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| Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, CO of No. 242 Squadron, seated on his Hawker Hurricane at Duxford, September 1940. |
by Walter A. Musciano
Try to sum up this man's contribution to World War II fighter tactics in a single word; only one that will suffice is "incredible" … here is the story of Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, Battle of Britain Ace with the "tin" legs!
No other story of World War II's aerial warriors can approach the almost unbelievable tale of Wing Commander Douglas Bader who, despite an overwhelming physical handicap, became a great fighter pilot and one of the leading aces during the "Battle of Britain."
Douglas Robert Steuart Bader (as in "larder") was born in London 21 February 1910. He was the second son of Fredrick Bader an engineer employed in India who had returned to his homeland in order for his child to be born on British soil. Fredrick died as a result of wounds suffered during the First World War. Eight-year-old Douglas was sent to live with his aunt and her husband who was the Adjutant at Cranwell, a British military flying school.
Douglas won a scholarship in 1923 and went off to St. Edward's School where he showed more interest in sports than in scholarly matters despite a very keen mind. He was the youngest member of the cricket team and in a short time became captain of the football team. After being graduated from St. Edward's, Bader decided to attend Cranwell for a career in the RAF. Unable to afford the tuition, Douglas settled down for some serious study and scored high in a difficult examination which made him eligible for one of the seven annual free cadetships. At Cranwell, Bader continued to excel in sports. He became the school's boxing champion, winning every fight with a knockout! He showed exceptional flying aptitude and soloed after six-and-one-half hours of instruction.
When Flight Officer Bader left Cranwell he was posted to RAF No. 23 Fighter Squadron based at Kenley. The unit was equipped with Gloster Gamecock biplanes, an excellent aerobatic type which was notably light on the controls. Doug became so proficient at stunt flying that he was selected for the three-man exhibition team in an annual air display at Hendon Aerodrome. Later, when twenty-one, Bader was selected as a member of the combined services stunt team, a significant honor.
In 1931, No. 23 Squadron replaced the Gamecock with the more powerful but less maneuverable Bristol Bulldog. This new craft had the bad habit of losing considerable altitude during a roll, and Bader's specialty up till then was a slow roll at treetop level.
The young flier, despite his accomplishments, was bedeviled apparently by a feeling of insecurity. This caused him repeatedly to "show off" when in the air. He received, from his superiors, numerous reprimands for this ungentlemanly conduct.
On Monday, 14 December 1931, Doug flew to Woodley Aerodrome with two of his squadron mates in their Bulldogs. During a bull session with other pilots on the ground, Bader was dared into performing his specialty—a slow roll at treetop level. The stunt flier at first refused, but finally walked to his ship when somebody sort of suggested that he was afraid.
The Bristol left the ground after a short run, then came roaring across the field and began a slow roll. As its wings approached the vertical the biplane began losing altitude; then as the craft inverted its descent was abated. But the second half of the roll started precariously close to the ground. As the two wings again neared the perpendicular plane, their downward tips struck the ground. This drove the nose of the Bulldog into the grassy earth; its engine snapped off and the airplane cartwheeled into a pile of rubble. The semi-conscious pilot remained strapped in his seat, his white coveralls covered with blood.
When Bader reached a hospital it was discovered that, in addition to two broken ribs, his right leg was so badly mangled that amputation was necessary just above the knee. A few days later, in order to save his life, his left leg was removed below the knee. And that is how Douglas Bader faced the world at the age of twenty-one. A military court of inquiry absolved the young flier of all blame, apparently feeling that Bader had been punished enough as a result of his foolhardiness.
Bader doggedly determined that he would continue his life like any normal human being and immediately began making plans for artificial limbs. He left the hospital for the RAF rehabilitation center in April 1932 on one temporary peg leg and crutches. So he was driving his MG sportster operating the brake and accelerator with the peg leg and the clutch pedal with the point of an umbrella! Seven months later, after painful and exhausting practice, Douglas walked again on artificial steel legs and before long piloted an Avro 504 from No. 601 Auxiliary Squadron to prove that he could still fly. But the RAF grounded the crack pilot.
Bader found himself in charge of a motor pool at Duxford. During the winter of 1932-33, he again made some unofficial flights and again was reprimanded. In April 1933, when he was ordered to medical retirement with a one hundred percent disability allowance, Bader found himself in an office job with the Shell Oil Company. That October he married Thelma Edwards.
After the ill-fated Munich Agreement, Douglas Bader like some others realized that war was imminent so he applied to the RAF for active service. At first he was rejected, then realizing the need for men of his caliber, some bright soul ordered the determined flier to make a test flight on 18 October 1939.
Bader flew a Harvard trainer perfectly even though it was his first time in the air in seven years and his first flight piloting a heavy monoplane! He was accepted by the regular RAF but—records being records—still retained his one hundred percent disability pay! In December 1939, he had his first flight in a Hawker Hurricane and the following February was posted to No. 19 Squadron at Duxford. He immediately found fault with the standard battle tactics and continually expounded his own theories which included free-for-all dogfights.
The "old man" of twenty-nine was next transferred as a flight leader to No. 222 Squadron, which was equipped with the then-new Spitfire. Bader proved to be a dynamic, resourceful and efficient commander; he began teaching his men formation aerobatics and some of his own unorthodox tactics.
Doug's first official victory came when he downed a Messerschmitt 109 over Dunkirk. On 14 June 1940 he was appointed commanding officer of No. 242 Squadron. This was a Canadian outfit based at Coltishall equipped with Hawker Hurricanes (affectionately known as the "Hurrybox"). No. 242 had been badly mangled at Dunkirk and some of its tough and seasoned veterans looked upon their legless leader with disdain. Bader figured he had to show himself superior in fact as well as rank. When a goodly number were on the field he strode to his Hurricane and took off to put the fighter through every maneuver he could think of for a half-hour … all the while the squadron's purposely unkempt pilots watched with awe. When he landed, the new CO instructed his men to get washed and then maintain their dress in a manner becoming officers. This episode ended all friction and from that time on the squadron worked like a well-oiled machine.
