Never bored of Barker's exploits

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I just gasp in Awe at the tale of Mr Barker's VC earning dogfight!

 

What a Guy!!!

 

 

 

 

Two months before the end of the war, he was assigned to head up the fighter pilot school at Hounslow. Before starting, he wanted to gain some experience in the latest weapons and tactics then in use on the Western Front. The RAF gave him a Sopwith Snipe, the ultimate development of the Camel. An excellent aircraft, powered by a 230 h.p. Bentley, capable of climbing to 24,000 feet, and armed with two machine guns, it was as nimble as the famed Camel, but as docile as the lesser-known Dolphin. Less than 100 Snipes made it into combat, but it later became the standard RAF fighter in the 1920's.

In September, Barker flew his Snipe around the Front, downing three German planes. On October 27, he was ordered back to his training duties.

 

He took off in his Snipe, #E8102, started for England, but ended up in one of the most celebrated dogfights of WWI, actually five separate air battles. Over Bois de Marmal, he first encountered a Rumpler 'C' two-seat recon plane. Its skillful pilot and observer/gunner kept him at bay, and the gunner hit Barker's Snipe. Eventually Barker circled away and, relying on his accurate gunnery, fired from 200 yards, killing the gunner. He quickly scored more hits on the now-vulnerable Rumpler, breaking it up in the air.

 

But in his focus on his victim, he missed a Fokker that got behind him. The Fokker's gunfire smashed into his right leg. Although badly injured, Barker was able to get into a circling contest, which only ended when his bullets struck the Fokker's gas tank, setting the plane afire.

 

At this moment, Barker's third battle began, as he found himself in the midst of a flight of Fokker and Albatros biplanes patrolling at high altitude. Spandau guns opened up from every direction and another bullet smashed into his other leg. Somehow, he managed to shoot down two of these opponents before he fainted and went into a diving spin. The rush of air revived him and he came to, still in the midst of German fighters. As they all fired at him, he selected one opponent and flew right at him, guns firing. As they closed, he blew it apart and then realized that his left elbow had been hit too.

 

Virtually crippled, with three limbs shattered, he passed out again. For a second time, he revived amidst enemy aircraft, now quite low. Incredibly, he dispatched another DVII. As he struggled to reach the safety of the British lines, a German bullet struck his gas tank. Luckily, it didn't catch fire and Billy switched over to reserve. Seonds later, the Snipe crash-landed, skidding sideways and then flipping over. The men of a Scottish infantry regiment, who had witnessed his epic aerial battle, pulled him from the wreckage.

 

He had downed four enemy planes, taken several bullets, and survived to be awarded the Victoria Cross. He lay unconscious in the hospital in Rouen for two weeks. He received telegrams from King George V, the Prince of Wales, fellow ace Billy Bishop, and many others. Only his amazing constitution pulled him through; even so, he was partially crippled for the rest of his life.

[jayo 0]

If there was ever an excuse for a slap-up binge down Mrs Miggins' Pie Shop,that was it!

 

Epic.

[JimAttrill 24]

And his well-loved and looked after Camel (B6313?) holds the absolute record for the most aircraft shot down at 40 IIRC. Some of those experienced pilots in 1917-18 were very dangerous to meet.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

And it's looking VERY hopeful, that I will get a chance to fly his legendary Snipe!...I am SOOOOO excited I think there may be a drip in my pants!!!

[Beanie 4]

And it's looking VERY hopeful, that I will get a chance to fly his legendary Snipe!...I am SOOOOO excited I think there may be a drip in my pants!!!

 

 

I would'nt call you a drip!!

 

Gald to see that you're determination has paid off - I also look forward to be able to fly the Snip - although I may not be as excited as yourself!

[Hasse Wind 46]

So we're getting a Snipe in the add-on pack? Sounds great, it was always one of favourite fighters in RB3D. Actually I flew it already back in 1990 in Reb Baron 1. Hopefully Germans also get something new for the late war, like the Pfalz D.XII (kind of German Spad XIII).

 

Mr Barker really earned his VC. And he was lucky to stay alive, my pilots almost never live after making a crash landing.

[Hauksbee 103]

...it was as nimble as the famed Camel, but as docile as the lesser-known Dolphin.

So what did the Sopwith designers do to breed out the more vicious flying characteristics of the Camel?

[Check Six 2]

And his well-loved and looked after Camel (B6313?) holds the absolute record for the most aircraft shot down at 40 IIRC. Some of those experienced pilots in 1917-18 were very dangerous to meet.

