|
 |
|
| Name: |
Raymond "Collie" Collishaw |
|
| Country: |
Canada |
| Rank: |
Lieutenant Colonel |
| Service: |
Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Air Force |
| Units: |
10N, 13N; 3W (RNAS)
47, 203 (RAF) |
| Victories: |
60 |
| Born: |
22 November 1893 |
| Place of Birth: |
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died: |
28 September 1976 |
| Place of Death: |
West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Cemetery: |
Capilano View Cemetery, West Vancouver, British Columbia |
|
| |
Fifteen year old Raymond Collishaw joined the Canadian Fisheries Protection Services in 1908. Over the next seven years he worked his way from cabin boy to first officer. In January 1916, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant. Eventually commanding the famous "Black Flight," he was the first pilot to claim 6 victories in one day and the highest scoring ace to fly the Sopwith Triplane. When the war ended, he remained in the Royal Air Force, rising to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.
Collishaw was the brother-in-law of Canadian ace George Leonard Trapp.
"While in the air you constantly turned your head, first to one side and then to the other, making sure that nothing was on your tail. This, by the way, was the reason for the traditional silk scarves worn by the fighter pilots." Raymond Collishaw |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) |
Flt.-Lieut. Raymond Collishaw, R.N.A.S.
In recognition of his services on various occasions, especially the following:
On June 1st, 1917, this officer shot down an Albatross Scout in flames.
On 3rd June, 1917, he shot down an Albatross Scout in flames.
On 5th June, 1917, he shot down a two-seater Albatross in flames.
On the 6th June, 1917, he shot down two Albatross scouts in flames and killed the pilot in a third.
He has displayed great gallantry and skill in all his combats.
|
|
| |
| Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) |
Lt. (T./Maj.) Raymond Collishaw, D.S.O.,
D.S.C.
This officer is an exceptionally capable and efficient squadron commander, under whose leadership the squadron has maintained a high place in the Army Wing. He has carried out numerous solo patrols and led many offensive patrols, on all occasions engaging the enemy with great bravery and fearlessness. Up to date he has accounted for forty-seven enemy machines, twenty-two in the last twelve months.
|
|
| |
| Distinguished Service Order (DSO) |
Flt. Lieut. Raymond Collishaw, D.S.C., R.N.A.S.
For conspicuous bravery and skill in successfully leading attacks against hostile aircraft.
Since the 10th June, 1917, Flt. Lieut. Collishaw has himself brought down four machines completely out of control and driven down two others with their planes shot away.
Whilst on an offensive patrol on the morning of the 15th June, 1917, he forced down a hostile scout in a nose dive. Later, on the same day, he drove down one hostile two-seater machine completely out of control, one hostile scout in a spin, and a third machine with two of its planes shot away.
On the 24th June, 1917, he engaged four enemy scouts, driving one down in a spin and another with two of its planes shot away; the latter machine was seen to crash.
|
|
| |
| Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Bar |
Lieut. (T./Major) Raymond Collishaw, D.S.O., D.S.C., D.F.C. (late R.N.A.S.).
A brilliant squadron leader of exceptional daring, who has destroyed fifty-one enemy machines. Early one morning he, with another pilot, attacked an enemy aerodrome. Seeing three machines brought out of a burning hangar he dived five times, firing bursts at these from a very low altitude, and dropped bombs on the living quarters. He then saw an enemy aeroplane descending over the aerodrome; he attacked it and drove it down in flames. Later, when returning from a reconnaissance of the damaged hangars, he was attacked by three Albatross Scouts, who pursued him to our lines, when he turned and attacked one, which fell out of control and crashed.
(D.S.O. gazetted 11th August, 1917; D.S.C. gazetted 20th July, 1917; D.F.C. gazetted 3rd August, 1918.)