The initial victory for No. 242 was scored by Squadron Leader Bader as he destroyed a Dornier Do 17 intruder over England on 11 July 1940. By 30 August, the squadron had moved to Duxford for the "Battle of Britain."
On his first sortie, Bader disobeyed the ground director's instructions and circled behind the enemy in order to attack from the sun. The success of this maneuver was demonstrated when Douglas shot down two German planes. Due to his agitation, the ground plotters finally started to consider the sun's position when directing RAF fighters toward attacking German bombers.
Bader also recognized the need for larger fighter formations and pressed his superiors toward this end. By September 1940 the tactician had been put in command of Squadrons 19, 310 and 242, all operating from Duxford. On the sixth of the month, Bader found himself in the center of a giant free-for-all; just as he shot down a Messerschmitt 110 in flames, an Me 109 peppered him from behind. Cannon shells crashed through the fuselage and wings, smoke filled the cockpit of his Hurricane. The Englishman slammed open the canopy, unfastened his harness, and prepared to bail out when the smoke cleared away. Only then did Bader realize that burning cordite from the shells had caused the smoke—the plane itself was not on fire. Never again did he allow panic to take the place of sound judgment.
On 14 September, two more squadrons were added to Bader's command, No. 302 (Hurricanes) and No. 611 (Spitfires). This combination, the largest fighter unit in the RAF under one man, was designated as a "12-group wing." Bader's new force shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft on the first day of its operations by following its leader's tactics.
When the "Battle of Britain" was over, weary Doug returned to Coltishall with his No. 242 Squadron; on 18 March 1941, he was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander heading up No. 145, 610 and 616 Squadrons, all Spitfire equipped. The man who was rapidly becoming a legend on both sides of the English Channel always led No. 616 on its patrols.
Bader was an unusual combination executive and pursuit pilot during this period. He did not drink, instead he puffed on a pipe for relaxation; Doug even smoked in the cramped cockpit of his fighter planes. Bader was tough and noisy and people either liked him very much, or couldn't stand him at all. He was one of the few skilled pilots willing to use a novice for his wing man so the younger man could gain experience. Bader always insisted that he had no time for paperwork yet a hidden inner kindness made him find moments to continue correspondence with a seven-year-old Yorkshire boy who had lost both legs in a bus accident. Finally credited with a real genius for fighter leadership Doug was among the original proponents of the "finger-four" formation. Bader lead his wing on every raid; during a seven-day period in the spring of 1941, he completed ten intruder sweeps across the English Channel. By July, Bader was worn and weary from such constant activity, but he never slowed for a moment. He was now recognized as one of the best fighter tacticians of the war.
In August 1941, Wing Commander Bader and his men, including such aces as "Cocky" Dundas and "Johnny" Johnson, made a sweep over France. Bader's top cover squadron strayed off course and lost contact, at the same time his own airspeed indicator stopped working. Flying at 30,000 feet, Doug, Cocky, Johnny and a fourth pilot dived upon JG 26 Messerschmitt 109 fighters.
Bader, misjudging his airspeed, sped by his quarry and was unable to recover before he had dropped 6,000 feet. He then found himself alone in the sky except for six Me 109's overhead. Violating his own teachings, he attacked them from below and alone; soon two enemy fighters were falling in flames. As Bader's Spit raced between two Messerschmitts, he felt a tremendous crash and his controls suddenly went limp. He glanced to the rear and saw that his entire tail section had been blown off.
Bader unfastened the harness, opened the canopy and swung his left leg out of the cockpit. The slipstream of the falling airplane tore at his face and chest. When Doug tried to pull his right leg out of the cockpit it would not budge; evidently it became wedged between the seat and the fuselage side. The trapped pilot tugged with superhuman strength for what appeared to be an eternity as his Spitfire dragged him down. Then the leather straps which held his artificial leg snapped and the ace found himself parachuting earthward toward Nazi-land, minus one leg. He could not help thinking that but for his artificial legs he might be splashing with his Spit. One of the Me 109 pilots buzzed the descending ace, obviously amazed at the sight of a still-alive one-legged pilot. Landing hard with only one leg to absorb the shock, Bader lost consciousness. Three German soldiers rushed him to a nearby hospital for treatment of his assorted cuts and bruises. Bader's artificial right leg was salvaged from the wreckage by the Germans who then repaired it for their prisoner.
Adolf Galland, a German ace and the leader of the JG 26 whose men had shot down Bader, invited the Englishman to tea where the two crack pilots enjoyed a few hours of pleasant conversation. Galland even arranged to have a new right leg dropped by the RAF because it was felt that the repairs on the old one would not last.
Stormy Douglas Bader was not the type of man to resign himself to this enforced confinement and he immediately began plotting escape. In addition, he abused his captors while still in the hospital, demanding treatment in strict accordance with the Geneva Convention. He baited German officers until some finally threatened him with death.
Bader escaped from the hospital by knotting bedsheets together and lowering himself from a window. He was captured while hiding in a haystack. Transferred to a camp inside Germany, the ace worked with a group of prisoners who were digging a tunnel to freedom. But he was transferred to Lubeck before that project was completed; then to Warburg in October 1941. The following January the restless pilot escaped through the snow—he was again captured. In April 1942, he worked on another tunnel job—the Germans found it before Bader had the chance to use it. The "troublemaker" as he was now known was moved again, this time to Stalag Luft III where he met another wing commander and "Battle of Britain" ace, Robert Roland Stanford Tuck. During the summer Douglas Bader was ordered moved to Stalag VIII B, but he refused to budge. Fifty-seven armed German soldiers were turned out to make him change his mind!
In August 1942, he was plotting escape by working close to a German airfield, again his plans were discovered. In desperation, the Germans moved the wing commander to Kolditz Castle which was built on sheer cliffs during the Middle Ages. The Nazis reserved it for "escape artists." During his stay, Bader managed to smuggle food into the castle for his buddies, even joined up with a group which was constructing a glider in which several men hoped to escape down over the cliffs!
