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On Oct. 24 J. J. Shanahan, Acting President, issued a political manifesto with the following as the vital clause: "It will behoove us to bring all our forces to bear to secure the defeat of any candidate who is not prepared to do all in his power to secure the enforcement of Conscription." On Nov. 5 the Ontario G.W.V.A. issued instructions as follows: "No branch should nominate any member or private citizen for Parliament. The G.W.V.A. is a non-political association and intends to remain such. Great War Veterans should endorse any man who is selected by representative organizations supporting the Union Government." The Saskatchewan Association (Nov. 9) issued a manifesto urging support of the Union Government, protesting against past "political pull" in the Army, and advocating seniority of service, ability, and actual war service as the future and primary qualifications for promotion. In Calgary the G.W.V.A. (Nov. 12) urged this Election platform: "Immediate enforcement of Conscription by the draft method and conscription of wealth; establishment of an ample income tax and prevention of profiteering; equalization of pensions and waging of war to the last man and the last dollar.' The Toronto branch (Nov. 23) decided to give individual support to Majors R. C. Cockburn and Carson McCormack; that of Winnipeg (Nov. 27) asked for alien labour conscription at $1.10 per day and that of Halifax urged support of the Union Government. The Winnipeg G.W.V.A. helped to elect one of its members to Parliament-Maj. G. W. Andrews. The Saskatchewan organization (Nov. 1) protested against the appointment of officers to the Depôt battalion who had not seen service overseas; asked that men who had fyled on homesteads after enlistment should be allowed to count their time in the Service as residence on their homesteads; petitioned the Dominion Government to appoint a public trustee to look after the settlement of the estates of soldiers killed in action. Khaki Clubs were formed in Toronto, Hamilton and other places; forcible action was taken in Toronto against employment of aliens and there, as in Winnipeg, Vancouver, etc., in breaking up anti-Conscription meetings.

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Another soldiers' organization which was much discussed but neither so effective nor so strong as the G.W.V.A was the Associated Kin of the C.E.F., started in London, Ontario, by Gordon Wright with a Dominion Association of which Mr. Wright was President, J. M. McEvoy of London, Vice-President, J. H. Laughton, Secretary, and J. H. Coyne, F.R.S.C., St. Thomas, Treasurer. The Toronto branch was formed at a meeting on Feb. 5 with Hon. W. R. Riddell in the chair and Æmilius Jarvis as the chief speaker. A representative Committee was appointed and Hamilton Cassels, K.C., a little later, became President, Dyce W. Saunders, Vice-President, Æmilius Jarvis, Treasurer and W. C. C. Innes, Secretary. Other branches were formed and the announced objects of the Association were to secure recruits, to collect and preserve information as to conditions of training and equipment, to protect the home interests of absent soldiers. A journal called The Kinsman was published and the recognition of Mothers losing sons in the War was a part of the plans proposed. Toward the close of the year an effort was launched to

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MAJOR WILLIAM AVERY BISHOP, V.C., M.C., D.S.O., AND BAR.

Ashley & Crippen,

Photographers, Toronto.

obtain a Dominion membership of 22 millions at $1.00 per head but it met with considerable initial criticism and was not successful. There were Next-of-Kin Associations in Calgary and Winnipeg.

On Active Service: Canadian Aviation in 1917.

Canadians by 1917 had won a remarkable place in the Aviation records of the Empire. Yet they had no distinct organization, no centre for separate achievement and reputation, no Corps such as had won distinction for Australia in the East. They simply took to the air as the British did to the sea and by individual effort, voluntary action and initiative swarmed into the British service until both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service recognized a peculiar aptitude in the splendid work rendered by Canadians fighting side by side with their British brothers. The Canadian Army Corps was complete except in this one branch, and there were plenty of aviators in the latter years of the War to form Canadian Squadrons but, for some reason, Sir Sam Hughes did not approve and though, after he ceased to be Minister, much was done in Canada to encourage Imperial enlistment and to facilitate Imperial construction of machines and training of men, nothing was done in the organization of a Corps. It was estimated at the end of 1917 that 1,000 Canadians had joined the R.N.A.S., and 3,000 the R.F.C.-as officers and pilots, mechanicians and assistants. An official statement in London on Aug. 11 was that 299 officers and 409 privates coming to England in the Canadian forces had been granted commissions in the R.F.C., with 93 others of Canadian birth; that 346 officers joined the R.N.A.S. in Canada under arrangements organized by Admiral Kingsmill, while 66 others had joined this service and been transferred to the Flying Corps; that 80 members of the Canadian military forces had been granted commissions in the Naval Air Service-a total of 1,293 officers.