|
|
| |
| Victories |
|
Date |
Time |
Unit |
Aircraft |
Opponent |
Location |
| 1 |
25 Oct 1916 |
|
3W |
Sopwith 1½ Strutter (9407) |
Scout (DES) |
Luneville |
| 2 |
25 Oct 1916 |
|
3W |
Sopwith 1½ Strutter (9407) |
Scout (OOC) |
Luneville |
| 3 |
15 Feb 1917 |
1200 |
3N |
Sopwith Pup (N6160) |
Halberstadt D.II (OOC) |
Bapaume |
| 4 |
04 Mar 1917 |
1105 |
3N |
Sopwith Pup (N6160) |
Halberstadt D.II (OOC) |
Bapaume |
| 5 |
28 Apr 1917 |
abt 2000 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.II (DES) |
Ostend |
| 6 |
30 Apr 1917 |
1730 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.II (DES) |
E of Courtemarck |
| 7 |
09 May 1917 |
1955 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (OOC) |
E of Dixmude |
| 8 |
12 May 1917 |
0750 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Seaplane (DES) |
Ostend |
| 9 |
01 Jun 1917 |
0920 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (DESF) |
S of Wervicq |
| 10 |
02 Jun 1917 |
0900 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
C (OOC) 1 |
St. Julien |
| 11 |
03 Jun 1917 |
1915 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (DESF) |
Roubaix |
| 12 |
04 Jun 1917 |
2000 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (DESF) |
Lille |
| 13 |
05 Jun 1917 |
0850 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros C (DESF) 2 |
Wervicq |
| 14 |
05 Jun 1917 |
0900 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros C (OOC) 3 |
NW of Poelcapelle |
| 15 |
06 Jun 1917 |
1050 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (DESF) |
Polygon Wood |
| 16 |
06 Jun 1917 |
1105 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (DESF) |
Polygon Wood |
| 17 |
06 Jun 1917 |
1110 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (OOC) |
Polygon Wood |
| 18 |
07 Jun 1917 |
0845 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5490) |
Albatros D.III (OOC) |
Menin-St. Julien |
| 19 |
15 Jun 1917 |
1055 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
C (OOC) |
St. Julien-Houthem |
| 20 |
15 Jun 1917 |
1715 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
C (OOC) |
Menin |
| 21 |
15 Jun 1917 |
1740 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Moorslede |
| 22 |
15 Jun 1917 |
1740 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (DES) |
Moorslede |
| 23 |
17 Jun 1917 |
1910 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Roulers |
| 24 |
24 Jun 1917 |
0810 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (DES) |
Moorslede |
| 25 |
02 Jul 1917 |
1100 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
C (DES) |
Poelcapelle Station |
| 26 |
06 Jul 1917 |
1100 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (DES) |
Deulemont |
| 27 |
06 Jul 1917 |
1110 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Menin |
| 28 |
06 Jul 1917 |
1110 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Menin |
| 29 |
06 Jul 1917 |
1110 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Menin |
| 30 |
06 Jul 1917 |
1110 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Menin |
| 31 |
06 Jul 1917 |
1110 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Menin |
| 32 |
11 Jul 1917 |
2040 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Moorslede |
| 33 |
12 Jul 1917 |
0745 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Polygon Wood |
| 34 |
20 Jul 1917 |
0805 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (DES) |
Menin-Messines |
| 35 |
21 Jul 1917 |
2000 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Paschendaele |
| 36 |
21 Jul 1917 |
2000 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N5492) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Passchendaele |
| 37 |
27 Jul 1917 |
1945 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N533) |
Albatros D.V (DES) |
N of Menin |
| 38 |
27 Jul 1917 |
1950 |
10N |
Sopwith Triplane (N533) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Polygon Wood |
| 39 |
19 Dec 1917 |
1520 |
13N |
Sopwith Camel (B6390) |
Albatros D.V (OOC) |
Ostend |
| 40 |
11 Jun 1918 |
1835 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Pfalz D.II (DES) |
E of Outtersteene |
| 41 |
11 Jun 1918 |
1835 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Pfalz D.III (OOC) |
W of Armentières |
| 42 |
15 Jun 1918 |
2040 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
Ervillers |
| 43 |
26 Jun 1918 |
2000 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
Bussy, N of Noyon |
| 44 |
30 Jun 1918 |
1905 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Pfalz D.III (OOC) |
Houthoulst Wood |
| 45 |
04 Jul 1918 |
2055 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (OOC) |
Hollebeke |
| 46 |
04 Jul 1918 |
2130 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
DFW C (OOC) |
NE of Dixmude |
| 47 |
04 Jul 1918 |
2130 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
DFW C (OOC) |
NE of Dixmude |
| 48 |
20 Jul 1918 |
1100 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
DFW C (DES) |
SE of Merville |
| 49 |
20 Jul 1918 |
1140 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
DFW C (OOC) |
Miraumont |
| 50 |
22 Jul 1918 |
0355 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
C (DES) |
Dorignies |
| 51 |
22 Jul 1918 |
0535 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Albatros D.V (DES) |
Scarpe River |
| 52 |
09 Aug 1918 |
1520 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
DFW C (DES) |
2000 yds NE of Locon |
| 53 |
10 Aug 1918 |
1925 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
W of Bray |
| 54 |
10 Aug 1918 |
1930 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (OOC) |
W of Bray |
| 55 |
15 Aug 1918 |
2000 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
S of Damery |
| 56 |
29 Aug 1918 |
1900 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (OOC) |
Bapaume |
| 57 |
05 Sep 1918 |
1500 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (CAP) |
Inchy-en-Artois |
| 58 |
24 Sep 1918 |
0705 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
Epinoy |
| 59 |
26 Sep 1918 |
1305 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
Lieu St. Amand |
| 60 |
26 Sep 1918 |
1308 |
203 |
Sopwith Camel (D3417) |
Fokker D.VII (DES) |
E of Lieu St. Amand |
|
|
09 Oct 1919 |
|
47 |
Sopwith Camel (F6396) |
Nieuport (DES) |
20 mi N of Czaritsyn |
|
| 1 |
Shared with FSL Ellis Reid, FSL William Alexander, FSL Gerald Nash |
| 2 |
Shared with FSL K G Boyd (N5478), FSL Desmond Fitzgibbon, FSL Gerald Nash, FSL Ellis Reid |
| 3 |
Shared with FSL Desmond Fitzgibbon |
|
|
| |
| Books |
- Air Command
- A fighting pilot's Story; Raymond Collishaw / Unknown Binding
|
|
| |
Aces · Aircraft · Books · Forum · Help · Medals · Search · Today
|
|
