In 1917, Lieutenant Raymond Collishaw wrote in his journal: “Air battles take place over the trenches, where thousands of soldiers of both sides look to the sky as a kind of aerial boxing ring…with men shouting things like, ‘That's my boy in the dark trunks.’”

The “dark trunks” referred to the Sopwith Triplanes of Collishaw’s squadron, the “Black Flight.” Powered by a 130-hp Clerget rotary engine, the Sopwith Triplane was one of the most maneuverable fighters of the day. The plane’s climbing ability was its most remarkable feature—15,000 feet in 19 minutes! The five young Canadians of the Black Flight would often climb to 19,000 feet, searching for German planes to shoot down.

On June 26, 1917, the Black Flight encountered von Richthofen’s entire Wolf Pack, losing J.E. Nash in “Black Sheep.” In revenge the next day, Collishaw’s squadron sought and found the Wolf Pack, led by von Richthofen's number two, Karl Allmenroeder. When the skirmish ended, the Black Flight was victorious. The Wolf Pack was no more, though von Richthofen would live to harry the Allies for almost another year.

Collishaw survived WWI to organize Canada’s air force and later command a British Royal Air Force squadron in the Middle East during World War II.