Freedom finally came to Douglas Bader when Kolditz Castle fell into the hands of the advancing U.S. Army. He immediately applied for service against Japan, but the doctors told him that his leg stumps would chafe in the tropical climate. Bader's last post in the RAF was in command of North Weald Fighter Sector which included twelve fighter squadrons and six airfields. He was honored by being selected to lead the first Victory Fly-Past over London. When he was retired from active service, he returned in an executive capacity to his employer, the Shell Oil Company. Douglas Bader now flew his own airplane all over the world in the conduct of his business activities. But, private pilot or not, the name, Douglas Bader, will always be remembered whenever fighter aces become the topic of the hour.
Biography
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL (21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.
Bader joined the RAF in 1928, and was commissioned in 1930. In December 1931, while attempting some aerobatics, he crashed and lost both his legs. Having been on the brink of death, he recovered, retook flight training, passed his check flights and then requested reactivation as a pilot. Although there were no regulations applicable to his situation, he was retired against his will on medical grounds. After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, however, Douglas Bader returned to the RAF and was accepted 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.
In August 1941, Bader bailed out over German-occupied France and was captured. Soon afterward, 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. During the 1950s, a book and a film, Reach for the Sky, chronicled his life and RAF career to the end of the Second World War. Bader campaigned for the disabled and in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1976 was appointed a Knight Bachelor "for services to disabled people" and continued to fly until ill health forced him to stop in 1979. Three years later, at the age of 72, Bader died on 5 September 1982, after a heart attack.
Early Years
Childhood and Education
Bader was born on 21 February 1910 in St John's Wood, London, the second son of Frederick Roberts Bader, a civil engineer, and his wife Jessie Scott MacKenzie. His first two years were spent with McCann relatives in the Isle of Man while his father, accompanied by Bader's mother and older brother Frederick (named after his father but called 'Derick' to distinguish the two), returned to his work in India after the birth of his son. At the age of two, Bader joined his parents in India for a year; however, when his father resigned from his job in 1913 the family moved back to London and settled in Kew. Bader's father saw action in the First World War in the Royal Engineers, and was wounded in action in 1917. He remained in France after the war, where, having attained the rank of major, he died in 1922 of complications from those wounds in a hospital in Saint-Omer, the same area where Bader would bail out and be captured in 1941.
Bader's mother remarried shortly thereafter to the Reverend Ernest William Hobbs. Bader was subsequently brought up in the rectory of the village of Sprotborough, near Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, Bader's mild-mannered stepfather did not become the father figure he needed. His mother showed little interest in Bader and sent him to his grandparents on occasion. Without guidance, Bader became unruly. During one incident, Bader's competitive nature saw him shoot his older brother with an air rifle at close range. He was first sent as a boarder to Temple Grove School, one of the "Famous Five" of English prep schools, but one which gave its boys a Spartan upbringing.
Bader's aggressive energy found a new lease of life at St Edward's School, where he received his secondary education. During his time there, he thrived at sports. Bader played rugby and often enjoyed physical battles with bigger and older opponents. The then Warden (or Headmaster), Henry E. Kendall, tolerated Bader's aggressive and competitive nature. At one point, he made him a prefect despite what others saw as a strong streak of conceit in the boy. Fellow RAF night fighter and bomber pilots Guy Gibson and Adrian Warburton also attended the school. In later life, Bader was deemed to be so good that he was invited to play a trial (or friendly game) with the Harlequins, but it is not clear whether he actually played.
Bader's sporting interests continued into his military service. He was selected for the Royal Air Force cricket team, to play a first-class match against the Army at the Oval in July 1931. He scored 65 and 1. In August, he played in a two-day game against the Royal Navy. He played cricket in a German prisoner of war camp after his capture in 1941, despite his later disability.
In mid-1923, Bader, at the age of 13, was introduced to an Avro 504 during a school holiday trip to visit his aunt, Hazel, who was marrying RAF Flight Lieutenant Cyril Burge, adjutant at RAF Cranwell. Although he enjoyed the visit and took an interest in aviation, he showed no signs of becoming a keen pilot. Still very sports minded, an interest which dominated Bader's formative years, he took less of an interest in his studies. Bader received guidance from Warden Kendall and, with Kendall's encouragement, he excelled at his studies and was later accepted as a cadet at RAF Cranwell. Soon afterwards, he was offered a place at Oxford University, but turned it down as he preferred Cambridge University.
His mother refused to allow Bader to attend Cambridge in December 1927, claiming she could not afford the fees. A master at St. Edwards, a Mr Dingwall, helped pay these fees in part. Due to his new connection with Cyril Burge, Bader learned of the six annual prize cadetships offered by RAF Cranwell each year. Out of hundreds of applicants, he finished fifth. He left St Edward's in early 1928, aged 18.
Joining the RAF
In 1928, Bader joined the RAF as an officer cadet at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in rural Lincolnshire. He continued to excel at sports, and added hockey and boxing to his repertoire. Motorcycling was tolerated at Cranwell, though cadets usually took part in banned activities such as speeding, pillion racing and buying and racing motorcars. Bader was involved in these activities and was close to expulsion after being caught out too often, in addition to coming in 19th out of 21 in his class examinations; however, his commanding officer (CO), Air Vice-Marshal Frederick Halahan gave him a private warning about his conduct.
On 13 September 1928, Bader took his first flight with his instructor Flying Officer W. J. "Pissy" Pearson in an Avro 504. After just 11 hours and 15 minutes of flight time, he flew his first solo, on 19 February 1929.
Bader competed for the "Sword of Honour" award at the end of his two-year course, but lost to Patrick Coote, his nearest rival. Coote went on to become the Wing Commander of Western Wing, British Air Forces Greece and was killed on 13 April 1941 while flying as an observer in a No. 211 Squadron Bristol Blenheim, L4819 flown by Flying Officer R. V. Herbert when six of the squadron's aircraft were shot down over Greece. Coote's aircraft was the first of 29 aerial victories for the Luftwaffe ace Unteroffizier (later Leutnant) Fritz Gromotka.
