No offence taken.
But let's look closer at this. The reason I choose
Ira Jones was on June 19, 1918, only 6 victories were claimed that day by the RAF. The previous one I mentioned by Capt. A.H. Cobby of the Australian Flying Corps, the other 5 by...
Billy Bishop. And Jones said he KNEW the German reports were a lie that day. Even though he may have not liked Bishop (as far as I know they never flew together either), still, he was in a way supporting Bishop's claims too.
As for the others who flew with Bishop who had doubts, let's look at those. Grid Caldwell never expressed any doubts until AFTER Bishop was dead. Even when he was acting CO of 60 Squadron and had to file a follow-up report on Bishop's raid of 2 June, 1917, he never expressed any doubts then either. If he had, I doubt very much if Bishop would have received the VC.
And while Caldwell MAY have had doubts about Bishop, one of his flight members, W.E. Molesworth did not. He's never said a single bad word against Bishop. In fact, all he has ever said about Bishop that's been recorded was good.
Willy Fry is pretty much in the same category. He never expressed any doubts about Bishop while he was alive, nor did he ever express any doubts about Bishop in his own memoirs. So who else is there that flew with Bishop who doubted him? Spencer Horn? Somehow I don't think so. When Bishop was forming 85 Squadron Horn was one of the first to VOLUNTEER to be in it.
As far as Fry and Caldwell go, the first time I know of that they expressed any doubts was sometime around 1966 when the RAF was planning to commemorate Bishop's raid. This happened again I think in about 1977. Could this be envy perhaps? The "why him and not me" attitude creeping out? I'm sure Fry would just kick himself for not going with Bishop that June morning in 1917 when he was asked. For had he gone along, he likely would have gotten a medal too. And together they likely could have caused more damage.
Think about it, it starts to make sense.
Do you know of anyone else in 60 or 85 Squadron who doubted Bishop's claims?
VBR,
Al Lowe
2-bit amateur aviation historian and/or enthusiast
(it's an inside joke between me and someone else.)