over enemy lines to take pictures, gather information, drop bombs, and fire at enemy soldiers. As a result, they could be shot down by rifle and machine-gun fire or caught in artillery barrages.
They might also be attacked by enemy fighter planes. Later in the war, fighters were equipped with machine guns. Airborne battles with enemy planes were called dogfights because the twisting and turning, the snarling engines, and the rat-tat-tatting guns reminded people below of dogs fighting.
Once pilots started active service, they could expect to live about three weeks. As a result, the air corps was nicknamed the “suicide service.” Planes were called flying coffins. More than 50 000 Allied pilots and aircrew died between 1914 and 1918.
Canadian Aces
An air ace was a pilot who had shot down at least five enemy planes. Canadian fliers such as Billy Bishop, Billy Barker, Don MacLaren, Ray Collishaw, and Roy Brown were among the top Allied aces.
Roy Brown and the Red Baron
Brown became famous when he was credited with shooting down the legendary German ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen. Von Richthofen was nicknamed the “Red Baron” because he painted his plane red. The Red Baron shot down 80 Allied aircraft.
On April 21, 1918, Brown was in the air with his squadron. Suddenly, he saw the Red Baron in a dogfight with Wilfrid “Wop” May. May’s gun jammed, and he tried to flee -with the Red Baron after him. Flying to May’s rescue, Brown got behind the Red Baron and started firing. One of his shots killed the German ace.
But was it really Roy Brown who killed the Red Baron? The planes were flying low, and Australian machine-gunners on the ground were also shooting at von Richthofen. Some historians claim that the fatal shot came from an Australian machine gun.
No matter who fired the shot, the downing of Germany’s most feared pilot inspired the Allies at a critical time. The exploits of Canadian aviators helped boost morale -and proved that airplanes could make an important military contribution.