Born February 21st 1910 - Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader was a flying ace for the British Royal Air Force during WWII.
Credited with 22 aerial victories, 4 shared victories, 6 probables, 1 shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.
Some achievement on its own, but what made it all the more remarkable, was that Bader lost both his legs 8 years before the war..
In December 1931, Whilst performing a low level stunt almost immediately after takeoff. The tip of Bader’s left wing scraped the ground, bringing the plane to the floor.
In hospital, Bader had both legs amputated, one above the knee and the other below. His logbook entry stated -
“Crashed! Slow rolling near ground, bad show.” - Calm and collected.
Bader with his Hurricane at Duxford during the Battle of Britain - September 1940
Bader recovered quickly, within 6 months he was driving, dancing and playing golf again. Determined to fly, Bader undertook flight training and passed, but was quickly discharged against his will on medical grounds. - I don’t think the RAF had come across a case like his before.
Come 1939, the outbreak of the Second World War. With Bader eager to fly again, he requested to join back with the RAF and just 8 weeks after the war broke out, he got his wish.
27th November 1939, Bader flew solo for the first time without his bottom half, 8 years after the crash that took his legs. You’d think he’d have learnt his lesson, but no, Bader immediately flipped the plane upside down at 600 feet. - zero fucks given.
Bader’s first taste of battle came in 1940 with Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk. At 29, Bader was a lot older than most his peers in the sky.
More victories followed with the Battle of Britain, claiming 5 kills in one day.
Between 1940 - 41, Bader was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), Bar, and the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Being known as a maverick from his fellow pilots, many of them admired him and his bravery. However, many believed him to be rude, selfish and arrogant. A respected fighter pilot, nevertheless.
Bader entering his aircraft for a commemorative flight - 1945
August 1941, Baders’ luck ran out.
What is thought to have been a mid air collision, Baders’ plane flew out of control and was plummeting to ground. Whilst trying to escape, one of his legs got trapped in the cockpit.
He only managed to escape after pulling his parachute, which ripped his leg from his body. (Its also believed that it may have been friendly fire that took out Bader)
Once grounded from the parachute, Bader found himself as a POW to the Germans, this led to Bader becoming friends with Adolf Galland, a prominent German flying ace with 705 combat missions and 104 aerial victories.
Bader was treated with respect during his time as a POW due to Galland knowing of his achievements and admiring his passion for flying.
Here’s one for you - Galland actually notified the RAF about Bader’s missing leg, the RAF were then given safe passage to parachute in a replacement prosthetic on a mission called.. Operation Leg.
The Germans were not impressed though, when immediately after the leg was dropped, the RAF proceeded to bomb Gosnay Power Station. - I wonder how Galland felt after that.
Escape
Back on two feet, Bader managed to escape his captors by tying bedsheets together and climbing down from a window.
A good idea in his head but unfortunately the bedsheets didn’t quite reach the ground. To get around this, he pulled the bed the sheets were tied to, to the window. The bed of which was occupied by comatose New Zealand pilot - Bill Russell.
Bader was quickly recaptured. - A for effort Doug.
Now moved to another POW camp, escape number 2 was on the cards.
Bader and his fellow inmates dug a tunnel to try and crawl under the prison fence. To dispose of the dirt, Bader filled both his legs up with the soil and walked around the camp. ‘Falling over’ and detaching his legs sporadically to spread the evidence.
Again, Bader was caught. - Apparently, he attempted to escape so many times that they threatened to take his legs away.
On August 18th 1942, Bader was transported to the the ‘escape proof’ Colditz Castle, remaining there until 1945, when it was liberated by the US.
In typical Bader form, once he returned to Paris he instantly requested a Spitfire so he could get back into the action, he was refused. - Did they not know this man?
Colditz Castle - Circa 1945
Post War & Death
In retirement, Bader campaigned tirelessly for people with disabilities, especially veterans, and in June 1976, Bader was knighted for his services.
On September 5th 1982, after a Royal Airforce dinner, Bader died of a sudden heart attack on his was home to London.
Among the many friends that attended Bader’s funeral, stood Adolf Galland. Sharing an unlikely friendship that spanned for over 40 years, Galland made his way to England to say one last goodbye to his old friend.
I read something Bader said that made me laugh.
Post war, whilst giving a speech at an all girls school about his time as a pilot. Bader was describing an encounter with German fighters. -
“So there were two of the fuckers behind me, three fuckers to my right, another fucker on the left” he told the audience.
The headmistress went pale and quickly interjected: “Ladies, the ‘Fokker’ was a type of aircraft.”
To which Sir Douglas replied: “That may be, madam, but these fuckers were in Messerschmitts.”
What a bloke.
- M
Sir Douglas Bader with a RC Spitfire - 1982
On This Day -
1791 - 1st Bank of US chartered.
1814 - Australia's first currency - the ‘Holey Dollar’ introduced. Made of Spanish 'pieces of eight' with the centres stamped out, for the colony of New South Wales.
1838 - London pedestrian walks 20 miles backward then forward in 8 hours.
1910 - Dalai Lama flees Tibet for British India, to escape Chinese troops.
2018 - China briefly bans the letter 'N' as part of widespread censorship efforts.
Sources -
Wikipedia - Douglas Bader
Youtube - Yarnhub, TJ3 History, George Pollen