On 26 July 1930, Bader was commissioned as a pilot officer into No. 23 Squadron RAF based at Kenley, Surrey. Flying Gloster Gamecocks and soon after, Bristol Bulldogs, Bader became a daredevil while training there, often flying illegal and dangerous stunts. While very fast for its time, the Bulldog had directional stability problems at low speeds, which made such stunts exceptionally dangerous. Strict orders were issued forbidding unauthorized aerobatics below 2,000 feet (610 m). Douglas took this as an unnecessary safety rule rather than an order to be obeyed. After one training flight at the gunnery range, Bader achieved only a 38 percent hit rate on a target. Receiving jibes from a rival squadron (No. 25 Squadron RAF), Bader took off to perform aerobatics and show off his skill. It was against regulations, and seven out of 23 accidents caused by ignoring regulations had proven fatal. The CO of No. 25 Squadron remarked that he would order Bader to face a court-martial if Bader was in his unit. The COs of Bader's unit, Harry Day and Henry Wollett, gave the pilots more latitude, although Day encouraged them to recognize their own limits.
No. 23 Squadron had won the Hendon Air Show "pairs" event in 1929 and 1930. In 1931 Bader, teamed with Harry Day, successfully defended the squadron's title in the spring that year. In late 1931, Bader undertook training for the 1932 Hendon Air Show, hoping to win a second consecutive title. Two pilots had been killed attempting aerobatics. The pilots were warned not to practice these maneuvers under 2,000 feet (610 m) and to keep above 500 feet (150 m) at all times.
Nevertheless, on 14 December 1931, while visiting Reading Aero Club, he attempted some low-flying aerobatics at Woodley Airfield in a Bulldog Mk. IIA, K1676, of 23 Squadron, apparently on a dare. His aircraft crashed when the tip of the left wing touched the ground. Bader was rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, where, in the hands of the prominent surgeon J. Leonard Joyce (1882–1939), both his legs were amputated — one above and one below the knee. Bader made the following laconic entry in his logbook after the crash:
Crashed slow-rolling near ground. Bad show.
In 1932, after a long convalescence, throughout which he needed morphine for pain relief, Bader was transferred to the hospital at RAF Uxbridge and fought hard to regain his former abilities after he was given a new pair of artificial legs. In time, his agonizing and determined efforts paid off, and he was able to drive a specially modified car, play golf, and even dance. During his convalescence there, he met and fell in love with Thelma Edwards, a waitress at a tea room called the Pantiles on the A30 London Road in Bagshot, Surrey.
Bader got his chance to prove that he could still fly when, in June 1932, Air Under-Secretary Philip Sassoon arranged for him to take up an Avro 504, which he piloted competently. A subsequent medical examination proved him fit for active service, but in April 1933 he was notified that the RAF had decided to reverse the decision on the grounds that this situation was not covered by King's Regulations. In May, Bader was invalided out of the RAF, took an office job with the Asiatic Petroleum Company (now Shell) and, on 5 October 1933, married Thelma Edwards.
Return to RAF
With increasing tensions in Europe in 1937–1939, Bader repeatedly requested that the Air Ministry give him a posting and he was finally invited to a selection board meeting at Adastral House in Kingsway. Bader was disappointed to learn that it was only "ground jobs" that were being offered. It appeared that he would be refused a flying position; but Air Vice-Marshal Halahan, commandant of RAF Cranwell in Bader's days there, personally endorsed him and asked the Central Flying School, Upavon, to assess his capabilities.
On 14 October 1939, the Central Flying School requested Bader report for flight tests on 18 October. He did not wait; driving down the next morning, Bader undertook refresher courses. Despite reluctance on the part of the establishment to allow him to apply for an A.1.B. (full flying category status), his persistent efforts paid off. Bader regained a medical categorization for operational flying at the end of November 1939 and was posted to the Central Flying School for a refresher course on modern types of aircraft. On 27 November, eight years after his accident, Bader flew solo again in an Avro Tutor; once airborne, he could not resist the temptation to turn the biplane upside down at 600 feet (180 m) inside the circuit area. Bader subsequently progressed through the Fairey Battle and Miles Master (the last training stage before flying Spitfires and Hurricanes).
Second World War
Phony War
In January 1940, Bader was posted to No. 19 Squadron based at RAF Duxford near Cambridge, where, at 29, he was older than most of his fellow pilots. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson, a close friend from his Cranwell days, was the commanding officer, and it was here that Bader got his first glimpse of a Spitfire. It was thought that Bader's success as a fighter pilot was partly because of his having no legs; pilots pulling high "g-forces" in combat turns often "blacked out" as the flow of blood from the brain drained to other parts of the body, usually the legs. As Bader had no legs he could remain conscious longer, and thus had an advantage over more able-bodied opponents.
Between February and May 1940 Bader practiced formation flying, air tactics, and undertook flights over sea convoys. Bader found opposition to his ideas about aerial combat. He favored using the sun and altitude to ambush the enemy, but the RAF did not share his opinions. Official orders/doctrine dictated that pilots should fly line-astern and attack singly. Despite this being at odds with his preferred tactics, Bader obeyed orders, and his skill saw him rapidly promoted to section leader.
During this time, Bader crashed a Spitfire on take-off. He had forgotten to switch the propeller pitch from coarse to fine, and the aircraft careened down the runway at 80 mph, ultimately crashing. Despite a head wound, Bader got into another Spitfire for a second attempt. Leigh-Mallory made Bader a flight commander of No. 222 Squadron RAF a few weeks later which also meant an advance from flying officer to flight lieutenant.
