Ace: Name given to Aviation Pilots as a status for pilots with five victories. The term ACES was first used by France and was soon followed by other nations.
The top twelve Aces in WWI were:
- M. von Richthofen (Germany) 80 kills (The Red Baron)
- R. Fonck (France) 75 kills
- E. Mannock (Britain) 73 kills
- William Avery Bishop aka Billy Bishop (Canada) 72 kills
- E. Udet (Germany) 62 kills
- Ramond Collishaw (Canada) 60 kills
- J. McCudden (Britain) 57 kills
- A. Beauchamp Proctor (Britain) 54 kills
- D. MacLaren (Canada) 54 kills
- G. Guynemer (France) 54 kills
- William George Barker (Canada) 53 kills
- E. Lowenhardt (Germany) 53 kills
As Canada had no air force of its own during the Great War, Canadians could only become fighter pilots by enlisting in another service and then transferring to the Royal Flying Corps or the Royal Naval Air Service, or by sailing to Britain at their own expense and enlisting there.
In the spring of 1915 Britain began to recruit pilots in Canada. These pilots had to pay for their training out of their own pocket before being commissioned and sent to war.
Choose from Timeline, Battles, Weapons, Biographies, Letters, Newfoundland, Aces, Victoria Cross Winners, Soldier Tributes, Army, Navy, Air Force, Diaries & Photo Albums, ID Tags & Tributes, Statistics, Home Front, Women in the War, Ancestors, Uniforms, Equipment, Grenades & Mortars, Guns, Identify WW1 Photos, Guest Authors/Articles, CEF Nominal Rolls