Description: Winged Warfare Hunting the Huns in the Air by Major W. A. Bishop V.C., D.S.O., M.C. This is the 1918 Edition “It was the mud, I think, that made me take to flying. I had fully expected that going into battle would mean for me the saddle of a galloping charger, instead of the snug little cock-pit of a modern aeroplane. The mud, on a certain day in July 1915, changed my whole career in the war.” Front cover and spine Further images of this book are shown below Publisher and place of publication Dimensions in inches (to the nearest quarter-inch) London: Hodder and Stoughton 4¾ inches wide x 7½ inches tall Edition Length 1918 301 pages Condition of covers Internal condition Original tan cloth blocked in dark blue. The covers are rubbed and dull with variation in colour and old staining. There are a number of generally small splash marks on the front cover and areas where the cloth has darkened with age. There rear cover is cleaner, with just a few marks and also some variation in colour; there is, however, a hefty bumped on the top rear edge adjacent to the spine. The spine has darkened significantly with age and has numerous areas of colour loss including a vertical streak down almost the entire length. The spine gutters are heavily rubbed and starting to fray. The spine ends and corners are bumped and frayed, with small tears in the cloth. There are some indentations along the edges of the boards and a forward spine lean. The inner hinges are badly cracked but have been partially re-glued (the rear hinge still with a tear in the pastedown end-paper) and the end-papers are browned and foxed (please see the final two images below). There is a previous owner's name inscribe in ink on the Half-Title page. There is scattered foxing, which is generally inoffensive, though there is also toning and heavier foxing to those pages adjacent to the photographic plates. The text is generally clean throughout, on noticeably tanned paper. The illustrations have acquired a yellowish tinge and are printed on quite thin paper. There is some separation between the inner gatherings. The edge of the text block is grubby, dust-stained and foxed. Dust-jacket present? Other comments No This 1918 Edition is collated and complete and in reasonable internal condition apart from the cracked hinges, though in dull and discoloured covers (particularly the spine). Illustrations, maps, etc Contents Major W. A. Bishop, V.C., D.S.O., M.C. Pilot's Seat of Nieuport Scout. Nieuport Scout. "Archie" at work. The Lewis Gun on my Nieuport. Remains of a Hun Two-seater, brought down in flames. There are twenty-two untitled chapters. Post & shipping information Payment options The packed weight is approximately 600 grams. Full shipping/postage information is provided in a panel at the end of this listing. Payment options : UK buyers: cheque (in GBP), debit card, credit card (Visa, MasterCard but not Amex), PayPal International buyers: credit card (Visa, MasterCard but not Amex), PayPal Full payment information is provided in a panel at the end of this listing. Winged Warfare Excerpt: Chapter I It was the mud, I think, that made me take to flying. I had fully expected that going into battle would mean for me the saddle of a galloping charger, instead of the snug little cock-pit of a modern aeroplane. The mud, on a certain day in July 1915, changed my whole career in the war. We were in England. I had gone over as an officer of the Missisauga Horse, of Toronto, a cavalry detachment of the Second Canadian Division. It had rained for days in torrents, and there was still a drizzle coming down as I set out for a tour of the horse-lines. Ordinary mud is bad enough, when you have to make your home in it, but the particular brand of mud that infests a cavalry camp has a meanness all its own. Everything was dank, and slimy, and boggy. I had succeeded in getting myself mired to the knees when suddenly, from somewhere out of the storm, appeared a trim little aeroplane. It landed hesitatingly in a near-by field as if scorning to brush its wings against so sordid a landscape; then away again up into the clean grey mists. How long I stood there gazing into the distance I do not know, but when I turned to slog my way back through the mud my mind was made up. I knew there was only one place to be on such a day—up above the clouds and in the summer sunshine. I was going into the battle that way. I was going to meet the enemy in the air. I had never given much thought to being a soldier, even after my parents had sent me to the Royal Military College at Kingston, when I was seventeen years of age. I will say for my parents that they had not thought much of me as a professional soldier either. But they did think, for some reason or other, that a little military discipline at the Royal Military College would do me a lot of good— and I suppose it did. In any event, those three years at the R.M.C. stood me in good stead when the rush came in Canada, when everywhere, everybody was doing his best to get taken on in some capacity in order to get to the front quickly. 