Douglas Bader

Douglas Bader was a remarkable man who overcame the loss of both his legs in a flying accident and became a legendary fighter pilot and hero of the Battle of Britain. He was born on 21 February 1910 in St John’s Wood, London, and joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1928 as an officer cadet. He was a talented and reckless pilot who loved to perform aerobatics. On 14 December 1931, he crashed his plane while attempting a low-level roll and had both his legs amputated. He was determined to fly again and, after a long recovery and rehabilitation, he was fitted with artificial legs and proved his ability to fly. However, he was retired from the RAF in 1933 as there were no regulations for disabled pilots. He worked for an oil company until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, when he returned to the RAF as a pilot. He scored his first victories over Dunkirk during the Battle of France in 1940. He then took part in the Battle of Britain and became a friend and supporter of Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory and his “Big Wing” experiments. He commanded several fighter squadrons and wings and was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. In August 1941, Bader baled out over German-occupied France and was captured. He met and was befriended by Adolf Galland, a prominent German fighter ace. Despite his disability, Bader made a number of escape attempts and was eventually sent to the prisoner-of-war camp at Colditz Castle. He remained there until April 1945 when the camp was liberated by the First United States Army. Bader left the RAF permanently in February 1946 and resumed his career in the oil industry. He also became a well-known public figure and advocate for disabled people. He was knighted in 1976 for his services to disabled people. He continued to fly until ill health forced him to stop in 1979. He died on 5 September 1982, aged 72, after a heart attack.