FREDERICK LIBBY

[EARTHLING]

Apologies if this has been raised before but have also finished reading the winsomely written 'Horses don't fly'.
Page 227:
" We have one pilot in our wing who writes a wicked report. He must be good but not quite as good as his last report."
"It seems early in the morning, before anyone else is up, he has his plane wheeled out, goes over to a German airfield and routs the Hun out of their beds, strafes the hangars and waits for Mr. Hun to come up. The first two off the ground he knocks off, then gets two more trying to get off. The next two he chases into a tree and leaves them there like Santa Clause, then destroys two more, so home to breakfast."
Libby does not believe that this occured and says so with some venom.
This episode is in an official Communique and he goes on to say:
"Anyway, this guy isn't an Englishman. An Englishman would never write this kind of nonsense."
Very kind of him to say so but I'm sure we would given half a chance.
Page 229
"I have been given credit for two Huns in the last two days,both confirmed, nothing to compare with a certain pilot in our wing. He is still raising hell on paper. No one seems to see him do it, but if his arm holds out he will pass Ball's record, which seems to be the general idea."
Does anyone have any idea of the gentleman to whom he refers?

VBR
Peter S

[Graeme]

Bishop.

[Billy_Bishop]

Well, at first, I thought it was Bishop too. But Bishop NEVER claimed six in one attack the way Libby put it.

Must have been someone else.

VBR,

Al Lowe

I am MOST disappointed...
This afternoon, when I read Peter's thread, I purposely "held my fire", in expectation that the "Lion of the Skies", Al Lowe, would take the bait and go off and strafe Pete. Well, he did, kind of... no defensiveness... no blanket denials and counter-charges... and no character assassination... oh, well.
When I first read this fine memoir, almost a year ago, I posted the same pages, and left any comments to The Forum. I then contacted Libby's granddaughter at HORSESDONTFLY.com (sadly, this site has since expired). Her comments?
Well, after citing the pages, without my having mentioned Bishop by name, she emailed me back that Libby didn't care for Bishop, didn't like his habit of hiring someone to do his public relations, and that Bishop was the only person of the fliers of that time that Libby ever spoke of in the negative. She did NOT confirm that this particular passage from HORSES DON'T FLY was specifically about Bishop.
I'm not saying that this proves anything, except that perhaps Libby didn't care for Bishop.
But I WAS expecting a proper "dust up". Instead-- Bah!
And you call yourselves men...

[Billy_Bishop]

Sorry Cap'n, it's just that Libby's "description" of, possibly, the Events of 2 June, 1917, DO NOT match Bishop's combat report. According to Libby, Bishop, or "whoever," Claimed 6 victories. Bishop only claimed 3 that day.

And just where did this idea of Bishop hiring someone to do his promoting come from? As far as I know, Bishop never hired anyone for anything of this sort. About the only person he likely "hired" was a ghost writer for his book. But that was not uncommon in those days.

Oh well, maybe next time.

VBR,

Al Lowe

[Billy_Bishop]

I have a question for anyone who has the book. DOes it say how many confirmed victories Libby had??

VBR,

Al Lowe

[albatros]

Libby shot down 24......(Rickenbacker downed 21 plus 5 balloons) Which makes Libby the top U.S. ace if you discount Eddie's balloons!

[Billy_Bishop]

Libby shot down 24......(Rickenbacker downed 21 plus 5 balloons) Which makes Libby the top U.S. ace if you discount Eddie's balloons!

Figures. We had someone on the forum from the publisher I think back when the book was just coming out. SHE maintain the myth of Libby's 24 as well.

Too bad.

VBR,

Al Lowe

[Graeme]

Al

Musta been a slip of the pen

The Grub Street boys come up with 14 - 1 with 23 Sqn, 9 with 11 Sqn, 2 with 43 Sqn and 2 with 25 Sqn.

Graeme

[albatros]

That will teach me to read press releases! :-[