Home > William Barker

Born on a family farm in Dauphin, Manitoba he enlisted in the Canadian Mounted Rifles in December 1914 soon after the outbreak of WWI. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a gunner/observer in Corps Cooperation in March 1916. He qualified as an observer, and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in November 1916 in the concluding stages of the Battle of the Somme. He commenced pilot training at Netheravon in January 1917, but served a second tour on Corps Cooperation machines as a pilot, prior to becoming a fighter pilot on the Sopwith Camel with 28, 66, and 139 Squadrons.

His boldness and skill soon made him one of the top fighter pilots in to war. Serving in France and Northern Italy he shot down 46 enemy planes in 11 months. One of his most successful, and also most controversial raids, fictionalized by Ernest Hemingway in the short story, The Snows of KilimanjaroThe Snows of Kilimanjaro is the name of both a collection of short stories by Ernest Hemingway and the premier story within the collection. The collection includes the following stories: The Snows of Kilimanjaro A Clean, Well-Lighted Place A Day's Wait Th, was on ChristmasChristmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a traditional holiday in the Christian calendar which takes place on the twenty-fifth day of December and celebrates the nativity of Jesus Christ. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular holiday throughout mu day 1917Events January 2 The Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank. January 22 World War I: President Woodrow Wilson calls for "peace without victory" in Europe. January 25 The Danish West Indies is sold to the United States for $25 million January 25 Anti- in Italy. Catching the Germans off guard he and his wingman, Harold Hudson, badly damaged an airfield, setting fire to one hangar and damaging several German aircraft.

Having flown more than 900 combat hours in two and one half years, Barker's wing commander in Italy transferred him home to the UK in September 1918. In London at RAF HQ he was granted a 10-day roving commission in France, selected the Sopwith SnipeThe Sopwith Snipe was a single-seat bi-plane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF), designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War and was arguably the definitive fghter of the Allied side by the end of WWI. The Snipe was des as his personal machine, and attached himself to 201 Squadron, whose squadron commander, Cyril Leman, was a pal from his days as an observer.

On day 10, Sunday, October 27October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. Events 625 Honorius I becomes Pope. 1644 Second Battle of Newbury in the English Civil War. 1795 The United States and Spain sign the Treaty oth, 1918Events January January 8 President Woodrow Wilson announces his " Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. February February 3 The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long)., while delivering his Snipe to an aircraft depot, he crossed enemy lines at 21,000 feet above the Foret de Mormal . He attacked an enemy two-seater which broke up, its crew escaping by parachute. By his own admission he was careless and was then bounced by a formation of Fokker DVII s. In a descending battle against 15 or more enemy machines, Barker was three times wounded in the legs, then his left elbow was blown away, yet he managed to control his Snipe and shoot down or drive down three more enemy aircraft. The dogfight took place immediately above the lines of the Canadian CorpsThe Canadian Corps was a World War I corps formed from Canada's soldiers in September of 1915 after the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France. The corps was expanded by the addition of the 3rd Canadian Division in December of 1915 and the 4th Can and it is estimated 100,000 watched the latter stage of his aerial battle from the ground. Severely wounded and bleeding to death, his life was saved by the men of an RAF Kite Balloon Section , who got him to a field dressing station.

He clung to life until mid-January 1919 in the hospital at Rouen, France, and then was transported back to England. He was not fit enough to walk the necessary few paces for the investiture at Buckingham Palace until March 1st, 1919.

Barker returned to Canada in May of that year as the most decorated Canadian soldier of the war, with the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order DSO is a British military decoration awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. It was instituted 6 September(?) 1886 by Queen Victoria, the and Bar, the Military Cross and two Bars, the French Croix de guerre and two Italian Silver Medals for Valour. He was also mentioned in dispatches three times. No one in Canadian military history has matched his record of decorations awarded and hence he is the most decorated soldier in Canadian history.

He also formed a business partnership with fellow-Victoria Cross recipient and Canadian ace Billy Bishop which lasted for about three years. Lieutenant Colonel Barker rejoined the infant Canadian Air Force in 1922, and was appointed acting director of the RCAF in early 1924. He graduated from RAF Staff College, Andover, in 1926. After leaving the RCAF he became the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club, and involved in tobacco growing farms in southwestern Ontario.

He suffered from post traumatic stress and the physical effects of his 1918 gunshot wounds, and struggled with alcoholism in the last few years of his life. He died in 1930 near Ottawa when he lost control of his Fairchild KR-21 biplane trainer during a demonstration flight to the RCAF. Barker, aged 35, was at the time the president and general manager of Fairchild Aircraft in Montreal, Quebec.

His funeral, the largest national state event in Toronto's history, was attended by an honour guard of 2,000 soldiers. The cortege stretched for more than a mile and a half, and included the Chief of the General Staff and his senior officers, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Mayor of Toronto, three federal government cabinet ministers, and six other Victoria Cross recipients. An honour guard was also provided by the United States Army. Some 50,000 spectators lined the streets of Toronto enroute to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, where Barker was interred in his wife's family crypt in the Mausoleum.

For further details refer to author Wayne Ralph's BARKER VC: The Classic Story of a Legendary First World War Hero (Grub Street, London, 1999 - ISBN-1-902304-31-4)