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I can't imagine WHERE it would be "common belief" that Bishop shot down MvR - certainly nowhere I'm aware of. As someone stated above, no "sane" (or at least, informed) person would claim that Bishop downed MvR. Actually, he wasn't even on the same continent at the time!
Bishop went to Canada in Sept 1917 on a recruiting drive. He returned to France in command of 85 squadron on 22 May 1918. Since MvR was killed on 21 April 1918, it would have been rather difficult for Billy to have been involved.
Actually, MvR was caught while chasing a novice, WR "Wop" May, low over the lines. Capt AR Brown did attempt to follow him, and was given "official" credit. However, there was also the claim that he was hit by Australian machine gunners on the ground. Several books have been written on the subject, notably "Who Killed the Red Baron?" (Carisella and Ryan, 1969) and "The Red Baron's Last Flight" (Franks and Bennett, 1997). Both books are extensively researched, and the second is reviewed on this site. Both books also reach the conclusion that Brown was not in position to have gotten the fatal hit, and that gunner Cedric Bassett Popkin, on the ground, most likely shot him down.
Rich
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