'We Canadians will never forget the thrill of those first days of the war, and then the terrible waiting before most of us could get to the other side. Our great fear was that the fighting would all be over before we could give a hand in it. How little we knew then of the glory that was to be Canada's in the story of the Western Front, of the sacrifices that were to reach to nearly every fireside in the Dominion! For many months my bit seemed to consist of training, more training, delays and more delays. But at last we got over. We crossed in an old-time cattle-boat. Oh, what a trip ! Fifteen days to reach England ! We had 700 horses on board, and 700 seasick horses are not the most congenial steamer company. We were very proud to be in England. We felt we were really in the war-zone, and soon would be in the fighting. But it is a great mistake to think that when you sail from America you are going to burst right up to the front and go over the top at daybreak in the morning. The way to the war is long. There was more work and more training for us in England. At first we were sent to a very sandy camp on the coast, and from there to a very muddy camp somewhere else in the British Isles. It was to this camp that the aeroplane came that stormy day in July. A week later my plans were in motion. I met a friend in the Royal Flying Corps and confided in him my ambition to fly. He assured me it would be easy to arrange a transfer, and instructed me as to what I should do. If I wanted to get to the front quickly I would have to go as an observer, meaning that when I flew over the German lines I would be the " passenger " in a two-seated plane and would do just what my title indicated— observe. If one has a stomach for flying, it doesn't take long to become a fairly competent observer. There are observer schools where they teach you just what to observe and what not to observe. This is not a joke. If an observer lets his gaze wander to too many non-essentials he cannot do the real observing that is expected of him. A few more days of cavalry mud and I was convinced that to be an observer in the air was better far than commanding a division on the ground. So I applied for my transfer, got it, and went to an observing school. I loved those first few flights in an old training " bus." I don't think she could make more than fifty miles an hour; and as for climbing, she struggled and shook and gasped like a freight train going up a mountain grade. But it was thrilling enough for me in those days, despite the fact that I soon began to envy the pilot who had all the fun of running the machine and could make it do a few lame and decrepit stunts. After a few months I was graduated as an observer and was awarded my first insignia of the Flying Corps—an O, with one outstretched wing attached to it, to be worn on the left breast of the tunic. I was rather proud of that one wing . . . Winged Warfare Excerpt: Chapter IX It was apparent to us by this time that the Germans were bringing their best pilots opposite the British front to meet the determined offensive we had been carrying on since April 1st. Most of the machines we met were handled in a manner far above the German average. Each night our pilots brought in exciting stories of the chase. Although they were a higher class of fighting men than we had hitherto flown against, the Germans still showed a reluctance to attack unless they outnumbered us by at least three to one. One lone German was induced to take a fatal chance against a British scout formation. By clever manoeuvring, at which the hostile airman was also quite adept, we managed to entice him to attack one of our machines from behind. As he did so, a second British machine dived at him, and down he went, one of his wings breaking off as he fell. I can best illustrate the German tactics of the time by telling the experience of one of our faithful old photographic machines, which, by the way, are not without their desperate moments and their deeds of heroism. All of which goes to show that the fighting scouts should not get all the credit for the wonders of modern warfare in the air. The old "photographer " in question was returning over the fines one day when it was set upon by no less than eleven hostile scouts. Nearly all the controls of the British machine were shot away, and the observer, seriously wounded, fell half-way out of the nacelle. Although still manoeuvring his machine so as to escape the direct line of the enemies on his tail, the British pilot grasped the wounded observer, held him safely in the machine, and made a safe landing in our lines. A moment later the riddled aeroplane burst into flames. Under heavy shell-fire the pilot carried the wounded observer to safety. One of the distinguished German flying squadrons opposite us was under command of the famous Captain Baron von Richtofen. One day I had the distinction of engaging in three fights in half an hour with pilots from this squadron. Their machines were painted a brilliant scarlet from nose to tail —immense red birds, they were, with the graceful wings of their type, Albatross scouts. They were all single-seaters, and were flown by pilots of undeniable skill. There was quite a little spirit of sportsmanship in this squadron, too. The red German machines had two machine guns in fixed positions firing straight ahead, both being operated from the same control. The first of my three fights with these newcomers in our midst occurred when I suddenly found myself mixed up with two of them. Evidently they were not very anxious for a fight at the moment, for, after a few minutes of manoeuvring, both broke it off and dived away. Ten minutes later I encountered one of the red machines flying alone. I challenged him, but he wouldn't stay at all. On the contrary, he made off as fast as he could go. On my return from chasing him I met a second pair of red Huns. I had picked up company with another British machine, and the two Huns, seeing us dived into a cloud to escape. I went in after them, and on coming out again found one directly beneath me. On