>>Some years ago now I suggested to Mr Chadderton(?) that an independent researcher of repute be commissioned to look into the whole Bishop affair. He replied that this had already been actioned and that an Australian researcher had been so commissioned. Nothing has been seen of this research. Does anyone know what, if any, was the result.
Regards
Alex<<
Dear Mr. Revell,
Perhaps you can clarify something here. I have re-read Phil Markham’s work that appeared in Over the Front several times. It certainly appears to be a very in-depth piece of work. Am I wrong in that conclusion? The reason I ask is that I seldom see it quoted here. Or were you just suggesting that someone else take another look at it?
While some may say that anyone who attacks Bishop’s claims and the Drome Raid as being someone with “an axe to grind”, a “personal agenda”, or simply “biased” I am unable to attribute any of those to Mr. Markham’s work in this respect.
Mr. Markham claimed that he began the research project in order to verify Bishop’s aerodrome raid and after extensive research was completely unable to find anything at all to substantiate it, thereby causing him to come away concluding that it didn’t happen.
By all accounts I have seen, Mr. Markham was a good researcher and presented his material well. Is there any reason to believe that he was “ less than truthful” about his stated reasons for beginning the project? Are there any glaring holes in his research that you are aware of?
Please understand that I am not disparaging Mr. Markham here. I believe that you would be much more familiar with him and his work and could give us an informed opinion.
To others:
As for
Willy Fry, Grid Caldwell, et al: I fail to see what their personal “agendas” might be. They were, after all, the men who knew and flew with Bishop. Willy Fry even lived in the same hut with WB. I can’t help but believe that they were in a much better position to make a judgment concerning WB than we, sitting here reading books 80 years later.
Oh, I can hear Al loading up his Lewis gun now- time to dive into that cloudbank up ahead.
V/R.
Dave Johnson