





Fifteen year old Raymond Collishaw joined the Canadian Fisheries Protection Services in 1908. Over the next seven years he worked his way from cabin boy to first officer. In January 1916, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant. Eventually commanding the famous "Black Flight," he was the first pilot to claim 6 victories in one day and the highest scoring ace to fly the Sopwith Triplane. When the war ended, he remained in the Royal Air Force, rising to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal. Collishaw was the brother-in-law of Canadian ace George Leonard Trapp. Flying ace dies in Vancouver

Winnipeg Free Press - Thursday, September 30, 1976

76-Year-Old Vancouverite Greatest Living Air Ace

Winnipeg Free Press - Friday, November 14, 1969

"While in the air you constantly turned your head, first to one side and then to the other, making sure that nothing was on your tail. This, by the way, was the reason for the traditional silk scarves worn by the fighter pilots." Raymond Collishaw

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Flt.-Lieut. Raymond Collishaw, R.N.A.S.

In recognition of his services on various occasions, especially the following:

On June 1st, 1917, this officer shot down an Albatross Scout in flames.

On 3rd June, 1917, he shot down an Albatross Scout in flames.

On 5th June, 1917, he shot down a two-seater Albatross in flames.

On the 6th June, 1917, he shot down two Albatross scouts in flames and killed the pilot in a third.

He has displayed great gallantry and skill in all his combats. Supplement to the London Gazette, 20 July 1917 (30194/7426)

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Lt. (T./Maj.) Raymond Collishaw, D.S.O., D.S.C.

This officer is an exceptionally capable and efficient squadron commander, under whose leadership the squadron has maintained a high place in the Army Wing. He has carried out numerous solo patrols and led many offensive patrols, on all occasions engaging the enemy with great bravery and fearlessness. Up to date he has accounted for forty-seven enemy machines, twenty-two in the last twelve months. Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 August 1918 (30827/9199)

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Flt. Lieut. Raymond Collishaw, D.S.C., R.N.A.S.

For conspicuous bravery and skill in successfully leading attacks against hostile aircraft.

Since the 10th June, 1917, Flt. Lieut. Collishaw has himself brought down four machines completely out of control and driven down two others with their planes shot away.

Whilst on an offensive patrol on the morning of the 15th June, 1917, he forced down a hostile scout in a nose dive. Later, on the same day, he drove down one hostile two-seater machine completely out of control, one hostile scout in a spin, and a third machine with two of its planes shot away.

On the 24th June, 1917, he engaged four enemy scouts, driving one down in a spin and another with two of its planes shot away; the latter machine was seen to crash. Supplement to the London Gazette, 11 August 1917 (30227/8206)

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Bar Lieut. (T./Major) Raymond Collishaw, D.S.O., D.S.C., D.F.C. (late R.N.A.S.).

A brilliant squadron leader of exceptional daring, who has destroyed fifty-one enemy machines. Early one morning he, with another pilot, attacked an enemy aerodrome. Seeing three machines brought out of a burning hangar he dived five times, firing bursts at these from a very low altitude, and dropped bombs on the living quarters. He then saw an enemy aeroplane descending over the aerodrome; he attacked it and drove it down in flames. Later, when returning from a reconnaissance of the damaged hangars, he was attacked by three Albatross Scouts, who pursued him to our lines, when he turned and attacked one, which fell out of control and crashed.

(D.S.O. gazetted 11th August, 1917; D.S.C. gazetted 20th July, 1917; D.F.C. gazetted 3rd August, 1918.) Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 September 1918 (30913/11247)

