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Why do we have doubts in the case of W Bishop and as far as I am aware nobody else?
By this I mean doubts expressed by fellow flyers.
Al
I do not think it serves any useful purpose, to bring ones personal circumstances into a discussion, unless it is to make us feel guilty.
Why no comment on the lack of Fokker Tripehounds in the record of the three weeks in command of 85 Squadron. Did he never see one?
Regards as always
Peter S
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I'm sure, if we dig long enough and deep enough into other pilot's histories, that we will find that some where, some one doubted everyone. There were, some who doubted
Frank Luke. But again, his first CO,
Harold Hartney did not. There were stories after the war that attacked
Albert Ball. As well, Ira "Taffy" Jones wrote a series of articles attacking
Manfred von Richthofen as well.
For the most part, I think that we find evidence of doubt about Bishop from SOME of his contemporaries BECAUSE we have dug so deep into his story.
As for the Fokker Dr. I, if Bishop had encounted one, I'm sure he would have reported it. Since he did not, then he must not have seen it. Also remember, the Dr. I was falling into disfavour following MvR's death. And there were only 320 of them built.
As before, I saw no reason to mention it, since I thought Tom C. explained it pretty well.
As for my mentioning personal references, that was my way of demonstrating traits that I saw in common between war veterans. While it is not something all vets have in common. It is a phenomonon that can be observed among a number of vets who saw combat.
I don't see it as an excuse for post war actions, but perhaps as a way to better understand those actions. From all accounts, Bishop's post war drinking habits only became worse as time wore on.
Some would call it an attack of conscience for telling lies. I would call it an attack of conscience for the death and destruction he caused.
Liars very seldom have an attack of conscience. If they can tell a lie that gets them fame and fortune, they will continue to tell lies and eventually get caught at it.
I some how doubt that a liar would have the fortitude to go stomping across the continent recruiting pilots for a training program, and in so doing, ruin his health almost to the point death, and at the very least, shortening his life span by numerous years.
I am sometimes amazed at how we can so easily forget his contributions during WWII while we're caught up arguing about what he did or didn't do in WWI.
Although I also wonder, if he had been killed in action in WWI, if we'd be having this conversation at all.
VBR,
Al Lowe