William George Barker - Canada's Legendary Ace
William George Barker, VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Two Bars was born 3 November 1894. He is the most decorated serviceman in the history of Canada, having received the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, not once but Twice, and the Military Cross a total of Three times.
William Barker was born in Dauphin, Manitoba on the family farm. As a young man he rode horses, hunted, shot firearms, and worked on the farm and family sawmill. His shooting skill was very exceptional, even mounted and riding he was able to hit his targets. He was a good student, but frequently missed school due to farm and family pressures. His Boy scout troop was from Russell, MB, and his cadet service was from Roblin, MB where he was a member of the 32nd Light Horse.
In December of 1914 Barker enlisted and was a trooper in the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. His unit shipped to England in June of 1915 and on to France on 22 September. His skill with shooting allowed him to work as a machine-gunner with the machine-gun section of the troop, but early March 1916 he decided the trenches were not for him. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in March of 1916 and was soon flying the Royal Factory B.E. 2 aircraft.
In April he was commissioned as a second Lieutenant and given 5 days leave to buy a uniform and his equipment. By 7 July he was assigned to a fighting unit and transferred to 15 Squadron. Fourteen days later he scored his first victory, in August he scored his second. He was mentioned in Dispatches by his commander and finally in September he was working in the air over Canadian troops, among which were the men of his old regiment.
On 15 November his aircraft was flying over Beaumont Hamel, the very place that saw the destruction of the Newfoundland Regiment 4 months earlier, when he spotted a formation of German troops massing for a counter-attack. His radio call brought in all available artillery and smashed the attack before it began. For this and other actions over the Somme he was awarded his first Military Cross.
He went on leave to London and in January 1917 began flying training to become a pilot. He flew solo after 55 minutes instruction. By 24 February 1917 he was back with 15 Squadron this time as a pilot. On 25 March he scored another victory. On 25 April during the Arras Offensive Barker spotted a cluster of 1000 Germans sheltering in a trench network. He directed artillery in on the position and broke up that counter-attack before it was formed.
In July he received his second Military Cross (Bar), but in August his luck turned, or perhaps it remained. He was struck in the head by AA Fire and he was forced to convalesce in England. He worked there as an instructor, but badgered command to allow him to return to the fighting. Command grew tired of his harassment and he was finally offered a position with 56 or 28 Squadron. He chose command of C flight in 28 Squadron and returned to France.
On 8 October 1917 on his first patrol with 28 Squadron he downed an Albatross D.V, but as this patrol was unofficial he did not claim the kill. On 20 October he claimed another, then on 27 October, 2 more.
Fighting in the air in Italy had gone against the allies, Germany had transferred some air units there and the Italians were overwhelmed. On 7 November 28 Squadron was sent to Italy with Barker in Command. On the 29th he downed his first enemy in Italy. On 3 December he downed another . On 25 December he and Lt. Harold B. Hudson flew low over the lines and pounced on a German Airbase. They caught the Germans unprepared and straffed the airfield and hangers, setting one hanger aflame and destroyed 4 aircraft on the ground. Then as a parting shot dropped a placard reading “Happy Christmas” on the airfield.
On 1 January 1918 Barker scored his first kill of the last year of the war. In February he scored Two Balloons, and another 4 aircraft. This was followed by three more aircraft in march, and his first Distinguished Service Order. His time as 28 Squadron Commander was never a permanent post, since Barker often flew when he was not to, his tendancy to ignore orders, and fly “unofficial” missions was frowned upon and finally a new commander was appointed over him. Upset with this slight, he transferred to no. 66 Squadron in April 1918. He showed his skill there with a further 16 kills in mid-July.
On April 17 he shot down an Albatross D.III. he was appointed Commander of 139 Squadron, a squadron that flew Bristol Fighters, but he refused to give up his Sopwith Camel and took his personal plane with him. His Camel was by this time the most successful aircraft in the RAF with 404 combat flying hours and piloted by Barker to 46 victories. During his time with the aircraft Barker had conducted many modification to the plane, including changing the gun sights to traditional rifle sights rather than the standard machine-gun sights, he had cooling slots cut in the engine to improve cooling and thus performance, he cut away larger sections of the upper wing to improve his visibility. When his aircraft was finally dismantled he kept the clock as a memento, but was asked to return that the day later when it was found to be missing.
