William George Barker Canadian World War I flying ace
On my walk at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, I arrived at the main mausoleum and discovered the family crypt of William George Barker, a World War I flying ace and one of Canada’s most highly decorated servicemen, and a Victoria Cross recipient.
Born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Barker grew up in a large farming family, where he learned the value of hard work, riding and handling horses, and using tools, machinery, and firearms. The physical toughness, endurance, and calm under pressure he developed as a boy would serve him well in later life.
Barker was not an early aviation enthusiast—airplanes were still a novelty in Canada, and flying was not yet a realistic career. The stubborn, independent, and intensely determined young man possessed all the qualities that would later make him a legendary flying ace.
He enlisted in September 1914 with the Canadian Mounted Rifles as a ground soldier. Two years later, he joined the Royal Flying Corps, beginning his air service as an observer. On April 7, 1917, he flew his first combat mission as a pilot in a Nieuport fighter. At just 22 years old, he was about to begin a military career that would see him become one of the greatest fighter pilots in Canadian history.
Barker achieved 50–53 confirmed victories against enemy aircraft and balloons. On October 27, 1918, he fought more than a dozen enemy planes alone, was badly wounded, and still managed to crash-land safely—an action that earned him the Victoria Cross.
After the war, the national hero, would struggle. Like many veterans, he found the transition from intense wartime action to ordinary life challenging. His war injuries left him in chronic pain, and he struggled with health problems from wounds and combat stress. He served as a flight instructor and aviation consultant but faced financial difficulties and ongoing health issues.
Tragically, Canada lost a great airman on March 12, 1930 in a plane crash while on a demonstration flight near Muskoka, Ontario. He was only 35.
1894-1930
See my related site to American flying ace, Eddie Rickenbacker.