to him I dived, not pulling the trigger until I was 15 yards away. Once, twice, three times I pressed the lever, but not a shot from my gun ! I slipped away into another cloud and examined the faithless weapon, only to find that I had run completely out of ammunition. I returned home quite the most disgusted person in the entire British Army. During the changeable days of the Arras offensive we had many exciting adventures with the weather. On one occasion I had gone back to the aircraft depot to bring to the front a new machine. Sunshine and snow-squalls were chasing each other in a seemingly endless procession. On the ground wind was howling along at about fifty an hour. I arrived at the depot at 9 o'clock Id the morning, but waited about until four in the afternoon before the weather appeared to be settling down to something like a safe and sane basis. The sunshine intervals were growing longer and the snow periods shorter, so I climbed into my machine and started off. It was only a fifteen minutes' fly to the aerodrome, but in that time a huge black cloud loomed up and came racing toward me. I was headed straight into the gale, and the way was so rough from the rush of the wind and the, heavy cloudf floating by that the little machine was tossed about like a piece of paper. Several times I thought I was going to be blown completely over. Occasionally, without any warning, I would be lifted a sheer hundred feet in the air. Then later I would be dropped that distance, and often more. I was perspiring freely, although it was a very cold day. It was a race against the weather to reach my destination in time. One cannot see in a snowstorm, and I felt that if the fleecy squall struck me before I sighted the aerodrome I would have to land in a ploughed field, and to do this in such a gale would be a very ticklish proposition. Added to all this, I was flying a machine of a type I had never handled before, and naturally it was a bit strange to me. Nearer and nearer the big cloud came. But I was racing for home at top speed. About half a mile from the haven I sought, the storm struck me. The moment before the snow deluge came, however, I had recognized the road that led to the aerodrome, and coming down to 50 feet, where I could Just make it out, I flew wildly on, praying all the time that the snow striking my engine would not cause it to stop. Then the awful thought came to me that perhaps I was on the wrong road. Then, even more suddenly than it had come, the snow stopped—the storm had swept right over me. There, just ahead of me I saw the tents and hangars and the flying pennant of the aerodrome—home. This was my first experience in flying through snow, and I did not care for another. A few days after my unsuccessful experience with the red Richtofen scouts, I got my just revenge and a little more back from the Huns. My Major had been told to have Home photographs taken of a certain point behind the German lines, and by special permission he was given the privilege of taking them himself. The point to be photographed was about seven miles in German territory, and in order to make a success of the snapshotting it would be necessary to have a strong escort. The Major offered to go out and do the photographs on his own without an escort, but the Colonel would not hear of it, and so it was (arranged that an offensive patrol would go out at 9 o'clock in the morning, meet the Major at a given point, and escort him over the ground he wished to cover. My patrol was the one working at the time, and I was the leader. At 9.30 we were to meet, just east of Arras, at 6,000 feet. The rendezvous came off like clockwork. I brought the patrol to the spot at 9.28, and two minutes later we spied a single Nieuport coming toward us. I fired a red signal fight and the Nieuport answered. It was the Major. I then climbed slightly and led the patrol along about 1,000 feet above the Nieuport in order to protect the Major and at the sa ae time keep high enough to avoid too much danger from anti-aircraft fire. We got to the area to be photographed without any other excitement than a very heavy greeting from the "Archies." There were a number of big white clouds floating around about 6,000 feet, and these made it difficult for the guns to shoot at us. But they also made it difficult for the Major to get his photographs. We went around and around in circles for what seemed an eternity. During one of these sweeping turns I suddenly saw four enemy scouts climbing between two clouds and some distance off. I knew they would see us soon, so it occurred to me it would be a brilliant idea to let the enemy think there was only one British machine on the job. Under these circumstances I knew they would be sure to attack, and then the rest of us could swoop down and surprise them. I had no intention of letting the Major in for any unnecessary risks, but it seemed such a rare chance, I could not resist it. I led the patrol about 2,000 feet higher up and there we waited. The enemy scouts did not see us at all, but they did see the Major. And they made for him . . . Biographical Information: Bishop was born on 8 February 1894, in Owen Sound, Ontario. He was the second of three children born to William A. and Margaret Bishop. His father, a lawyer and graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, was the Registrar of Grey County. In 1911, at the age of 17, Billy Bishop entered the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario. His parents chose the RMC more because his poor marks prevented his attending the University of Toronto