Revisionism makes a splash, and that's why you see so many folks doing this kind of thing. We like to see our heroes get shot down.
Now, Bashow should have given us a reference to where he got the info on Jasta 20 being there. And if this isn't the first time a German base was attacked and shot up without official documentation, some additional examples wouldn't hurt.
Bashow's argument "Those about to commit fraud . . ." begs the question.
The next paragraph has some contorted logic, but I think it goes together with the next paragraph to say that the German propaganda machine wouldn't admit to the attack during the war. Fair enough (assuming verifiable evidence shows that it didn't report similar attacks), but the sword cuts both ways. He's arguing against a position that claims the Empire propaganda machine needed to create a hero.
"apparently makes reference to a written german denial". Uh, you shouldn't have to guess on the date. If Greenhous doesn't provide the documentation to give the exact date, he's not worth a damn. If Bashow doesn't bother to look it up, ditto.
Concur with the ntoe that landing and shooting up one's own A/C defies logic. There's plenty of easier explanations out there, many of which do not involve shooting up a German airfield.
--
But beyond that, Bashow doesn't provide convincing evidence that Bishop was ever really there either.
In the end, you've got a bunch of negative evidence. We don't have much to go on.
It's ludicrous, based on what little I've seen here, to say that he didn't fly out there; it's equally silly to insist that he necessarily shot up that field.
And what is this "circumstantial evidence", anyway?
One thing we know for certain, is that this act, for which the only direct documentation available at the time, and now, is Bishop's word, got him the VC.
You can say he deserved the VC and I won't contest you. Whether he shot up that field is a question that the two historians are using faith to resolve, not history. I dunno what happened; but it certainly appears by Bashow's own admission that the VC was awarded without ample proof of the act of valour for which it was given. People wanted to believe.