Victories Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location 1 25 Oct 1916 3W Sopwith 1½ Strutter (9407) Scout (DES) Luneville 2 25 Oct 1916 3W Sopwith 1½ Strutter (9407) Scout (OOC) Luneville 3 15 Feb 1917 1200 3N Sopwith Pup (N6160) Halberstadt D.II (OOC) Bapaume 4 04 Mar 1917 1105 3N Sopwith Pup (N6160) Halberstadt D.II (OOC) Bapaume 5 28 Apr 1917 abt 2000 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.II (DES) Ostend 6 30 Apr 1917 1730 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.II (DES) E of Courtemarck 7 09 May 1917 1955 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (OOC) E of Dixmude 8 12 May 1917 0750 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Seaplane (DES) Ostend 9 01 Jun 1917 0920 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (DESF) S of Wervicq 10 02 Jun 1917 0900 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) C (OOC) 1 St. Julien 11 03 Jun 1917 1915 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (DESF) Roubaix 12 04 Jun 1917 2000 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (DESF) Lille 13 05 Jun 1917 0850 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros C (DESF) 2 Wervicq 14 05 Jun 1917 0900 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros C (OOC) 3 NW of Poelcapelle 15 06 Jun 1917 1050 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (DESF) Polygon Wood 16 06 Jun 1917 1105 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (DESF) Polygon Wood 17 06 Jun 1917 1110 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (OOC) Polygon Wood 18 07 Jun 1917 0845 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5490) Albatros D.III (OOC) Menin-St. Julien 19 15 Jun 1917 1055 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) C (OOC) St. Julien-Houthem 20 15 Jun 1917 1715 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) C (OOC) Menin 21 15 Jun 1917 1740 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Moorslede 22 15 Jun 1917 1740 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (DES) Moorslede 23 17 Jun 1917 1910 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Roulers 24 24 Jun 1917 0810 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (DES) Moorslede 25 02 Jul 1917 1100 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) C (DES) Poelcapelle Station 26 06 Jul 1917 1100 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (DES) Deulemont 27 06 Jul 1917 1110 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Menin 28 06 Jul 1917 1110 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Menin 29 06 Jul 1917 1110 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Menin 30 06 Jul 1917 1110 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Menin 31 06 Jul 1917 1110 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Menin 32 11 Jul 1917 2040 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Moorslede 33 12 Jul 1917 0745 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Polygon Wood 34 20 Jul 1917 0805 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (DES) Menin-Messines 35 21 Jul 1917 2000 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Paschendaele 36 21 Jul 1917 2000 10N Sopwith Triplane (N5492) Albatros D.V (OOC) Passchendaele 37 27 Jul 1917 1945 10N Sopwith Triplane (N533) Albatros D.V (DES) N of Menin 38 27 Jul 1917 1950 10N Sopwith Triplane (N533) Albatros D.V (OOC) Polygon Wood 39 19 Dec 1917 1520 13N Sopwith Camel (B6390) Albatros D.V (OOC) Ostend 40 11 Jun 1918 1835 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Pfalz D.II (DES) E of Outtersteene 41 11 Jun 1918 1835 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Pfalz D.III (OOC) W of Armentières 42 15 Jun 1918 2040 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) Ervillers 43 26 Jun 1918 2000 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) Bussy, N of Noyon 44 30 Jun 1918 1905 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Pfalz D.III (OOC) Houthoulst Wood 45 04 Jul 1918 2055 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (OOC) Hollebeke 46 04 Jul 1918 2130 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) DFW C (OOC) NE of Dixmude 47 04 Jul 1918 2130 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) DFW C (OOC) NE of Dixmude 48 20 Jul 1918 1100 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) DFW C (DES) SE of Merville 49 20 Jul 1918 1140 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) DFW C (OOC) Miraumont 50 22 Jul 1918 0355 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) C (DES) Dorignies 51 22 Jul 1918 0535 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Albatros D.V (DES) Scarpe River 52 09 Aug 1918 1520 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) DFW C (DES) 2000 yds NE of Locon 53 10 Aug 1918 1925 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) W of Bray 54 10 Aug 1918 1930 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (OOC) W of Bray 55 15 Aug 1918 2000 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) S of Damery 56 29 Aug 1918 1900 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (OOC) Bapaume 57 05 Sep 1918 1500 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (CAP) Inchy-en-Artois 58 24 Sep 1918 0705 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) Epinoy 59 26 Sep 1918 1305 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) Lieu St. Amand 60 26 Sep 1918 1308 203 Sopwith Camel (D3417) Fokker D.VII (DES) E of Lieu St. Amand 09 Oct 1919 47 Sopwith Camel (F6396) Nieuport (DES) 20 mi N of Czaritsyn 1 Shared with FSL Ellis Reid, FSL William Alexander, FSL Gerald Nash 2 Shared with FSL K G Boyd (N5478), FSL Desmond Fitzgibbon, FSL Gerald Nash, FSL Ellis Reid 3 Shared with FSL Desmond Fitzgibbon