Aviation

At the start of the Great War, Canada's air corps was quite small and had little experience. These Canadian flyers had served in the Royal Flying Corps or the RFC, the main air force of the British military. Only two aviators and one airplane had accompanied the Canadian troops to England in 1914. By the end of the war, things had changed. The number of Canadians in the RFC had grown to approximately 22,000. Over the same time period, aviation technology had also greatly improved and strengthened.

Initially, planes were used for surveillance. From the air, pilots had a bird's eye view of the enemy lines. Enemy activities could easily be observed and information gathered. Flying at speeds of 150 km/h, and at low altitudes, the pilots were able to inspect the enemy lines. They would take photographs to accurately capture these necessary details and report back to headquarters. This information was useful to determine the enemy position. The layout of the battlefield, the location of the barbed wire entanglements, the trenches and artillery sites could be determined by using the photographs.

Even though the planes did not have any fixed guns, they effectively assisted in the planning of an attack. It was this communication, from pilot to headquarters, that guided the ground artillery gunfire. The enemy artillery could more easily be pinpointed and destroyed. This improved firing and reduced the enemy counter-attack on Allied lines. Later, a primitive method was developed to convert the airplanes into an attack machine. Pilots were equipped with bundles of bombs which they would drop by hand from the cockpit over enemy lines. This new method of warfare made life in the trenches even more frightening and uncertain.

By the summer of 1918, airplanes were a vital part of combat for both the Germans and the Allies. Eventually, planes were developed into fighters and bombers, reaching speeds of 250 km/h. In addition, they were flying higher than ever before. The bombers were capable of carrying explosives and dropping them mechanically, from the main body of the plane onto enemy targets. The fighters were equipped with guns. Machine guns were placed between the propellers, increasing the planes' fierceness. Now pilots could easily attack enemy fighter planes and sweep the enemy line. This was all an effort to strengthen their ground assault and prevent the Germans from gaining any insight into the Allies' position. Brave efforts were made to attack enemy planes and remove them from the sky. In the picture above, we see a German plane that had been shot down.

At dawn and dusk, pilots usually went out on patrol. These daily trips would bring something new every time. The young pilots learned to expect the unexpected. They were all too aware that they had no backup if they crashed. There were no parachutes in those days. Though they may have been somewhat frightened, they were also carefree and daring.

Canada's most famous pilot, noted for his daring attacks, was Billy Bishop. His heroic efforts won him the Victoria Cross and the honour of being Canada's leading "ace". Pilots who had shot down 5 or more enemy planes were referred to as aces. Only those planes confirmed to have been shot down were considered for this title.

Bishop shot down four planes and two balloons just before the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Later, he went on to shoot down 72 aircraft. When the war was over, Bishop was considered the number three ace of the entire war.

Footnote: In 1967, Canada's Air Force, Army and Navy joined to become the Armed Forces of Canada. Up until 1967, they were separate units.

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