Battle of France
Bader had his first taste of combat with No. 222 Squadron RAF, which was based at RAF Duxford and commanded by another old friend of his, Squadron Leader "Tubby" Mermagen. On 10 May the Wehrmacht invaded Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The campaigns went badly for the Western Allies and soon they were evacuating from Dunkirk during the battle for the port. RAF Squadrons were ordered to provide air supremacy for the Royal Navy during Operation Dynamo. While patrolling the coast near Dunkirk on 1 June 1940 at around 3,000 ft (910 m), Bader happened upon a Messerschmitt Bf 109 in front of him, flying in the same direction and at approximately the same speed. He believed that the German must have been a novice, taking no evasive action even though it took more than one burst of gunfire to shoot him down. Bader was also credited with a Messerschmitt Bf 110 damaged, despite claiming five victories in that particular dogfight.
In the next patrol Bader was credited with a Heinkel He 111 damaged. On 4 June 1940, his encounter with a Dornier Do 17, which was attacking Allied shipping, involved a near collision while he was firing at the aircraft's rear gunner during a high-speed pass. Shortly after Bader joined 222 Squadron, it moved to RAF Kirton in Lindsey, just south of the Humber.
After flying operations over Dunkirk, Bader was posted to command No. 242 Squadron RAF as acting squadron leader on 28 June 1940, a Hawker Hurricane unit based at RAF Coltishall, mainly made up of Canadians who had suffered high losses in the Battle of France and had low morale. Despite initial resistance to their new commanding officer, the pilots were soon won over by Bader's strong personality and perseverance, especially in cutting through red tape to make the squadron operational again. Bader transformed 242 Squadron back into an effective fighting unit. Upon the formation of No. 12 Group RAF, 242 Squadron was assigned to the Group while based at RAF Duxford. No. 242 Squadron only became fully operational on 9 July 1940.
Battle of Britain
After the French campaign, the RAF prepared for the coming Battle of Britain in which the Luftwaffe intended to achieve air supremacy. Once attained, the Germans would attempt to launch Operation Sea Lion, the codename for an invasion of Britain. The battle officially began on 10 July 1940.
On 11 July, Bader scored his first victory with his new squadron. The cloud base was down to just 600 ft while drizzle and mist covered most of the sky, and forward visibility was down to just 2,000 yards. Bader was alone on patrol, and was soon directed toward an enemy aircraft flying north up the Norfolk coast. Spotting the aircraft at 600 yards, Bader recognized it as a Dornier Do 17, and after he closed to 250 yards its rear gunner opened fire. Bader continued his attack and fired two bursts into the bomber before it vanished into cloud. The Dornier, which crashed into the sea off Cromer, was later confirmed by a member of the Royal Observer Corps. On 21 August, a similar engagement took place. This time, a Dornier went into the sea off Great Yarmouth and again the Observer Corps confirmed the claim. There were no survivors.
Later in the month, Bader scored a further two victories over Messerschmitt Bf 110s. On 30 August 1940, No. 242 Squadron was moved to Duxford again and found itself in the thick of the fighting. On this date, the squadron claimed 10 enemy aircraft, Bader scoring two victories against Bf 110s. Other squadrons were involved, and it was impossible to verify which RAF units were responsible for the damage on the enemy. On 7 September, two more Bf 110s were shot down, but in the same engagement Bader was badly hit by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Bader almost bailed out, but recovered the Hurricane. Other pilots witnessed one of Bader's victims crash.
On 7 September, Bader claimed two Bf 109s shot down, followed by a Junkers Ju 88. On 9 September, Bader claimed another Dornier. During the same mission, he attacked a He 111 only to discover he was out of ammunition. Enraged, he thought about ramming it and slicing off the rudder with his propeller, but turned away when he regained his composure. On 14 September, Bader was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his combat leadership.
On 15 September, known as the Battle of Britain Day, Bader damaged a Do 17 and a Ju 88, while destroying another Do 17 in the afternoon. Bader flew several missions that day, which involved heavy air combat. The original combat report states that he destroyed one enemy aircraft, claimed no probable, but did claim several damaged. The Dornier's gunner attempted to bail out, but his parachute was caught on the tail wheel and he died when the aircraft crashed into the Thames Estuary. Further detail suggests Bader took pity on the gunner and "tried to kill him to put him out of his misery." Another Do 17 and a Ju 88 were claimed on 18 September. A Bf 109 was claimed on 27 September. Bader was gazetted on 1 October 1940. On 24 September, he had been promoted to the war substantive rank of flight lieutenant.
As a friend and supporter of his 12 Group commander, Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Bader joined him as an active exponent of the controversial "Big Wing" theory which provoked much debate in the RAF during the battle. Bader was an outspoken critic of the careful "husbanding" tactics being used by Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, the commander of 11 Group. Park was supported by Fighter Command Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, the overall commander. Bader vociferously campaigned for an aggressive policy of assembling large formations of defensive fighters north of London ready to inflict maximum damage on the massed German bomber formations as they flew over South East England. As the Battle progressed, Bader often found himself at the head of a composite wing of fighters consisting of up to five squadrons, known as the "Duxford Wing." Achievements of the Big Wing were hard to quantify, as the large formations often took too long to form up, over claimed victories, and too often did not provide timely support of the over-committed 11 Group. The episode probably contributed to the departure of Park, who was replaced with Leigh-Mallory in November 1940, and Dowding. While it is not known whether Mallory and Bader were aware that the claims of the RAF and Big Wings were exaggerated, they certainly tried to use them as a potent tool with which to remove Park and Dowding from command and pursue the Big Wing tactic. After the war, Bader insisted that both he and Leigh-Mallory wanted the Big Wing tactic enacted in 12 Group only. They both believed, according to Bader, that it was impractical to use it in 11 Group, as the command was located too close to the enemy and would not have enough time to assemble.
RAF ace Johnnie Johnson offered a balanced view of Bader and the Big Wing:
Douglas was all for the Big Wings to counter the German formation[s]. I think there was room for both tactics – the Big Wings and the small squadrons. It might well have been fatal had Park always tried to get his squadrons into "Balbos," for not only would they have taken longer to get to their height, but sixty or seventy packed climbing fighters could have been seen for miles and would have been sitting ducks for higher 109s. Also nothing would have pleased Göring more than for his 109s to pounce on large numbers of RAF fighters. Indeed, Adolf Galland and Werner Mölders complained about the elusiveness of Fighter Command and Park's brilliance was that by refusing to concentrate his force he preserved it throughout the battle. This does not mean, as Bader pointed out at the time, that two or three Balbos from 10 and 12 Groups, gaining height beyond the range of the 109s, would not have played a terrific part in the fighting.