than because of any interest in a military career. Bishop failed his first year at the RMC in marked contrast to his older brother Worth who had set academic records while he was at the RMC. When the First World War broke out in 1914, Bishop left the college and joined the Mississauga Horse (a cavalry regiment). He was commissioned as an officer but was ill with pneumonia when the regiment was sent overseas. After recovering, he was transferred to the 7th Canadian Mounted Rifles, a horse-mounted infantry unit, then stationed in London, Ontario. They left Canada for England on 9 June 1915 on board the requisitioned cattleship Caledonia. In July 1915, frustrated with the mud of the trenches and the lack of action, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an observer. On 1 September, he reported to 21 (Training) Squadron at Netheravon for elementary air instruction. The first aircraft he flew in was the Avro 504. The squadron was soon ordered to France, and, on 1 January 1916, it arrived at Boisdinghem airfield, near St Omer equipped with RE7 reconnaissance aircraft. During one flight, he badly injured his knee, his only injury of the war, and spent the summer recuperating in Britain, thereby missing the Battle of the Somme. Following his recovery, he was accepted for training as a pilot. He reported to Brasenose College on 1 October 1916 for initial ground training. In November, he moved to the Central Flying School at Upavon on Salisbury Plain to begin flight training. He learned to fly in a Maurice Farman "Shorthorn". After receiving his wings, he was attached to No. 37 (Home Defence) Squadron at Sutton's Farm, Essex flying the BE.2c. He soon requested a transfer to France. In March 1917, he was posted to 60 Squadron at Filescamp Farm near Arras, flying the Nieuport 17 fighter. At that time, the average lifespan of a new pilot in that sector was 11 days. Bishop claimed his first victory on 25 March, when his was one of four Nieuports that engaged three Albatros D.III Scouts near St Leger. After that, his total increased rapidly. On 5 April, he scored his fifth victory and became an ace. To celebrate, he had the cowling and struts of his plane painted bright blue. This was probably inspired by the red spinners on the plane of fellow squadron member Captain Albert Ball, at that time the Empire's highest scoring ace. He claimed 25 planes down in April alone, winning the Military Cross and a promotion to Captain for his participation at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. On April 30th, Bishop claimed to have survived an encounter with Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, although it is more likely that Bishop had actually been fighting other members of Richthofen's Jasta. In May, Bishop won the Distinguished Service Order for shooting down two planes while being attacked by four others. On 2 June 1917, he flew a solo mission behind enemy lines to attack a German-held aerodrome, where he claimed that he shot down three planes that were taking off to attack him and destroyed several more on the ground. For this feat, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, although it has been suggested that he may have embellished his success. His VC was the only one ever awarded in violation of the warrant requiring witnesses, and since the German records have been lost and the archived papers of his VC were lost as well, there is no way of ever knowing if there were any witnesses or not. It was, however, common practice among airmen of the day (especially aces who flew solo missions) to report their kills without requiring confirmation from witnesses. The citation for his VC, published in the London Gazette on 11 August 1917, read: For most conspicuous bravery, determination, and skill. Captain Bishop, who had been sent out to work independently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome; finding no machines about, he flew on to another aerodrome about three miles southeast, which was at least 12 miles the other side of the line. Seven machines, some with their engines running, were on the ground. He attacked these from about fifty feet, and a mechanic, who was starting one of the engines, was seen to fall. One of the machines got off the ground, but at a height of 60 feet, Captain Bishop fired 15 rounds into it at very close range, and it crashed to the ground. A second machine got off the ground, into which he fired 30 rounds at 150 yards range, and it fell into a tree. Two more machines then rose from the aerodrome. One of these he engaged at a height of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum of ammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from the aerodrome, after which Captain Bishop emptied a whole drum into the fourth hostile machine, and then flew back to his station. Four hostile scouts were about 1,250 feet above him for about a mile of his return journey, but they would not attack. His machine was very badly shot about by machine-gun fire from the ground. He returned home to Canada in 1917, where he was considered a hero and helped boost the morale of the Canadian public, who were growing tired of the war. On 17 October 1917, at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto, he married his long-time fiancée Margaret Burden . . . After the wedding he was assigned to the British War Mission in Washington DC to help the Americans build an air force. While stationed there, he wrote Winged Warfare. Please note: to avoid opening the book out, with the risk of damaging the spine, some of the pages were slightly