Even if the History Channel has some strange prejudice against British fliers, you might expect them to feature one or two Canadians who flew in the Royal Flying Corps (RAF from 4/1/18). For example, Bill Barker. Never heard of him? What a surprise.
He epitomised the roving RFC/RAF "freelance" fighter pilot who flew over German lines daring them to come up and engage (something that the "legendary" Richthofen almost never did, preferring the protection of his Flying Circus, from which he might dive to attack a lumbering observation plane before zooming back up into safety).
One of Barker's most daring raids was on Christmas Day 1917. Catching the Germans off guard, he and Harold Hudson, his wingman, shot up the airfield of Fleigerableitung (A) 204, setting fire to one hangar and damaging four German aircraft before dropping a placard wishing their opponents a 'Happy Christmas'.
The Sopwith Camel was Barker's favourite aircraft. When he took command of a Bristol Fighter (2-seater) squadron, Barker took his Camel with him and continued to fly fighter operations. By this time, his personal Sopwith Camel (serial no. B6313) had became the most successful fighter aircraft in the history of the RFC/RAF, having used it to shoot down 46 aircraft and balloons from September 1917 to September 1918, for a total of 404 operational flying hours. It was dismantled in October 1918, Barker keeping the clock as a memento - although he was asked to return it the following day.
Having flown more than 900 combat hours in several planes in two and one half years, Barker was transferred back to the UK in September 1918. In London at RAF HQ, chafing at being out of the action as the war was winding down, he was granted a ten-day roving commission in France, wherein he selected the Sopwith Snipe as his personal machine and attached himself to No. 201 Squadron RAF, whose squadron commander, Major Cyril Leman, was a pal from his earliest flying days.
Now, how about this for a dogfight, History Channel?
On Sunday, 27 October 1918 (two weeks before the Armistice), he was supposed to be delivering his Snipe to an aircraft depot and leaving France for a desk job. Instead, he crossed enemy lines at 21,000 feet above the Forêt de Mormal and attacked an enemy two-seater which broke up, its crew escaping by parachute (only the Germans had them in WWI). He was then bounced by a formation of Fokker D.VIIs. In the battle against 15 or more enemy machines, Barker was wounded three times in the legs, then his left elbow was blown away, yet he managed to control his damaged Snipe and shoot down three more enemy aircraft. The dogfight took place immediately above the lines of the Canadian Corps, who observed the entire engagement. Severely wounded and bleeding profusely, he managed to land and his life was saved by the men of an RAF Kite Balloon Section, who transported him to a field dressing station. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for this actions.
Bill Barker ended the war with the VC, DSO and bar, and Military Cross and two bars.