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Home , Curtiss HS, Raymond Collishaw

The Journal Vol. 1 | No. 1 Winter 2012

be examined in this series. Specifically, this Understandably, the quantity of sources volume details the evolution and operational consulted to produce a book of this quality service of the Avro 504K/L, the DeHavilland would likely be enough to fill a volume DH9A, the Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a, the of its own, so it is hoped that the editors Curtiss HS-2L, the Bristol F.2B Fighter, the and publishers might consider producing Curtiss JN-4, and the Fairy IIIC Transatlantic. a companion to the series that offers other The development background and particulars, aviation historians and enthusiasts a research service history, fleet list, and colour schemes reference of this sort. Otherwise, this volume and markings are provided for each plane, is a magnificent start to what promises to be offering the reader copious amounts of detailed one of the best Canadian military aviation information in a format that is both clear and references ever produced, and this reviewer concise. Included with this information are looks forward to the next release. wonderful full-colour, five-view illustrations not just of each plane, but also of every Major Andrew B. Godefroy is presently a known colour scheme ever applied to that strategic analyst and historian with the army’s particular aircraft. So for example, the book Directorate of Land Concepts and Designs as includes no less than 26 pages of full-colour, well as editor-in-chief of the Canadian Army multi-view illustrations of the K/L, Journal. He holds a PhD in War Studies from many of which have never been produced in the Royal Military College of , and colour or in all five perspectives ever before. was recently the 2009–10 Canadian Visiting All of the schemes and markings are based Research Fellow in the Changing Character upon either photographic evidence, primary- of War Program at Oxford University. source documentation, or material artifacts, much of which has since been deposited in The Black Flight, Memoir of the John Griffin Library at the Office of Air Air Vice-Marshal Raymond Force Heritage and History, 1 Canadian Air Collishaw Division, Winnipeg. By Raymond Collishaw, Reference books of this nature often CB, DSO, DSC, DFC have a wide appeal and this volume will (with Ronald Dodds) undoubtedly deliver. For the historian and general reader the book offers a complete : technical and development history of these CEF Books, 2nd edition, aircraft; for the aviation enthusiast, there are 2008 endless seldom-seen and some never-seen- 272 Pages before pictures of these aircraft in service. For ISBN 978-1-896979-29-8 the museum conservationist or modeler, the colour references offer unprecedented detail Review by regarding schemes and markings, as well as a Major W. Greg Castagner, CD nearly endless number of variants from which examples could be built and represented. It is a he Black Flight is the memoir of one remarkable collection of historical data, fused of the greatest Western fighter aces into information in a manner that provides of the First World War (WWI), quality analysis of early Canadian military and the second top scorer amongst T 1 aviation told through the machines upon Commonwealth aces, Raymond Collishaw. which it was built. The only minor complaint It was originally published in the United is that the book lacks a detailed bibliography Kingdom (UK) in 1973, as Air Command; of primary and secondary sources employed. however, it was never released in Canada.

88 Early Canadian Military Aircraft | Winter 2012 The Royal Canadian Air Force Journal Vol. 1 | No. 1 Winter 2012

Raymond Collishaw was born in his comrades was Jagdstaffel 11, Manfred Von Nanaimo, , in 1893, and Richtofen’s famed “Flying Circus.” joined the Canadian Fisheries Protection During his time as a fighter pilot, Service in 1908 as a stripling 15-year- Collishaw scored 61 confirmed aerial old cabin boy. He transferred to the newly victories. Most of those victories were scored established Royal Canadian Naval Service in during the bleak days of spring 1917 when 1910 and eventually took a commission and the Germans had firm control of the air over worked his way up to first officer. the western front. The reader should note that The book details his trials and tribulations these victories were all scored in open-cockpit with the outbreak of war in Europe to get biplanes using guns that jammed frequently into the fighting, and his attempts to enter and engines and aircraft that were unreliable pilot training. The reader will be amazed more times than not. At war’s end, and at at his tenacity in the pursuit of this goal in the ripe age of 26, he was the commander the face of nearly insurmountable odds. Air of No. 3 (Naval) Squadron (which became power of the day was very new, very fragile, 203 Squadron with amalgamation) and had and very expensive; it was neither understood accepted a regular commission in the newly nor appreciated by politicians, bureaucrats, formed (RAF). or military tacticians. Collishaw persisted in The memoir continues through the end getting to England and learning how to fly of WWI into Collishaw’s experiences as a (some of it at his own expense) and eventually squadron commander in South during was accepted as a military pilot. After training, the . Western powers he arrived on the western front in August of attempted to aid the White Russian forces with 1916 and immediately took the fight to the air support and a training program. The reader enemy. The uses of air power of the day were will be able to draw many parallels between entirely developmental, and his first squadron, this event and current international training No. 3 Naval Squadron, was employed bombing initiatives. His experience in Russia was industrial targets in Germany. With losses nothing less than amazing. Though there was to German fighters mounting, the idea of little significant aerial opposition, ground fire a fighter escort came into being. Raymond was intense; the front was very fluid, and White Collishaw flew the first of these missions and Russian leaders were thoroughly incompetent. never looked back for the remainder of the war. Collishaw was stricken with during this Later, as a naval lieutenant, and an time and nursed back from near death by a experienced and accomplished pilot, he served Russian aristocrat in a small cottage. with No. 10 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal With the withdrawal of British support to Naval Air Service as a flight commander. the White Russians, Collishaw continued in Each of the squadron’s flights painted their RAF service in smaller wars in Iraq and India. aircraft a distinct colour (aerial fighting at the In all theatres, he managed to escape from the time depended more on coordination and de- most hair-raising adventures and integrate confliction than surprise). Collishaw’s flight’s whatever air power was available to the needs aircraft were all painted black and became “The of the day, pioneering in many ways the manner Black Flight.” His personal aircraft was named in which aerospace power is used today. “The Black Maria.” By the fall of 1917, the Black Flight had shot down 87 German aircraft, an Collishaw attended Staff College and amazing record for this period of the war, and went on to command another squadron and easily one of the clear successes of the entire an RAF base in England. Further service saw allied air effort. It is interesting to note that one him in North Africa at the outbreak of the of the enemy units opposing Collishaw and Second World War. Now an air commodore,