raised on the inner edge when being scanned, which has resulted in some blurring to the text and a shadow on the inside edge of the final images. Colour reproduction is shown as accurately as possible but please be aware that some colours are difficult to scan and may result in a slight variation from the colour shown below to the actual colour. In line with eBay guidelines on picture sizes, some of the illustrations may be shown enlarged for greater detail and clarity. The inner hinges are badly cracked but have been partially re-glued (the rear hinge still with a tear in the pastedown end-paper) and the end-papers are browned and foxed: U.K. buyers: To estimate the “packed weight” each book is first weighed and then an additional amount of 150 grams is added to allow for the packaging material (all books are securely wrapped and posted in a cardboard book-mailer). The weight of the book and packaging is then rounded up to the nearest hundred grams to arrive at the postage figure. I make no charge for packaging materials and do not seek to profit from postage and packaging. Postage can be combined for multiple purchases. Packed weight of this item : approximately 600 grams Postage and payment options to U.K. addresses: Details of the various postage options can be obtained by selecting the “Postage and payments” option at the head of this listing (above). Payment can be made by: debit card, credit card (Visa or MasterCard, but not Amex), cheque (payable to "G Miller", please), or PayPal. Please contact me with name, address and payment details within seven days of the end of the listing; otherwise I reserve the right to cancel the sale and re-list the item. Finally, this should be an enjoyable experience for both the buyer and seller and I hope you will find me very easy to deal with. If you have a question or query about any aspect (postage, payment, delivery options and so on), please do not hesitate to contact me. International buyers: To estimate the “packed weight” each book is first weighed and then an additional amount of 150 grams is added to allow for the packaging material (all books are securely wrapped and posted in a cardboard book-mailer). The weight of the book and packaging is then rounded up to the nearest hundred grams to arrive at the shipping figure. I make no charge for packaging materials and do not seek to profit from shipping and handling. Shipping can usually be combined for multiple purchases (to a maximum of 5 kilograms in any one parcel with the exception of Canada, where the limit is 2 kilograms). Packed weight of this item : approximately 600 grams International Shipping options: Details of the postage options to various countries (via Air Mail) can be obtained by selecting the “Postage and payments” option at the head of this listing (above) and then selecting your country of residence from the drop-down list. 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Please contact me with your name and address and payment details within seven days of the end of the listing; otherwise I reserve the right to cancel the sale and re-list the item. Finally, this should be an enjoyable experience for both the buyer and seller and I hope you will find me very easy to deal with. If you have a question or query about any aspect (shipping, payment, delivery options and so on), please do not hesitate to contact me. Prospective international buyers should ensure that they are able to provide credit card details or pay by PayPal within 7 days from the end of the listing (or inform me that they will be sending a cheque in GBP drawn on a major British bank). Thank you. (please note that the book shown is for illustrative purposes only and forms no part of this listing) Book dimensions are given in inches, to the nearest quarter-inch, in the format width x height. Please note that, to differentiate them from soft-covers and paperbacks, modern hardbacks are still invariably described as being ‘cloth’ when they are, in fact, predominantly bound in paper-covered boards pressed to resemble cloth. Fine Books for Fine Minds I value your custom (and my feedback rating) but I am also a bibliophile : I want books to arrive in the same condition in which they were dispatched. For this reason, all books are securely wrapped in tissue and a protective covering and are then posted in a cardboard container. If any book is significantly not as described, I will offer a full refund. Unless the size of the book precludes this, hardback books with a dust-jacket are usually provided with a clear film protective cover, while hardback books without a dust-jacket are usually provided with a rigid clear cover. The Royal Mail, in my experience, offers an excellent service, but things can occasionally go wrong. 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Price: 45 GBP
Location: Flamborough, Bridlington
End Time: 2025-02-01T10:45:39.000Z
Shipping Cost: 26.08 GBP
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Return postage will be paid by: Buyer
Returns Accepted: Returns Accepted
After receiving the item, your buyer should cancel the purchase within: 30 days
Return policy details: If any book is significantly not as described, I will offer a full refund, including return postage. All books are securely wrapped and posted in a cardboard container.
Binding: Hardback
Place of Publication: London
Non-Fiction Subject: History & Military
Language: English
Special Attributes: Illustrated
Author: Major W. A. 'Billy' Bishop V.C., D.S.O., M.C.
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Year Printed: 1918