During the Battle of Britain, Bader used three Hawker Hurricanes. The first was P3061, in which he scored six air victories. The second aircraft was unknown, but Bader did score one victory and two damaged in it on 9 September. The third was V7467, in which he destroyed four more and added one probable and two damaged by the end of September. The machine was lost on 1 September 1941 while on a training exercise.
On 12 December 1940, Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his services during the Battle of Britain. His unit, No. 242 Squadron, had claimed 62 aerial victories. Bader was gazetted on 7 January 1941. By this time, he was an acting squadron leader.
Wing Leader
On 18 March 1941, Bader was promoted to acting wing commander and became one of the first "wing leaders." Stationed at Tangmere with 145, 610 and 616 Squadrons under his command, Bader led his wing of Spitfires on sweeps and "Circus" operations (medium bomber escort) over north-western Europe throughout the summer campaign. These were missions combining bombers and fighters designed to lure out and tie down German Luftwaffe fighter units that might otherwise serve on the Russian front. One of the wing leader's "perks" was permission to have his initials marked on his aircraft as personal identification, thus "D-B" was painted on the side of Bader's Spitfire. These letters gave rise to his radio call-sign "Dogsbody."
During 1941 his wing was re-equipped with Spitfire VBs, which had two Hispano 20 mm cannon and four .303 machine guns. Bader flew a Mk VA equipped with eight .303 machine guns, as he insisted that these guns were more effective against fighter opposition. His tactics required a close-in approach in which he felt the lower caliber weapons had a more devastating effect. At the time, RAF trials with wing-mounted cannons had also revealed a number of shortcomings that precluded a widespread acceptance of the armament.
Bader's combat missions were mainly fought against Bf 109s over France and the Channel. On 7 May 1941 he shot down one Bf 109 and claimed another as a probable victory. The German formation belonged to Jagdgeschwader 26 (Fighter Wing 26), which on that date was led in action by German ace Adolf Galland, and was also when Galland claimed his 68th victory. Bader and Galland met again 94 days later. On 21 June 1941, Bader shot down a Bf 109E off the coast near Desvres. His victory was witnessed by two other pilots who saw a Bf 109 crash and the German pilot bail out. On 25 June 1941 Bader shot down two more Bf 109Fs. The first was shot down between 11:58 and 13:35 off the coast of Gravelines; the pilot bailed out. In the same action he shared in the destruction of another Bf 109F. The second Bf 109 was shot down in the afternoon.
The following month was more successful for Bader. On 2 July 1941 he was awarded the bar to his DSO. Later that day he claimed one Bf 109 destroyed and another damaged. On 4 July, Bader fired on a Bf 109E which slowed down so much that he nearly collided with it. Squadron Leader Burton saw the entire combat and noted the Bf 109 "fell away in a sloppy fashion," "as though the pilot had been hit." It was marked as a probable. On 6 July another Bf 109 was shot down and the pilot bailed out. This victory was witnessed by Pilot Officers Johnnie Johnson (RAF officer) and Alan Smith (RAF officer) (Bader's usual wingman). On 9 July, Bader claimed one probable and one damaged, both trailing coolant or oil. On 10 July Bader claimed a Bf 109 (and one damaged) over Bethune. Later, Bader destroyed a Bf 109E which blew up south of, or actually over, Calais. On 12 July, Bader found further success, shooting down one Bf 109 and damaging three others between Bethune and St Omer. Bader was again gazetted on 15 July. On 23 July, Bader claimed another Bf 109 damaged and possibly destroyed, even though the action resulted in two Bf 109s destroyed. The other was shot down by Squadron Leader Burton. Bader did not see his Bf 109 crash, so he claimed it as a damaged only, despite the fact pilots of No. 242 Squadron RAF saw two Bf 109s crash.
Bader had been pushing for more sorties to fly in late 1941 but his Wing was tired. He was intent on adding to his score, which, according to the CO of No. 616 Squadron RAF Billy Burton, brought the other pilots and mood in his wing to a near-mutinous state. Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Bader's immediate superior as OC No.11 Group, Fighter Command, relented and allowed Bader to continue frequent missions over France even though his score of 20 and the accompanying strain evident on his features obliged Leigh-Mallory to consider his withdrawal from operations. Ultimately, Leigh-Mallory did not want to upset his star pilot, and did not invoke any restrictions.
Last Combat
Between 24 March and 9 August 1941, Bader flew 62 fighter sweeps over France. On 9 August 1941, Bader was flying a Spitfire Mk VA serial W3185 "D-B" on an offensive patrol over the French coast, looking for Messerschmitt Bf 109s from Abbeville or Wissant without his trusted wingman Sir Alan Smith. Smith, who was described by fellow pilot Johnnie Johnson as 'leechlike' and the 'perfect number two,' was unable to fly on that day due to a head cold, so was in London being fitted for a new uniform ready for his officer commission. It is possible that this may have been a contributing factor as to how events unfolded.
Just after Bader's section of four aircraft crossed the coast, 12 Bf 109s were spotted flying in formation approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 meters) below them and travelling in the same direction. Bader dived on them too fast and too steeply to be able to aim and fire his guns, and barely avoided colliding with one of them. He leveled out at 24,000 feet (7,300 meters) to find that he was now alone, separated from his section, and was considering whether to return home when he spotted three pairs of Bf 109s a couple of miles in front of him. He dropped down below them and closed up before destroying one of them with a short burst of fire from close range. Bader was just opening fire on a second Bf 109, which trailed white smoke and dropped down, when he noticed the two on his left turning towards him. At this point he decided it would be better to return home; however, making the mistake of banking away from them, Bader believed he had a mid-air collision with the second of the two Bf 109s on his right that were continuing straight ahead.
