Raymond Collishaw, (22 November 1893 – 28 September 1976) was a distinguished Canadian fighter pilot, squadron leader, and commanding officer who served in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and later the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was the highest scoring RNAS flying ace and the second highest scoring Canadian pilot of the First World War. He was noted as a great leader in the air, leading many of his own formations into battle. After the Great War, he became a permanent commissioned officer in the RAF, seeing action against the Bolsheviks in 1919–20, and subsequently commanding various Air Service detachments. During the Second World War, he commanded No. 204 Group (which later became the Desert Air Force) in North Africa, achieving great success against the numerically and technologically superior Italian Air Force. He was retired in 1943.
Early life Raymond Collishaw was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, on 22 November 1893. His father was John Edward Collishaw from Wrexham, Wales, and his mother Sarah "Sadie" Jones from Newport, Wales, but raised in Pantygog, Garw Valley. He was brought up in Nanaimo, though some of his schooling took place in Victoria, British Columbia and Oakland, California, due to his father's occasional pursuit of gold mining.
In 1908, at the age of 15, thanks to his father's connection,Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 2 Collishaw joined the Canadian Fisheries Protection Services as a cabin boy. He was a lower class sailor on board the Alcedo. He would continue working on ships and the coast for the next seven years – working his way up to First Officer, and in 1914, transferring to the Fispa.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 4 He was aboard when it sailed into the Arctic Circle in search of the Stefansson expedition – too late to rescue the Karluk.
First World War Training When war broke out in 1914, Collishaw's first idea was to join the Royal Navy, but did not hear from them for some time. Toward the end of 1915, Collishaw heard that the Royal Naval Air Service was hiring, and so he applied to them instead, and attended flight training (ground school and dual instruction) at the Curtiss Aviation School in Toronto (at his own expense).Harris (1958), p. 85. He qualified as a probationary pilot in January 1916 and crossed the Atlantic on the Adriatic. His first posting was to the naval air station at Redcar, where he completed his pilot training, flying the Caudron G.3; his first solo taking place 16 June 1916.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 16–17 After attending the Gunnery School at Eastchurch, he was confirmed as a full flight sub-lieutenant.
RNAS 3 Wing On 2 August 1916 Collishaw was deployed to his first operational posting, joining the RNAS's 3rd Wing. The wing was operating out of Luxeuil, France and supporting the French 4th bombardment group, flying the British Sopwith 1½ Strutter. Some of the Sopwiths were equipped as bombers, while others were configured as two-seat fighters.Harris (1958), p. 88. Collishaw found these new aircraft "a revelation" to fly (compared to his trainer aircraft). His initial sorties were with the "fighter" Strutter configuration – which he noted, "doubtless influenced significantly my subsequent air force career."Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 24
Collishaw's first encounter with a German aircraft was while flying escort duty on 3 Wing's first large-scale raid into Germany, against the Mauser Rifle Factory at Oberndorf, on 12 October 1916. The raid consisted of 27 aircraft from both British and French squadrons, and had multiple flights at different altitudes. Collishaw's was nearly at their target when they were attacked by three German Fokker D.IIIs. One of the Fokkers, flown by a Sgt. Hanstien, carried out effective attacks against two Collishaw's wing-mates on either side of him. Collishaw dived and fired, having Hanstein in his sights, but Hanstein then quickly evaded with a climbing maneuver. Collishaw's engine revved too high in the dive, shearing a wire and becoming under-powered, requiring him to return to base. Collishaw noted that while a significant event, the Oberndorf raid was of questionable success given the limited known target damage and allied aircraft losses, without any aircraft losses from the German side. The German pilots on-scene that day were quite experienced, and included the then-NCO Ernst Udet.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 35–37
Collishaw's first confirmed victories occurred on 2 October, while he was ferrying a new Strutter from Wing Headquarters (at Luxeuil) to his squadron's new forward base (at Ochey, France) alone (without an observer). Six German scouts spotted him and dived across the lines. As Collishaw recounted:
Collishaw then attempted to return to allied lines, but had become disoriented. He couldn't make out his compass, but based on the position of the sun, he flew in what he presumed was the correct direction, gaining altitude and flying for what seemed to him to be a long time. Finally he spotted an aerodrome, and so he went in for a landing.
Collishaw again flew for a long time, making sure to cross the trenches this time, and finally landed at a French aerodrome, 70 miles northwest of his intended destination. He received medical treatment for his eyes and returned to his unit.
3 Wing participated in a number of larger air raids on targets deep into German territory in November and December. Collishaw's usual post was as a "fighter" support, and in this capacity he had a few engagements, but with no conclusive outcomes. On 23 January 1917, returning from a wing raid at the blast furnaces at Burbach, he had a "particularly desperate" encounter with a Fokker D.III, and he was forced down on the allied side near Nancy.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 51 The next day, in recognition for his participation in the many raids of 3 Wing, he was informed he had been awarded the French Croix de Guerre.
