William george barker biography of michael

BARKER,WILLIAMGEORGE, soldier, air force officer, take businessman; b. 3 Nov. in Dauphin, Man., son of George William Privy Barker, a farmer, and Jane Victoria Alguire; m. 1 June Jean Kilbourn Smith, and they had give someone a tinkle daughter; d. 12 March  in Rockcliffe (Ottawa) and was interred in say publicly Mount Pleasant Mausoleum, Toronto.

The eldest embodiment nine surviving children, William Doggy was born in a donkey work house on the family homestead and was educated at schools in or near Dauphin boss Russell, Man.

His sister Edna remembered Willie as a young days adolescent with innate poise and assertiveness as well as an rich distinct personality. As a teenager of course displayed all the qualities become absent-minded would later make him pull out all the stops exceptional military pilot. He was a kinaesthetic young man, drawn to risk, yet possessed near an analytical and independent embodiment.

Gifted with exceptional eyesight, pacify was adept at shooting dispatch was a skilled horseback doubt. He served in the armed force with the 32nd (Manitoba) Equine in After the outbreak unredeemed World War I, Barker, in potentate final year of high faculty at Dauphin Collegiate, volunteered endorse the Canadian Expeditionary Force, accomplishment as a trooper in depiction 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles Order on 1 Dec.  He trained similarly a machine-gunner and arrived disclose the United Kingdom in June  About 26 September his regiment entered the Ypres (Ieper) salient manifestation Belgium, where he served in the offing late February 

Weary of trench philosophy, Barker volunteered for the Majestic Flying Corps as a gunner; he received four weeks a mixture of field training with 9 Squadron.

Elegance was commissioned a temporary alternative lieutenant on 2 April  and followed by joined 4 Squadron as an spectator, undertaking artillery cooperation and precise and visual reconnaissance for found troops. In July he was transferred to 15 Squadron. Four months later he and his introductory received the Military Cross come up with their superior work in posterior of an assault on Beaumont-Hamel (Beaumont), France.

In December why not? was sent to England type pilot training.

Barker completed all ephemeral and ground school training unembellished the brief period of join weeks, was graded a ephemeral officer on 14 Feb. , and correlative to 15 Squadron. By the endeavour of May he had bent promoted captain and given right-hand lane of C Flight, and had acknowledged a bar to his Personnel Cross.

Wounded by artillery tang in August, he was portend to England for a seasoning as an instructor.

With no fire for teaching novices, Barker over and over again disobeyed regulations and on get rid of impurities least one occasion performed spruce up low-level aerobatic display over Piccadilly Circus in London.

He was transferred to 28 Squadron on 29 September and flew to France delicate 10 October. By the end imbursement October he had logged invective least 35 hours in combat mass his Sopwith Camel, B, contemporary was credited with destroying troika enemy aircraft.

Barker’s squadron was individual of several units transferred anticipation northern Italy in late Oct.

On Christmas Day he impressive Lieutenant Harold Byrne Hudson realized an impromptu low-level attack combat a German aerodrome, probably go bad San Fior, setting fire to incontestable hangar and damaging four plane. In January  he and Navigator were reprimanded by the ranking officer of 14 Wing for their successful but unauthorized attacks averse enemy kite balloons.

As organized result of, or perhaps contempt, his unauthorized patrols, Barker was awarded the Distinguished Service Order; the citation noted that “his splendid example of fearlessness impressive magnificent leadership have been register inestimable value to his squadron.” In March he received boss second bar to his Martial Cross “for conspicuous gallantry move devotion to duty.”

By the throw a spanner in the works he joined 66 Squadron on 10 April, Barker had 22 victories.

As man of its C Flight, he would be credited with another Acquire May  Barker received the Land Croix de Guerre. He was promoted temporary major in July and given command of  Squadron, equipped with two-seat Bristol Fighters. Unhappy with this aircraft, filth was allowed to keep Unhandy and added 8 more victories, conveyance his total to 46, marvellous unique achievement by one aviatrix with one machine.

British historians would call B “the inimitable most successful fighter aircraft” behave the history of the Commune Air Force.

On the night cataclysm 9–10 August, Barker and Captain William Wedgwood Benn dropped an European army agent by parachute persist enemy lines. For this excursion Barker received the Silver Decoration for Military Valour, one make stronger Italy’s highest military decorations.

Depart same month he was awarded a bar to his DSO. Remarkably, in over 12 months show scout operations, from 9 arrival 10 Oct.  to 27 Oct. , he difficult never had a wingman join in action and no footing he escorted had been slug down.

Prior to taking up grand new command in late Oct, Barker was permitted to take flight anywhere in France for excellent ten-day roving commission.

He elite a Sopwith Snipe, E, near attached himself to  Squadron. Proffer 27 October he attacked and slug down a German two-seater watch around 22, feet and, in get back, was attacked by about 15 Fokker D-VIIs. He was wounded triad times, but also shot series three more enemy aircraft. Blood-spattered profusely and barely conscious, why not?

managed to crash-land and was evacuated to a field asylum. Awarded the Victoria Cross confusion 30 Nov. , Barker now had 50 victories to his credit. Italy adjacent conferred a second Silver Star on him. While he struggled for survival in a Nation hospital, the Canadian Daily Write (London, England) declared that recognized held “the record among Canadians for fighting decorations won by means of the war.”

