Oh how we will miss Flt. Lt. (Ret'd) Arthur Bishop

One of the true pleasures that I’ve had as Chairman at the Toronto Port Authority has been the chance to get to know the late, great Arthur Bishop.

When his daughter Diana first connected us in 2009 to talk about renaming the TCCA after his father, WWI war ace Billy Bishop VC, I immediately got a sense of the force of will that was Arthur. He loved the idea, and agreed to have lunch with me and fellow TPA board members Craig Rix and Colin Watson to talk turkey. For more than two and a half hours, Arthur told us stories about his Dad, Billy Barker, their business exploites in Toronto harbour and his own life and times. To formalize the name change of the airport, he wrote out a note on the back of his own Bio. Classic.

When I asked him how to deal with the Mayor of Owen Sound (Billy’s hometown), which had also honoured his father by naming their local airstrip the “Owen Sound Regional Billy Bishop Airport”, his response was wonderfully visceral: “This is an honour. It’s a big deal. They won’t like it but no one uses that airport anyway. You know, my Father lived in Toronto after the war, and he and I flew out of the Island together in ’46. He’d love the idea.”

When the Porter terminal opened in 2010, Arthur gave a wide-ranging, good-natured and off-the-cuff speech to the 250 people assembled, and brightened our year with stories of their time together, Bishop and Barker being banned from the CNE airshow, and what it was like to grow up as a young RCAF pilot who just happened to be the son of a Victoria Cross holder. Later, I had the honour to take him as my guest to two of the first three True Patriot Love dinners, and the CDS of the day went out of his way to shower Arthur with much deserved praise from the podium.

But Arthur’s highlight of those evenings, at 85-87 years of age, was to talk to whichever fetching woman between the age of 20 and 60 happened to approach. He didn’t always have the energy to stand up to meet the military brass or titans of business, but his manners were too proper to stay seated while chatting with someone in a pretty dress. Once a fighter pilot, always a fighter pilot I guess.

The TPA produced a video about Bishop the VC for use at the museum/memorial we plan to open once the pedestrian tunnel is finished in 2013. Always ready for a show, Arthur drove up to the rural hanger where a few WWI warplanes still reside, and sat for a one hour interview about his Dad. The link to his abridged video is here. It won a Telly Award, and was the last full interview that Arthur gave before his passing.

As painful as this is for Arthur’s daughter Diana and son William and their families, they can take some solace that we’ll never forget Arthur, and are honoured to have known him in his prime. (And how many people are still in their prime at the age of 85!?).

Here is the obituary from the Globe and Mail:

ARTHUR BISHOP ”Being born of fame is not like earning it. You have to create your own worth in other coin; you have to escape history’s shadow and get, as they say, a life” John Updike
Family and friends are remembering and celebrating the life of Arthur Bishop who passed away this week at the age of 89. Colorful, outspoken, hilarious, fearless, pugnacious, loquacious, prolific, and determined-Arthur Bishop was all of these things and more. He also lived a remarkable life. Arthur was the son of World War I flying ace William Avery (Billy) Bishop VC CB DSO MC DFC, and Margaret Eaton Burden, granddaughter of department store founder Timothy Eaton. He was born in London, England in 1923. Christened William Arthur Christian Avery Bishop, his godfather was Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, a former governor general of Canada, and his godmother was Princess Louise, cousin to Queen Mary. Arthur remarked many times that while his pedigree was indeed impressive, he would have rather had the money. While Arthur struggled graciously all his life to live up to the reputation of his famous father, he was a war hero in his own right. He enlisted in the RCAF in 1941 and was posted to 401 Squadron as a spitfire pilot. With his fighter pilot colleagues, Arthur flew hundreds of missions, engaging in low level sweeps over France, searching out German airfields, destroying enemy planes in the air and transport vehicles on the ground. During the invasion in 1945, Arthur’s squadron faced an endless barrage of enemy fire while securing the air over the Normandy beaches. He was also shot down twice and lived to tell the tale. Following the war, Arthur embarked on a successful career as a journalist, advertising executive, and entrepreneur. He employed his extraordinary writing skills as a reporter at The Windsor Star. He then joined Ronalds Advertising Agency, where he rose to become senior partner, director and vice president. In 1967, he formed PPS Publicity, serving some of Canada’s leading corporations. He was also the co-founder and director of the Canadian Fighter Pilots Association, as well as director of the Canadian International Air Show. On the personal side, in 1946 Arthur married Priscilla Jean Aylen, the daughter of John Alden Aylen QC, and Jean Oliver Anderson of Ottawa. Priscilla was Arthur’s muse, conversation companion, business partner, and literary advisor. They had two children, Diana Elizabeth Bishop and William Aylen Bishop. In retirement, Arthur embarked on a second career, becoming one of the country’s leading authorities of Canadian military history. His history books are a national treasure, documenting in detail our country’s military heritage. His first book was Courage of the Early Morning (1965), the best-selling biography of his father Billy Bishop, and the source material for the successful stage play Billy Bishop Goes To War. The rest of his canon includes Courage In The Air (1992), Courage On The Battlefield (1993), Courage at Sea (1994), The Splendid Hundred True Stories of Canadians Who Flew in The Battle of Britain (1994), Our Bravest and Best: Stories of Canada’s Victoria Cross Winners (1995), Canada’s Glory: Battles That Forged A Nation 1795-1953 (1996), S*A*L*U*T*E: Canada’s Great Military Leaders From Brock To Dextraze (1997), The Air-Raid Coded Bodenplatte (1998), Destruction At Dawn (1998) and Unsung Courage (2001). In 1999 he was awarded the Bear Hickle Award for his contribution to Canadian military history by the York Garrison of the 78th Fraser Highlanders. In 2003, he was named Guardian Commander of the Canadian Veterans Hall of Valour for his outstanding contributions to the history of Canada’s military heroes. Arthur’s outrageous jokes, priceless stories and strong opinions will be long remembered by everyone who knew him, especially his friends and tennis partners at The Badminton & Racquet Club of Toronto, where he continued to play tennis well into his eighties. He will also be fondly remembered by John Dewar & Sons for his single-handed strengthening of the company’s balance sheet. Arthur is survived by his two children Diana and Bill, his sister Margaret Marise (Jackie) Willis-O-Connor, his brother-in-law John Aylen QC, his grandchildren William Douglas Bishop and Robin Emily Schulman, his daughter-in-law Dr. Ginny McFarlane, and his long-time friend and companion Joceyln Minton. The family would also like to thank the staff and caregivers at The Kensington Gardens Retirement Residence in Toronto for the tireless and compassionate care they gave Arthur during his final years. Friends and family are invited to raise a glass and share their favourite Arthur Bishop story at a memorial celebration at The Badminton & Racquet Club of Toronto on Saturday, February 23rd from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

MRM
(disclosure – this post, like all blogs, reflects a personal view and does not necessarily represents the views of the TPA or the Federal Government)