William George Barker (1894-1930)

He was born on his family's farm in Manitoba and became one of Canada's greatest war heroes, and the most decorated war hero in Canadian history. On the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted in the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles as part of their machine gun section. In England in 1916, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He shot down 50 enemy planes over the Western Front and on the Italian Front. He was award the Victoria Cross (V.C.) for single-handedly engaging with 15 enemy planes. In that dogfight, he was wounded three times in his legs and his elbow was blown away, but he still managed to shoot down three of their planes and, bleeding profusely, he crash-landed behind allied lines and his life was saved by men from the RAF Kite Balloon Section who spotted him and rushed him to a Field Hospital. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) with One Bar and the Military Cross (M.C.) with Two Bars. After the war, he was the first President of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club. He was married in Toronto to Jean Smith (1896-1983), cousin of the other Canadian Flying Ace, Billy Bishop V.C. (with 72 kills, he was the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the War), who was best man at their wedding. Billy and Jean had one daughter.