Winged Combat: My Story as a Spitfire Pilot in World War II

"He has enough of the devil in him to make a good fighter pilot."

That was the recommendation given by Arthur Bishop’s school headmaster in acharacter reference required by the RCAF for all new recruits. Just 18 years oldin 1941, Arthur Bishop, son of World War I flying ace Billy Bishop, was about tofulfill both his father’s proud legacy, and embark on the ride of his life.

Winged Combat takes us from Bishop’s first days as a green recruit,determined not to let his father’s military reputation influence histreatment, through the war years of 1943 and 1944 as a Spitfire pilot overEngland and France.

Packed with anecdotes culled from his meticulous dairies, Winged Combatmoves from the in-the-air drama of flying agile Spitfires to off-the-basehijinks. Bishop brings the war to life like never before, with his own career asa fighter pilot on a parallel track with the progression of the war, leading upto D-Day and the Allied victory in Normandy. Throughout it all, Billy Bishophimself flies in and out of the picture, giving us fascinating insights into theoperations of High Command.

Arthur Bishop has penned another terrific account of war and its effects onsurvivors – a surefire hit with aviation and military buffs

Arthur Bishop’s books include Courage of the Early Morning (1965), a biography of his father that has sold more than 65,000 copies in Canada, Courage in the Air (1992), Courage on the Battlefield (1993), Courage at Sea (1994), Our Bravest and Our Best: Stories of Canada’s Victoria Cross Winners (1995) and Destruction at Dawn (1998). He enlisted in the RCAF in 1941 and served overseas as a Spitfire pilot. Following the war, he became a reporter with The Windsor Star and later joined Ronald’s Advertising Agency. In 1967 he formed his own company, PPS Publicity Ltd., and served many of Canada’s leading corporations. He is past director of the Canadian Fighter Pilots Association and of the Canadian International Air Show. He was awarded the 1999 Bear Hackle Award for his contribution to Canadian military history by the York Garrison of the 78th Fraser Highlanders. He lives in Toronto.