Raymond Collishaw
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Air Vice-Marshal Raymond Collishaw CBE DSO and Bar DSC DFC Croix de Guerre RAF (22 November 1893 - 28 September 1976) was a Canadian aviator who served in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and later the Royal Air Force. He was the highest scoring RNAS flying ace and the second highest scoring Canadian pilot of the First World War. As a member of the RAF during the Second World War, he commanded the Desert Air Force in North Africa.
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[edit] Early life
Raymond Collishaw was born at Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada on 22 November 1893. He joined the Canadian Fisheries Protection Services as a cabin boy at the age of 15. As a sailor, he was onboard the Alcedo when it sailed into the Arctic Circle in search of the Stefansson expedition. Unfortunately, for the expedition, they were too late to rescue the Karluk. By 1915, he had worked his way up to first officer.
[edit] First World War
Toward the end of 1915, Collishaw joined the Royal Naval Air Service. He qualified as a pilot in January 1916. He spent months patrolling the British coast then, on 2 August 1916, he joined the RNAS's 3rd Wing which was operating in France. He helped escort the wing's bombers until 1 February 1917 when he transferred to No. 3 Naval Squadron. In April he transferred to No. 10 Naval Squadron.
He commanded the famous Black Flight of No. 10 Naval Squadron. This unit, all Canadian and flying Sopwith Triplanes with black trim, claimed 87 German aircraft destroyed or driven down in three months. He was the first Commonwealth pilot to claim six victories in one day (6th July 1917). There have been claims that Collishaw shot down German ace Karl Allmenröder, but this has been disputed.
In August, Collishaw returned to Canada for two months leave. Due to the Navy's secrecy about its pilots, there was no publicity of Collishaw's visit and he was able to travel about anonymously. On his return, he was given command of No. 13 Naval Squadron, which was operating from Dunkirk. On 23 January 1918, he was given command of No. 3 Naval Squadron. On 1 April, the RNAS and the RFC merged and 3 Naval became No. 203 Squadron Royal Air Force. Collishaw remained in command with the new rank of major.
During the First World War, Collishaw was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Service Order with bar and the French Croix de Guerre. He scored 60 victories, consisting 28 and one shared "destroyed", 28 and two shared "out of control" and one "driven down."
Collishaw had quite a few close escapes during the war. He was shot down several times and once nearly landed at an enemy aerodrome in heavy fog - his wheels having touched the ground before he realised his mistake. On another occasion, his goggles were shattered by enemy fire. He once had his controls disabled by German machine gun fire and had to ride out the flight until the plane crash-landed - luckily near the British front trenches.
[edit] Russia, 1919
Collishaw was in England working on the formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force when the Armistice was signed. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel during this time. He took some leave in Canada in December before returning to England. He was planning on attempting to fly across the Atlantic using a long range bomber but his plans were interrupted by events.
The decision was made to send a squadron to help General Denikin's White Russian forces in the Russian Civil War and Collishaw was chosen to be in command. This campaign initially went well but eventually turned into a retreat then a rout during which the squadron was withdrawn. Collishaw added another victory to his total during this conflict, as well as managing to sink an enemy gunboat with a bomb dropped from his Sopwith Camel.
[edit] Middle East
After 47 Squadron was withdrawn from Russia, Collishaw was sent to Egypt to command 84 Squadron. The squadron was moved to Persia, which was made a British protectorate after the war, to defend against the Russians. In the 1921 New Year's Honours List, Collishaw was made a CBE.
[edit] Second World War
During the Second World War, Collishaw attained the rank of Air Vice-Marshal following distinguished service commanding the Desert Air Force in North Africa. He retired, involuntarily, from the RAF in July 1943.
[edit] Later years and legacy
His memoirs were titled Air Command, A Fighting Pilot's Story and were published in 1973.
Collishaw died on 28 September 1976 in West Vancouver, British Columbia at the age of 82.
In recent years, there has been debate over whether his kills had been understated, due to the Royal Naval Air Service receiving less credit than the Royal Flying Corps. Some historians credit him with 81 (unofficial) kills, which would place him at the top of First World War flying aces, ahead of the "Red Baron" and top British Empire ace Billy Bishop. If the application of stricter victory verification was applied, however, his score would invariably be considerably less (as with all RAF, RFC and RNAS aces' scores in the First World War).
On 2 October 1999, the terminal at Nanaimo Airport was named the Nanaimo-Collishaw Air Terminal in his honour.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Nanaimo, British Columbia Airport Terminal named for Canadian War Ace Air Highways Magazine Online
[edit] External links
- Collishaw biography
- An excellent, in-depth and thorough biography of Collishaw
- Collishaw in the Second World War