Winter 2012 | The Black Flight, Memoir of Air Vice-Marshal Raymond Collishaw 89 The Royal Canadian Air Force Journal Vol. 1 | No. 1 Winter 2012

he was the commander of the RAF forces in Canadian hero. Raymond Collishaw was North Africa and responsible for the defence widely respected for his skill as a pilot, his of Egypt and the Suez Canal against the leadership abilities, professionalism, great Italians. The Italian Air Force there enjoyed energy, keen intellect, and humility. While five-to-one force superiority over the RAF, the book is strictly a narrative of Collishaw’s a much shorter supply line, technically experiences throughout an incredible time superior aircraft, and pilots with recent in modern history, he does take the time to combat experience over Spain. Collishaw’s comment on historical and military events force consisted of outdated or converted both from the perspective of leadership and as civilian aircraft flown by green pilots with a a direct participant. Amazingly, the reader can very long line of communication to England. easily draw many parallels in the political and Faced with a hopeless situation like this, he military climate between now and then. did what any decent commander would do: he attacked immediately! Collishaw undertook I fully endorse this book. I would an aggressive, audacious (and sometimes unreservedly recommend it to anyone aspiring comical) campaign to take the fight to the to higher levels of responsibility within an air enemy. Through aggressive strikes he deceived force or to anyone who desires a perspective of the Italians into thinking the RAF was a very the life of a pilot on the western front of WWI. much larger force than it really was; within It is regrettable that this important piece of eight months he had completely routed the Canadian history was not available sooner and Italian Air Force in North Africa, and inflicted that this story was not more widely known. significant damage to their army and navy as well! While the book focuses on his activities during WWI, he was most satisfied with his Major W. Greg Castagner is a pilot with performance during this time in North Africa. tactical fighter experience as well as joint com- bat experience as the Officer Commanding Again, the bulk of the work is devoted the Tactical Air Control Party with Joint Task to his time in France during the Great War, Force Afghanistan. He is currently serving which is my only criticism. There is a great with 436 Transport Squadron as a squadron deal of detail here in both the daily routines operations officer. and the missions flown, after a while it all becomes somewhat repetitive. Collishaw pauses frequently during the narrative to Abbreviations remember his fallen comrades in a very sombre and dignified manner. This is telling RAF Royal Air Force in that three of the squadrons he served with WWI First World War during the war were all numerically wiped out at least once, twice in one case. Collishaw saw the genesis of air power as a significant means Note of force application, developed tactics for the use of air power in both major combat with 1. Depending on the source, Collishaw’s a peer-enemy, and in civil war and counter- ranking is listed as third behind England’s insurgency. He witnessed the amalgamation Edward Mannock (73 victories attributed) of air forces from separate services, and rose to and Canada’s (72 victories). In very high levels of responsibility and authority this book, Collishaw is given credit for 61 within an increasingly professional force. victories; however, given the scoring criteria of the day, totals for all three of these airmen The Black Flight is an incredible adventure are often disputed. What has never been story of an exceptional man and a great questioned is their courage.

90 The Black Flight, Memoir of Air Vice-Marshal Raymond Collishaw | Winter 2012