In the early part of 1917 Capt. Lord Alastair Innes-Ker, D.S.O., was in Canada and recruited a number of men for the R.F.C.; the Department of Naval Service at Ottawa did everything possible to recruit men for the Naval Air Service, and had marked success, with 632 accepted up to the close of the year; in December Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, an authority and enthusiast in aircraft matters, spoke at a number of centres-Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg and other Western points, Vancouver and Victoria, etc.-to, as he explained it in Toronto on Dec. 11, "impress on the Canadian people the increasing importance of aircraft in the War and the hope we have that many more of the young men of Canada will join the flying forces, both naval and military." He reiterated everywhere the earnest belief that aircraft would decide the great issue. "If," he declared, "Canada continues to give us, in increased numbers, the class of air men that she has given in the past, she will be making one of the best contributions she can towards the winning of this long and bitter struggle." He estimated about 2,000 Canadians as being in the two Services at this time-not including mechanicians and corps-workers. The Administration of the British Corps was, of course, entirely in British hands and there were some inevitable

rumours that Canadians did not always receive fair treatment and promotion. The fact of the matter was that promotions on active service in such a Corps could and did go absolutely by merit; if there was any exception it would be in favour of Canadians-as was known to be the case in distribution of Honours to several of the Army services. So far as the promotion from Lieutenants to Fl. Commander was concerned there was no complaint; such as it was it referred to Squadron Commander-a position requiring exceptional qualities and experience quite distinct from the splendid daring which distinguished Canadian aviators. The Air Service, also, was a branch of the active Services which Canadians heard little about-unless it were the announcement of casualties—until Wm. Avery Bishop came upon the scene in 1917 with a record which soon placed him in the class of Alfred Ball of British fame and Guynemer of French celebrity. Within a few months he won almost every Army honour available and rose from Lieutenant to Major in rank. The following official statements of these Honours are published here for the first time in conjunction and present a remarkable picture of achievement:

M.C. May 26, 1917: Lieut. Wm. Avery Bishop.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He attacked a hostile balloon on the ground, dispersed the crew and destroyed the balloon, and also drove down a hostile machine which attacked him. He has on several other occasions brought down hostile machines.

D.S.O. June 18, 1917: Capt. Wm. Avery Bishop.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While in a single-seater he attacked three hostile machines, two of which he brought down, although in the meantime he was himself attacked by four other hostile machines. His courage and determination have set a fine example to others.

V.C. August 10, 1917: Capt. Wm. Avery Bishop.

For most conspicuous bravery, determination and skill, Captain Bishop, who had been sent out to work independently, flew first of all to an enemy aerodrome; finding no machine about, he flew on to another aerodrome about 3 miles south-east, which was at least 12 miles the other side of the line. 7 machines, some with their engines running, were on the ground. He attacked these from about 50 feet, and a mechanic, who was starting one of the engines, was seen to fall. One of the machines got off the ground, but at a height of 60 feet Captain Bishop fired 15 rounds into it at very close range, and it crashed to the ground. A second machine got off the ground, into which he fired 30 rounds at 150 yards range, and it fell into a tree. Two more machines then rose from the aerodrome. One of these he engaged at the height of 1,000 feet, emptying the rest of his drum of ammunition. This machine crashed 300 yards from the aerodrome, after which Captain Bishop emptied a whole drum into the fourth hostile machine, and then flew back to his station. Four hostile scouts were about 1,000 feet above him for about a mile of his return journey, but they would not attack. His machine was very badly shot about by machine-gun fire from the ground.

Bar to D.S.O. Sept. 26, 1917: Capt. Wm. Avery Bishop.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when engaging hostile aircraft. His consistent dash and great fearlessness have set a magnificent example to the pilots of his squadron. He has destroyed no fewer than 45 hostile machines within the past five months, frequently attacking enemy formations single-handed, and on all occasions displaying a fighting spirit and determination to get to close quarters with his opponents, which have earned the admiration of all in contact with him.

Such a record is rare in any warfare and it won instant appreciation

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