Bader's fuselage, tail and fin were gone from behind him, and he lost height rapidly at what he estimated to be 400 mph (640 km/hr) in a slow spin. He jettisoned the cockpit canopy, released his harness pin, and the air rushing past the open cockpit started to suck him out, but his prosthetic leg was trapped. Part way out of the cockpit and still attached to his aircraft, Bader fell for some time before he released his parachute, at which point the leg's retaining strap snapped under the strain and he was pulled free. A Bf 109 flew by some 50 yards away as he neared the ground at around 4,000 feet (1,200 meters).
Controversy Over Cause
Although Bader believed for years that he had collided in midair with a Bf 109, two other possibilities have later been put forward; that he was shot down by a German Bf 109, or alternatively that he may have been a victim of friendly fire. Recent research shows no Bf 109 was lost to a collision that day, and there is also doubt that a German pilot was responsible for shooting him down. Feldwebel Max Meyer of II./Jagdgeschwader 26 flying a Bf 109 had claimed him shot down that morning and according to Luftwaffe records a Leutnant Kosse of 5./JG 26 and Meyer, of 6./JG 26 were the only German pilots to claim a victory that day. Furthermore, Meyer mentioned that he had followed the downed Spitfire and watched the pilot bail out, something which seems to match this passage in Bader's memoirs:
I was floating in the sunshine above broken, white cloud ... I heard an aeroplane just after I passed through. A Bf 109 flew past.
Bader met Max Meyer in Sydney in 1981 during the Schofields Air Show. None of the German pilots who made a claim for an aerial victory that day could match their report with the demise of Bader's Spitfire. Adolf Galland, Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26 or Fighter Wing 26), went through every report, even those of German pilots killed in the action, to determine Bader's victor. Each case was dismissed. Kosse's claim only matches the victory against No. 452 Squadron RAF's Sergeant Haydon.
More recently, in 2003 air historian Andy Saunders wrote a book Bader's Last Flight, following up with a Channel 4 documentary Who Downed Douglas Bader?, which first aired on 28 August 2006. Saunders' research now suggests that Bader may have been a victim of friendly fire, shot down by one of his fellow RAF pilots after becoming detached from his own squadron. RAF combat records indicate Bader may have been shot down by Flight Lieutenant "Buck" Casson of No. 616 Squadron RAF, who claimed a Bf 109 whose tail came off and the pilot bailed out, before he himself was shot down and captured. Casson also mentioned that for a while he watched as the pilot struggled to bail out. Bader was flying at the rear of the German fighter formation, alone, and his squadron were the opposite side of the Germans. "Buck" had only a few seconds in which he saw Bader and mistook his Spitfire for a Bf 109. In a letter to Bader on 28 May 1945, Casson explained the action. While this source made it into the public domain, it was severely edited. The nature of the letter, that it was from Casson to Bader, was removed. Crucially, an entire paragraph, which mentioned specifically the tail coming off "a Bf 109" and the pilot struggling to get out of the cockpit, was completely omitted from the original source, still in the Casson family's possession. Saunders stated that this was not absolute proof, and that it would be helpful to find the "Bader Spitfire."
Search for W3185
The quest to find Bader's Spitfire, W3185, shed light on the demise of another famous wartime ace, Wilhelm Balthasar, Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 2, who was killed in action on 3 July 1941 when his Bf 109F crashed into Ferme Goset, Wittes, France. It was recovered in March 2004. Later, in the summer 2004, a further aircraft was discovered in Widdebrouch. It was found to be that of a Bf 109F, flown by Unteroffizier Albert Schlager of JG 26, who was reported missing during Bader's last combat on 9 August 1941. A brief glimpse of hope was discovered later, when a Spitfire wreck was found. Inside was a flying helmet with the letters "DB" written on the top. It was later identified as a Spitfire IX, owing to the findings of a 20mm cannon (which Bader's Spitfire did not have), and ammunition dated as 1943.
Bader's aircraft was not found. It is likely that it came down at Mont Dupil Farm near the French village of Blaringhem, possibly near Desprez sawmill. A French witness, Jacques Taffin, saw the Spitfire disintegrating as it came down. He thought it had been hit by anti-aircraft fire, but none was active in the area. There were also no Spitfire remains in the area. The lack of any remains was not surprising, owing to the Spitfire breaking up on its descent. Historians have also been misled as to the whereabouts of the Spitfire because of a mistake in the book Reach for the Sky, in which Bader stated his leg had been dug out from the wreckage but was damaged, indicating a definite crash site. Bader's leg had actually been found in an open field.
Prisoner of War
The Germans treated Bader with great respect. When he bailed out, Bader's right prosthetic leg became trapped in the aircraft, and he escaped only when the leg's retaining straps snapped after he pulled the ripcord on his parachute. General Adolf Galland notified the British of his damaged leg and offered them safe passage to drop off a replacement. Hermann Göring himself gave the green light for the operation. The British responded on 19 August 1941 with the "Leg Operation" — an RAF bomber was allowed to drop a new prosthetic leg by parachute to St Omer, a Luftwaffe base in occupied France, as part of Circus 81 involving six Bristol Blenheims and a sizeable fighter escort. The Germans were less impressed when, task done, the bombers proceeded on to their bombing mission to Gosnay Power Station near Bethune, although bad weather prevented the target being attacked. Galland stated in an interview that the aircraft dropped the leg after bombing Galland's airfield. Galland did not meet Bader again until summer 1945, when he, Günther Rall and Hans-Ulrich Rudel arrived at RAF Tangmere as prisoners of war. Bader, according to Rall, personally arranged for Rudel, a fellow amputee, to be fitted with an artificial leg.
