William Barker, Vc The Life, Death and Legend of Canada's Most Decorated War Hero

"William Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross for an action in France on Sunday, October 27, 1918. Severely wounded in a descending dog fight from 20,000 feet, greatly outnumbered, he shot down four enemy aircraft, going in and out of consciousness, before crashing his Sopwith Snipe near the frontlines. Miraculously, he survived, but lived only 11 more years - intense years of "The Roaring Twenties" that were filled with physical pain, emotional struggle, and business failure, but also many achievements." "Wayne Ralph re-created this story of a farm boy from Dauphin, Manitoba, who enlists as a mounted rifleman with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. But Barker wanted to fly and he soon proved to be a courageous, brilliant, and tireless observer and pilot in the skies over France and Italy, becoming one of the great aces of the war with 50 victories. Decorated three times by France and Italy, he was the first pilot on the Italian Front to drop a secret agent, by parachute at night, behind enemy lines. He was declared by the Overseas Military Forces of Canada as the Canadian who held "the most fighting decorations" in the war." "William Barker VC tells the saga of a legend in his time, a hero's hero, admired by Canada's aces as the greatest aerial combat pilot of them all."--BOOK JACKET.Ralph, Wayne is the author of 'William Barker, Vc The Life, Death and Legend of Canada's Most Decorated War Hero', published 2007 under ISBN 9780470839676 and ISBN 0470839678.