He had flown more than 900 hours in two and a half years and was transferred back to the UK as an instructor in September 1918. On his return to London he was assigned to train new pilots, but argued he was incapable of the task as the newer aircraft and combat techniques used on the western front would need to be learned before he could instruct. Command decided his request had merit and assigned him a new Sopwith Snipe, an aircraft of impressive performance, and gave him permission to spend 10 days roving France to learn techniques.
On 27 October, he fought the action that resulted in his award of the Victoria Cross. The last of his 10 days in France he crossed enemy lines at 21,000 feet. He spotted an enemy two-seat Rumpler and attacked forcing it down. The crew bailed out using the new parachutes and safely descended to the ground below. Barker watched as the parachutes were used and by his own admission was careless. As he watched two groups of the new and deadly Fokker D.VII from Jasta 24 and Jasta 44 moved into position and attacked. At least 15 of the Fokkers engaged him in a descending battle. The fight was directly above the lines of the Canadian Corps.
The first he knew of the Fokkers was when his craft was caught in a burst that pierced the side of his plane and punched through his right leg. In spite of the surprise and the wound he engaged and destroyed this threat. Fokkers came at him from several directions, he bobbed, weaved, and swirled avoiding death. Shooting as his own guns bore on enemy craft. Falling into a spin he was hit again, this time in the left leg. He destroyed two enemies while in his spin toward the earth below. Then he lost consciousness.
He awoke finding his aircraft again under attack he destroyed yet another enemy. Then he was struck in the left elbow shattering it. He passed out from the pain and blood loss. Somehow he again awoke, again under fire, he selected yet another Fokker and destroyed that one, his fourth enemy of the flight. Knowing he was in distress he dove for the Canadian Lines seeking refuge, yet another formation attacked him and he managed to avoid the death blow. After more hard fighting he reached Canadian Lines where he crashed his plane.
This action brought his total to 50 enemies destroyed, he was dragged from his battered aircraft and rushed to the medical station where he was stabilised and treated for his multiple wounds. He remained in hospital in Rouen France until January 1919 when he was seen as fit enough to be move to England. It was not until the 1st of March 1919 that he was able to rise and walk the few steps required to receive his Victoria Cross.
In may of 1919 he returned to Canada a hero, the most decorated pilot in Canada’s history, with the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two Bars, two Italian Silver Medals for Military Valour, and the French Croix de guerre. He was Mentioned in Dispatches three times in his wartime career. Only two other servicemen in the history of the Commonwealth or Empire have received as many British medals for gallantry. These were Mick Mannock and James McCudden and, like Barker, both were "scout pilots" in the First World War. Barker, Mannock, and McCudden each received six British medals, including the Victoria Cross. McCudden was also awarded a French Croix de Guerre. But with his three foreign medals and three Mentions in Despatches, Barker received a total of 12 awards for valour.
On his return he formed a business partnership with Billy Bishop another VC recipient and Canadian Ace. Bishop-Barker Airplanes Limited lasted three years. In 1922 Barker returned to the RCAF as Wing Commander. In 1926 Barker was appointed Director of the RCAF, he travelled to Iraq to witness the British use of Air power and on his return to Canada reported his findings to the Ministry of Defence and unofficially to General Mitchell of the USAF.
His wounds still bothered him even so many years after the war, but he continued to fly, and took to drinking. He became president of Fairchild Aircraft in Montreal and on 12 March 1930 while flying a demonstration of their Fairchild KR-21 Biplane for the RCAF he lost control and crashed to the ground near Ottawa. Barker did not survive the crash.
His funeral, the largest national state event in Toronto's history, was attended by an honor guard of 2,000 soldiers. The cortege stretched for more than a mile and a half, and included the Chief of the General Staff and his senior officers, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Mayor of Toronto, three federal government cabinet ministers, and six other Victoria Cross recipients. An honor guard was also provided by the United States Army. Some 50,000 spectators lined the streets of Toronto en route to Mount Pleas