Overall matted size: 17" x 26"
Matted ensemble as shown. $1950 (SOLD)
The pilot who had more victories than the RED BARON! A pencil ensemble depicting Canadian ace RAY COLLISHAW downing another German airplane during WW1, plus a pencil portrait of Collishaw, plus an ORIGINAL (rare) Royal Naval Air Service button, and an ORIGINAL (rare) signature of Collishaw! (Obtained from a Collishaw relative in Wales).
Born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Collishaw joined the Royal Naval Air Service and by 1916 had his wings. By the end of that year he was flying Sopwith Strutters with 3 Wing, RNAS, in France during WW1. While ferrying a Strutter, he was jumped by six Albatrosses. Their bullets smashed his instrument panel, goggles and windshield, paritally blinding him. He dived for the ground, an Albatross followed him and crashed into the trees. A second Abatross over-ran him and he promptly shot it down. He then landed in a nearby field, to be greeted by Germans. He then took off again and landed behind his own lines. For this feat, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
By 1917 he was with Number 3 Naval Squadron, near the Cambrai front. Two months later he was a Flight Commander with Number 10 Naval Squadron near Dunkirk. He was slowly building up his score of victories. Shortly thereafter, he was flying the Sopwith Triplane over the British lines. Although RFC pilots disliked this aircraft, the RNAS preferred it, despite having only one machine gun. Collishaw conceived the idea of painting his flight of triplanes black. His own was ‘Black Maria.’ Although Collishaw had quite a score of victories by this time, he excelled even more in the Sopwith Triplane. On the Ypres front, where Richtofen was supreme, the black triplanes gunned down many enemy aircraft. In a five day period, Collishaw had gunned down four German scouts. By June 6, he had sixteen kills.
In a tangle with Richtofen’s circus, Collishaw downed Leutnant Karl Allmenroder (30 victories) of Jagdstaffel II.
By June 30, Collishaw had thirty seven kills.
After leave at home, Collishaw returned to the front in November, to command 13 Squadron. In January 1918, he had moved to Number 3 RNAS. The Royal Air Force was then formed in April and his outfit became 203 Squadron. By this time, his rank was Major, flying Sopwith Camels. During the next few months, he accounted for twenty more enemy aircraft, ten of which were the famed Fokker D-VII. His decorations by now included the DSO, DFC and DSC.
When WW1 ended, he stayed in the RAF and was posted to Russia to aid the ‘White’ cause. He racked up twenty nine more victories during this conflict.
Total victories: 110
Confirmed in WW1: 60
Unconfirmed in WW1: 21
Russia: 29 confirmed
8 observation balloons
1 Russian Gunboat.