No. 3 Naval Squadron In February 1917, Collishaw was posted to No. 3 Naval Squadron, which had just been established at the beginning of the month and was operating in direct support of the army and RFC at Vert Galand near Somme plain,Approximate latitude / longitude: 50.070803, 2.321348 and equipped with the then-somewhat-dated Sopwith Pups. The squadron, though British, was a majority Canadian outfit at the time in terms of pilot membership.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 57 One thing Collishaw noticed was that the pace of missions had steeply increased: instead of flying raids every week or two, as had been done at 3 Wing, at Naval 3, pilots could expect one or more patrols every day, and rarely without some sort of enemy encounter. In addition, the squadron was within operational distance of some of the best German air units, including Jasta 11. Thankfully, as Collishaw noted, "many of the German pilots who flew the new Albatros and Halberstadt fighters seemed to be inexperienced and unable to get the most out of their machines."Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 60 Collishaw had a number of combats while out on frequent patrols over the ensuing two months, but suffered regular frustrations due to gun and engine malfunctions. Still, he added two to his tally before suffering another incident where, in combat at high altitude, bullets once again hit his goggles, and in response he threw off his entire face-mask, causing his face to become badly swollen by frostbite. This required him to return to England for a few weeks on sick leave.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 70
No. 10 Naval Squadron When Collishaw returned to service in late April, he was posted to No. 10 Naval Squadron as a flight commander. Once again, Collishaw discovered that the squadron was mainly Canadian by composition. Naval 10 was slowly being equipped with the new, fast-climbing and maneuverable Sopwith Triplane, and Collishaw found the aircraft "delightful",Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 72 though still wished for a second forward-firing Vickers machine gun. (Collishaw eventually received one of six experimental Triplanes with two synchronized Vickers guns, along with a 130HP Clerget engine.)Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 75 He had his first combat in a Triplane on 28 April, firing on a two-seater in the morning (but foiled by a gun jam), and then later in the day attacking four German fighters (while covering a disabled seaplane off Nieuport) and possibly surprising them with its performance. He swirled onto the tail of one of them, and firing a few bursts, caused it to break-up mid-air. The other Germans then broke off. This was Collishaw's 5th victory, making him an "ace". He had another victory on 30 April, and on 10 May, downed his first opponent in flames.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 75 Collishaw again noted a jump in the number of daily sorties being flown, usually 2–4 per day, and sometimes more.
By the middle of May, the Royal Flying Corps was badly in need of reinforcements. This was mainly due to the after-effects of Bloody April, but also because of preparations for a new offensive at Messines. Naval 10 had been earmarked as a unit to offer this direct support, a fact the squadron commander and pilots of the squadron had known for some time. Naval 10 shifted to a new aerodrome at Droglandt.
The Black Flight Collishaw's "B" Flight of Naval 10 would initially be composed entirely of Canadians, and would later be nicknamed the "Black Flight", owing to the flight's black (front) engine cowling and wheel covers (to contrast with the red and blue of Naval 10's "A" and "B" Flights, respectively).Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 81 In addition, the flight decided to give their machines names in large (3-inch) white letters on either side near the cockpit. Ellis Vair Reid, of Toronto, flew Black Roger; John Edward Sharman, of Winnipeg, flew Black Death; Gerald "Gerry" Ewart Nash, of Stoney Creek, flew Black Sheep; Marcus Alexander, of Toronto, flew Black Prince; and Collishaw chose Black Maria (a reference to a police van). During their first two months they claimed a record 84 German aircraft destroyed or driven down – which, strangely enough, brought Collishaw and the unit no wide publicity, though garnered a great deal of renown among their German opponents in the area. Collishaw later claimed that this was because officials in the regular Royal Flying Corps were loath to give credit to naval pilots.Harris (1958), p. 91. In his autobiography, Collishaw noted that they did not always fly together, and operational conditions demanded that pilots of the various flights be available to sub-in on an as-needed basis – and on different machines (which were serviced after about 30 flying hours). There were only a relatively small number of occasions where the full-strength "original" flight were in the field. He maintained that the squadron as a whole should be given credit in terms of whatever legend exists of the "Black Flight".Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 84
The original group's first (uneventful) flight, a line patrol, took place on 18 May 1917. Gerry Nash was the first to score a victory, on 21 May, after diving on a flight of five German scouts, and leaving the pilot of his target slumping back in his cockpit, entering a side-slipping spin. Outnumbered, Gerry was then able to use the excellent climbing ability of the Triplane to exit the fight vertically.Collishaw & Dodds (1973), pp. 82 It was 31 May before Collishaw was able to properly engage two enemy aircraft, though indecisively.