Lt.-Col. William George Barker (November 2, 1894 – March 12, 1930) was a Canadian WWI fighter ace and Victoria Cross winner. 8bit 300dpi Scanned Image of VC Medal Ribbon & Bar File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... WWI may be an acronym for: World War I World Wrestling Industry This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Fighter Ace is an online multiplayer computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ...

Born on a family farm in Dauphin, Manitoba he enlisted as No 106074 Private William G. Barker in the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles in December 1914 soon after the outbreak of WWI. The regiment went to England in spring of 1915 and then to France on September 22 the same year. The regiment gave up their horses and fought in the trenches as infantry. For the rural municipality, see Dauphin, Manitoba (rural municipality) Dauphin is a city in Manitoba of approximately 8085 people. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a gunner/observer with the rank of corporal in March 1916. He joined 9 Squadron which was a Corps Cooperation squadron operating on the Somme. On April 2 he was commissioned as a Second-Lieutenant and was given five days leave in London to acquire an officer's uniform and equipment. On his return he was assigned to 4 Squadron and later transferred to 15 Squadron. He officially qualified as an observer on August 27 and on September 15 he worked for the first time with Canadian troops including his old regiment. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in November 1916 in the concluding stages of the Battle of the Somme. In January 1917 after spending Christmas in London, he commenced pilot training at Netheravon. He served a second tour on Corps Cooperation machines as a pilot, prior to becoming a fighter pilot on the Sopwith Camel. An attempt was made to make him an instructor but, by deliberately violating rules against stunt flying, he managed to get transferred back to France. He was given command of A flight of 28 Squadron. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of World War I. Origin and Early History Formed by Royal Warrant on May 13, 1912, the RFC superseded the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... No. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... No. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... Military Cross The Military Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army, and formerly also to officers of the armies of other Commonwealth countries, for distinguished and meritorious services in battle. ... See Battle of the Somme (disambiguation) for other battles and meanings Battle of the Somme Conflict First World War Date 1 July 1916 – 18 November 1916 Place Somme, Picardy, France Result Stalemate The 1916 Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War, with... A Sopwith Camel at the Imperial War Museum in London. ... No. ...

On October 26, 28 Squadron was transferred to Italy and most of the unit, including aircraft and with Barker temporarily in command, travelled by train to Milan. One of his most successful, and also most controversial raids, fictionalized by Ernest Hemingway in the short story, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, was on Christmas day 1917 in Italy. Catching the Germans off guard he and his wingman, Harold Hudson, badly damaged an airfield, setting fire to one hangar and damaging several German aircraft. It is said that one of his favourite wingmen was the fighter ace Lieutenant Gerald Birks. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. ... The Snows of Kilimanjaro is the name of both a collection of short stories by Ernest Hemingway and the premier story within the collection. ... Christmas is a Christian holiday held on December 25 which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... Lieutenant Gerald Alfred Sigourney Birks (Born 30th October 1894 Montreal, Died 26th May 1991 Toronto) was a Canadian fighter ace in World War One. ...

By this time Barker's personal Sopwith Camel (serial no. B6313) had became the most sucessful fighter aircraft in the history of the RAF, shooting down 46 aircraft & balloons from September 1917 to September 1918 ; a total of 404 operational hours flying.It was dismantled in October 1918, Barker keeping the clock as a momento- although he was asked to return it the following day!

Having flown more than 900 combat hours in two and one half years, Barker's wing commander in Italy transferred him home to the UK in September 1918. In London at RAF HQ he was granted a 10-day roving commission in France, selected the Sopwith Snipe as his personal machine, and attached himself to 201 Squadron, whose squadron commander, Cyril Leman, was a pal from his days as an observer. The Sopwith Snipe was a single-seat bi-plane fighter of the Royal Air Corps (RAC), designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War and was arguably the definitive fighter of the Allied side by the end of World War I. // History The Snipe was...

He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on day 10, Sunday, October 27, 1918. While delivering his Snipe to an aircraft depot, he crossed enemy lines at 21,000 feet above the Foret de Mormal. He attacked an enemy two-seater which broke up, its crew escaping by parachute. By his own admission he was careless and was then bounced by a formation of Fokker D.VIIs. In a descending battle against 15 or more enemy machines, Barker was three times wounded in the legs, then his left elbow was blown away, yet he managed to control his Snipe and shoot down or drive down three more enemy aircraft. The dogfight took place immediately above the lines of the Canadian Corps and it is estimated 100,000 watched the latter stage of his aerial battle from the ground. Severely wounded and bleeding to death, his life was saved by the men of an RAF Kite Balloon Section, who got him to a field dressing station. October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Fokker D.VII The D.VII was a late World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz at the Fokker company. ... The Canadian Corps was a World War I Canadas soldiers in September of 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. ...

