William Avery Bishop

A hero to me is someone who is not afraid to stand up for what's right and protect the safety of others. Who gives up their lives for people's futures by making things better¸ not just for themselves but for every one else. That's why I chose William "Billy" Avery Bishop. He was the best Canadian pilot during World War I. He was so talented the Germans named him "Hell`s Handmaiden"

Billy Bishop as a child

William Avery Bishop was born on February 8th 1894 in Owensound Ontario. He was the second of three children born to William and Margaret Bishop. The Bishop family lived on 94 Third Avenue West in Owensound. Billy Bishop was raised during the late 19th and 20th century. Throughout Bishop's childhood, he had rough times because he always preferred individual sports like swimming and riding rather than hockey and lacrosse. Bishop was also a real lady's man. He always preferred being with girls instead of boys. Bishop was usually a kid that was picked on all the time, so to earn his respect he had to use his fists.

Billy Bishop during World War one had many great qualities. He was the sharp shooter of all the aviators he was with. It did not take Bishop long to become an ace. In his first battle, he shot down 12 German planes alone. Bishop, for his excellence, was rewarded 16 medals of honour. One of them is the Victoria cross which symbolizes bravery "in face of the enemy". Bishop participated in 170 battles in the air and survived them all. He was so good he shot 5 enemy aircrafts in a space of 5 minutes. During his 170 he shot 75 Germans down - pretty remarkable isn't it?

Billy Bishop (http://www.billybishop.net/bishop.html)

Billy Bishop had to go through a lot to earn his great reputation as an ace in aviation. His companions knew him as a lousy pilot but as an accurate shot. His path to aviation wasn't that difficult for him, it wasn't like today. He only had to go through a year in military college. When World War one broke out, he was first assigned to fight in the trenches which is the most dangerous and difficult position to be assigned to. He was so frustrated that he asked to transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. From there he became the best fighter pilot during World War one.

Billy Bishop in his first plane

I chose William "Billy Avery Bishop because he gave up his life for our future and any body that gives up their lives is a really great person. He did so many remarkable things in his life which is why he is part of our history today. He even fought, in the air, Manfred Von Richtofen, the "Red Baron", the best German aviator. It was a sure death but Bishop survived the battle against him. I bet that Billy Bishop isn't only my hero but a lot of other peoples. As I said before, a person who gives up their life is a hero in my eyes.