 

 

JimAttrill,

 

My research some time ago into Australia's highest scoring pilot, Capt. Robert Alexander Little, led me to look exactly at this question. Here are my results:

 

Highest Individual Scores in a Single Aircraft (Commonwealth Pilots Only):

 

1. Barker, William. Major

 

46 claims in Camel B6313 (20/10/17 to 18/09/18)

 

Squadrons 28, 66 and 139

 

2. McCudden, James. Major

 

32 claims in SE5a B4891 (6/12/17 to 26/02/18)

 

56 Squadron

 

3. Bishop, William. Lt. Col

 

29 claims in Nieuport B1566

 

60 Squadron

 

4. Woollett, Henry. Capt

 

23 claims in Camel D6402 (24/03/18 to 19/07/18)

 

43 Squadron

 

5. Little, Robert. Capt

 

20 claims in Sopwith Triplane N5493 (28/04/17 to 10/07/17)

 

8N Squadron

 

Interesting to note that Barker took his beloved Camel with him when he changed Squadrons, others changed Squadrons and must have left their much-loved craft behind (or crashed them!). Makes me wonder how he "got away with it". The other pilots on the list were no less deserving of that kind of special treatment.

[JimAttrill 24]

Thanks for those figures, Steve. Very interesting. As (I suppose) all combat reports had to include the serial no of the aircraft, someone has ploughed through them all to produce these very interesting data. I must save your post somewhere.

 

As Capt. Little's records are from before the formation of the RAF, I must ask whether he was a Captain RAN or a sort of Army Captain. Or was he a Lt. RAN at the time and became a Captain in the RAF? Silly question, really as I have never heard of a combat pilot of above the rank of Major actually flying. (Those who really know can shoot me down in flames here).

 

There is a fascinating article on the net somewhere about Maj. Barker and his Camel. He had a running fight with all the powers that be to fly his Camel when he was CO of a Bristol Fighter squadron, and they were forever trying to scrap it. IIRC he fought them off until he was returned to HE in 1918. What an exibit it would make now!

 

The Germans in both world wars had less objections to the commanders of units flying different aircraft to their subordinates. One ace led his FW190s with a BF109 (Werner Molders?) and Rudel flew the anti-tank Stuka JU87G when the rest were in FW190s.

 

I think Rudel has two records - the most tanks destroyed (about 360 or so) and I don't think anyone was shot down as many times as he. Something like 16 times, doubtless someone will give the accurate figures. He had a good gunner who also wore the Knights Cross.

Edited June 10, 2009 by JimAttrill

[Canvas Wings 1]

And it's looking VERY hopeful, that I will get a chance to fly his legendary Snipe!...I am SOOOOO excited I think there may be a drip in my pants!!!

 

 

I've got all of my fingers crossed too. We wantsss it, my preciousssss.

CW

[jayo 0]

As if flying against the allies wasn't tough enough in '18.......

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I've got all of my fingers crossed too. We wantsss it, my preciousssss.

CW

 

We be nice to thems..if they be nice to us!..Dirty, fat little Hobbitses!

[Check Six 2]

JimAttrill,

 

You're correct in that Little was a Lieutenant RN (not RAN - as he flew for the British, he and fellow RNAS pilot, Stan Dallas are pretty much obscure here in Australia and there are very few records of their service in this country). Little became a Captain when the RFC and RNAS merged to form the RAF.

 

As far as flying Majors go, the aforementioned Stan Dallas was a Lt Col at the time of his death (KIA in June '18), but his promotion to Major had been promulgated and the letter was sitting on his desk. You can go to "The Aerodrome" Forum and see any of a number of tirades from a mate of mine, Adrian Hellwig, (who wrote Stan's biography - Australian Hawk over the Western Front) about how the Staff "Wallahs" removed his original grave marker with his new rank of Major and replaced it with Lt Col.

 

Stan had a habit of breaking the rules and flying despite being ordered not to (as Sqn leader), and would often "take Xxxxx up to test the xxxxx that the mechanics had been working on" only to come back from the other side of the lines (for a test flight?) and with a black face (from the cordite of his ammunition) and with a grin on his face. He often did not make claims.

 

The figures are no great research effort either...all obtained from "Above The Trenches" - Shores, Franks, Guest - the Bible of all Commonwealth aces.

 

As far as Rudel goes...the most highly decorated soldier of German Forces in WW2 had, at war's end...

"519 Soviet tanks (17 of them in a single day) and among others, one battleship, one cruiser, one destroyer, 70 landing craft, 9 attested aircraft, hundreds of motor vehicles, numerous artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft positions, as well as armoured convoys and bridges. Twelve comrades - six Stuka crews - were saved by him from capture or death. When he tried to rescue another crash-landed crew in 1944, he was taken prisoner, fled with a bullet in his shoulder, covering 50 km through Soviet hinterlands, and reached his lines. Shot more than thirty times by ground fire - never once by a fighter plane - wounded 5 times, the fervent sportsman took a direct anti-aircraft hit and lost his right leg. Just six weeks later, despite being forbidden to, the stump of his leg still bleeding (he flew with a four x two taped to his stump so he could operate the rudder) he was back in combat."

"Rudel takes the place of an entire division" Field Marshal Ferdinand Schorner. "What a shame he wasn't wearing our uniform" Pierre Clostermann.

After the war, and with an artificial leg, Rudel became the first man to scale the peak of the 6920 meter Llulay-Yacu in the Andes, the world's higest volcano. (That's just from the fly leaf of his biography by Gunther Just).

A truly remarkable man.