He clung to life until mid-January 1919 in the hospital at Rouen, France, and then was transported back to England. He was not fit enough to walk the necessary few paces for the investiture at Buckingham Palace until March 1st, 1919.

His official wartime record was 1 aircraft captured, 2 (and 7 shared) balloons destroyed, 33 aircraft (and 2 shared) destroyed, 5 aircraft 'out of control'.

Barker returned to Canada in May of that year as the most decorated Canadian soldier of the war, with the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Military Cross and two Bars, the French Croix de guerre and two Italian Silver Medals for Valour. He was also mentioned in dispatches three times. No one in Canadian military history has matched his record of decorations awarded and hence he is the most decorated soldier in Canadian history. Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... Source: Veterans Affairs Canada The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and other formerly Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... Military Cross The Military Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army, and formerly also to officers of the armies of other Commonwealth countries, for distinguished and meritorious services in battle. ... The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ... Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service. ...

He also formed a business partnership, Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes Limited, with fellow-Victoria Cross recipient and Canadian ace Billy Bishop which lasted for about three years. Lieutenant Colonel Barker rejoined the infant Canadian Air Force in 1922, and was appointed acting director of the RCAF in early 1924. He graduated from RAF Staff College, Andover, in 1926. One of his achievements in the RCAF was the introduction of parachutes. After leaving the RCAF he became the first president of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club, and involved in tobacco growing farms in southwestern Ontario. Billy Bishop William Avery Billy Bishop VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED (February 8, 1894 – September 11, 1956) was a Canadian World War I flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, the highest number for a British Empire pilot. ... The RCAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force with a maple leaf, a symbol of Canada in the centre. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses of Toronto Maple Leafs, see Toronto Maple Leafs (disambiguation). ... Species Nicotiana acuminata Nicotiana alata Nicotiana attenuata Nicotiana benthamiana Nicotiana clevelandii Nicotiana excelsior Nicotiana forgetiana Nicotiana glauca Nicotiana glutinosa Nicotiana langsdorffii Nicotiana longiflora Nicotiana obtusifolia Nicotiana paniculata Nicotiana plumbagifolia Nicotiana quadrivalvis Nicotiana repanda Nicotiana rustica Nicotianasuaveolens Nicotiana sylvestris Nicotiana tabacum Nicotiana tomentosa Ref: ITIS 30562 as of August 26, 2005...

He suffered from the physical effects of his 1918 gunshot wounds, and struggled with alcoholism in the last few years of his life. He died in 1930 near Ottawa when he lost control of his Fairchild KR-21 biplane trainer during a demonstration flight to the RCAF. Barker, aged 35, was at the time the president and general manager of Fairchild Aircraft in Montreal. Alcoholism is a powerful craving for alcohol which often results in the compulsive consumption of alcohol otherwise known as an addiction. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Location City Information Established: 1850 as Bytown Area: 2,778. ... For other uses, see Fairchild (disambiguation). ... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 366. ...

His funeral, the largest national state event in Toronto's history, was attended by an honour 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 honour guard was also provided by the United States Army. Some 50,000 spectators lined the streets of Toronto en route to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where Barker was interred in his wife's family crypt in the Mausoleum. This is a list of Lieutenant Governors of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... This is a list of mayors of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

An elementary school in Dauphin, Manitoba is named in his honour.

References

• Drew, George A. (1930). Canada's Fighting Airmen. MacLean.
• Ralph, Wayne (1999). BARKER VC: The Classic Story of a Legendary First World War Hero. Grub Street, London. ISBN 1-902304-31-4.
• Enman, Charles, "Billy Barker: 'The deadliest air fighter that ever lived'", Ottawa Citizen, November 12, 2005, pp. E6.

External links

• William George "Will" Barker
• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Burial location of William Barker "Toronto"
• Location of William Barker's Victoria Cross "Canadian War Museum"
• Legion Magazine Article on William George Barker
• Find-A-Grave website has a photo of William George Barker