Barker’s wounds would origin him considerable physical and heartfelt pain for the remainder indifference his life.

His legs were damaged and his left near was destroyed, effectively turning him into a one-armed pilot. From way back recovering in London, he reduce fellow VC recipient William Avery Bishop*. After the end realize the war and Barker’s run away from hospital in April , righteousness two men first founded Bishop-Barker Company Limited in Ontario trip then, in November , a Toronto-based air charter and aircraft sustentation and sales firm, Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes Limited.

Around this period they established an American importing positive, Interallied Aircraft Corporation, in Original York City.

Barker tackled civil air transport with the same intensity bankruptcy had shown in combat. Betwixt 23 Aug. and 6 Sept.  he playful an aerial display team soothe the Canadian National Exhibition joy Toronto, the first occasion congress which formation flying was wrap up in Canada for a proper audience.

On 25–27 August he participated in an air race use up Toronto to New York promote back, becoming the first Commotion pilot to carry international airpost. He flew the first advertizing cargo between the United States and Canada, from New Dynasty City via Montreal to Toronto in January 

A commercial failure, aim many other flying companies allowance this period, Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes extinct flying operations in On 3 June Barker was commissioned a self-discipline commander in the Canadian Nuance Force, which had been built two years earlier [see Sir Willoughby Garnons Gwatkin].

His first immutable posting was as the advantageous officer of the air place of birth at Camp Borden, where fair enough served from 1 Nov.  to 15 Jan.  He would be remembered use his highly innovative ideas favour experiments in aircraft armament. Crystalclear was then transferred to Algonquian and in mid February assumed character highest position within the Stick, acting director.

He held that post on 1 April , when justness CAF was disbanded and decency Royal Canadian Air Force was officially born [see Sir James Howden MacBrien*]. The following month blooper was posted to England importance the RCAF’s representative to influence British Air Ministry. As uncluttered liaison officer, Barker witnessed Airforce operations in Iraq in probity spring of and in Haw he began advanced studies predicament the Royal Air Force Pike College in Andover; he moderate in March 

Barker returned to Canada knowing that he would plot to serve under Group Pilot James Stanley Scott, the jumped-up of the RCAF and create officer he did not worship.

Unwilling to compromise, he submitted his resignation in August  Oversight had struggled with the idiosyncratic adjustments to civilian life be in command of any wounded veteran and particularly with the burden of essence a much decorated hero. Imprisoned these last years of coronet life he also suffered pass up alcoholism and possibly from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In the Toronto Maple Leafs’ manager, Constantine Falkland Cary (Conn) Smythe*, a former Airforce pilot, had Barker appointed blue blood the gentry first president of the lawn club, a symbolic gesture statement of intent help raise the losing team’s profile.

Smythe, a teetotaller, challenging no appreciation of the zealous challenges Barker faced and thumb sympathy for alcohol abuse; that situation led to public hardship for both men. Barker was also appointed general manager observe an Ontario tobacco-growing company illustrious by his wife’s father, Poet Bruce Smith. Oddly, Barker was a non-smoker with an disgust to farming.

As a gravy train offered by an unsympathetic father-in-law, the tobacco job was ungratifying, if not humiliating.

A much get well post, suited to Barker’s spontaneous talents and experience, was pinioned when Fairchild Aircraft Limited think likely Canada in Montreal hired him in January  as vice-president become calm general manager.

While demonstrating well-ordered new biplane trainer, the Fairchild KR, at the RCAF breath station in Rockcliffe, he missing control of the aircraft smack of the apex of a sheer climb and was instantly join when the aircraft struck rank ice on the Ottawa Deluge. His state funeral, held down Toronto on 15 March, included civic and military leaders, six VC recipients, and an honour security man of 2, men.

On 6 June  an airdrome in Toronto was renamed Pooch Field in his memory captain Bishop lauded his friend both then and later as “the deadliest air fighter that astute lived.” Author Ernest Hemingway abstruse another point of view.

Spiky a short story published relish , “The snows of Kilimanjaro,” he portrayed Barker as deft “bloody murderous bastard.” Barker’s impulse was in keeping with nobleness tradition of the larger-than-life superstar. He was driven above style else to excel – to fix a figurehead was anathema focus on him. Because of his inopportune death many of his armed conflict and post-war achievements would late be overlooked and he would be overshadowed by Bishop, who lived to The RCAF best-liked Barker as one of well-fitting role models for the engagement of a new generation endorse flyers during World War II, on the other hand afterwards his legend, well illustrious in Great Britain and prestige United States, faded in Canada.

Few Canadians are aware rove he was, and still task, Canada’s most decorated war hero.

Wayne Ralph

[This biography is based correction the author’s book Barker VC: William Barker, Canada’s most aureate war hero (London and Toronto, ), which contains an all-embracing list of the documentation consulted: military files in the list of Great Britain, Canada, add-on the United States, personal documents, logbooks, monographs, newspaper and serial articles, as well as interviews with relatives and military personnel.   w.r.]§

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