Bader escaped from the hospital where he was recovering by tying together a number of sheets. Initially the "rope" did not reach the ground; with the help of another patient, he slid the sheet from under the comatose New Zealand pilot, Bill Russell of 485 Squadron, who had had his arm amputated the day before. Russell's bed was then moved to the window to act as an anchor. A French maid at the St. Omer hospital attempted to get in touch with British agents to enable Douglas to escape back to Britain. She later brought a letter from a peasant couple (a Mr. and Mrs. Hiecques), who promised to shelter him outside St. Omer until he could be passed further down the line. Until then, their son would wait outside the hospital every night until there was a chance of escape. Eventually, he escaped out of a window. The plan worked initially. Bader completed the long walk to the safe house despite wearing a British uniform. Unfortunately for him, the plan was betrayed by another woman at the hospital. He hid in the garden when a German staff car arrived at the house, but was found later. Bader denied that the couple had known he was there. They, along with the French woman at the hospital, were sent for forced labor in Germany. The couple survived. After the war, French authorities sentenced the woman informer to 20 years in prison.
Over the next few years, Bader made himself a thorn in the side of the Germans. He often practiced what the RAF personnel called "goon-baiting." He considered it his duty to cause as much trouble to the enemy as possible, much of which included escape attempts. He made so many escape attempts that the Germans threatened to take away his legs. In August 1942, Bader escaped with Johnny Palmer and three others from the camp at Stalag Luft III B in Sagan. Unluckily, a Luftwaffe officer of Jagdgeschwader 26 was in the area. Keen to meet the Tangmere wing leader, he dropped by to see Bader, but when he knocked on his door, there was no answer. Soon the alarm was raised, and a few days later, Bader was recaptured. During the escape attempt, the Germans produced a poster of Bader and Palmer asking for information. It described Bader's disability and said he "walks well with stick." Twenty years later, Bader was sent a copy of it by a Belgian civilian prisoner, who had worked in a Gestapo office in Leipzig. Bader found this amusing, as he had never used a stick. He was finally dispatched to the "escape-proof" Colditz Castle Oflag IV-C on 18 August 1942, where he remained until 15 April 1945 when it was liberated by the First United States Army.
Post-war
Last Years in the RAF
After his return to Britain, Bader was given the honor of leading a victory flypast of 300 aircraft over London in June 1945. On 1 July, he was promoted to temporary wing commander. Soon after, Bader was looking for a post in the RAF. Air Marshal Richard Atcherley, a former Schneider Trophy pilot, was commanding the Central Fighter Establishment at Tangmere. He and Bader had been junior officers at Kenley in 1930, while serving in No. 23 Squadron RAF. Bader was given the post of the Fighter Leader's School commanding officer. He received a promotion to war substantive wing commander on 1 December and soon after was promoted to temporary group captain.
Unfortunately for Bader, fighter aircraft's roles had now grown significantly and he spent most of his time instructing on ground attack and co-operation with ground forces. Also, Bader did not get on with the newer generation of squadron leaders who considered him to be "out of date." In the end, Air Marshal James Robb offered Bader a role commanding the North Weald sector of No. 11 Group RAF, an organization steeped in Fighter Command and Battle of Britain history. It is likely Bader would have stayed in the RAF for some time had his mentor Leigh-Mallory not been killed in an air crash in November 1944, such was the respect and influence he held over Bader, but Bader's enthusiasm for continued service in the RAF waned. On 21 July 1946, Bader retired from the RAF with the rank of group captain to take a job at Royal Dutch Shell.
Post-war Career
Bader considered politics, and standing as a Member of Parliament for his home constituency in the House of Commons. He despised how the three main political parties used war veterans for their own political ends. Instead, he resolved to join Shell. His decision was not motivated by money, but a willingness to repay a debt. Shell had been ready to take him on, aged 23, after his accident. Other companies had offered him more money, but he chose to join Shell on principle. There was another incentive. Joining Shell would allow him to continue flying. He would travel as an executive, and it meant he could fly a light aircraft. He spent most of his time abroad flying around in a company-owned Percival Proctor and later a Miles Gemini. On one mission, between 15 August and 16 September 1946, Bader was sent on a public relations mission for Shell around Europe and North Africa with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) General James Doolittle.
Bader became Managing Director of Shell Aircraft until he retired in 1969. He travelled to every major country outside the Communist world, becoming internationally famous and a popular after-dinner speaker on aviation matters. In 1975 he spoke at the funeral of Keith Park.
Personality
When the film Reach for the Sky was released, people associated Bader with the quiet and amiable personality of actor Kenneth More, who played Bader. Bader recognized that the producers had deleted all those habits he displayed when on operations, particularly his prolific use of bad language. Bader once said, "[they] still think [I'm] the dashing chap Kenneth More was." Bader's more controversial traits were touched upon by Brickhill in the book Reach for the Sky. "He is a somewhat 'difficult' person," Brickhill told (Sir) Billy Collins, head of his publishing house William Collins and Sons, after spending over a year talking to him. Nevertheless, Bader was received as a legendary figure by the wider public, who closely identified him as a leader of The Few in the Battle of Britain.
Never a person to hide his opinions, Bader also became controversial for his political interventions. A staunch conservative with traditional Victorian values, his trenchantly expressed views on such subjects as juvenile delinquency, apartheid and Rhodesia's defiance of the Commonwealth (he was a strong supporter of Ian Smith's white minority regime) attracted much criticism. During the Suez Crisis, Bader travelled to New Zealand. Some of the more recent African Commonwealth countries had been critical of British military intervention; he replied that they could "bloody well climb back up their trees." During a trip to South Africa in November 1965, Bader said that if he had been in Rhodesia when it made its declaration of independence, he "would have had serious thoughts about changing my citizenship." Later, Bader also wrote the foreword to Hans-Ulrich Rudel's biography Stuka Pilot. Even when it emerged that Rudel was a fervent supporter of the Nazi Party, Bader said that prior knowledge would not have changed his mind about his contribution.
In the late 1960s, Bader was interviewed on television, where his comments provoked controversy. During the interview, he expressed a desire to be Prime Minister, and listed some controversial proposals should the opportunity ever arise:
Withdraw sanctions from Rhodesia so negotiations could take place without pressure.
Stop immigration into Britain immediately until the "situation had been examined."
Reintroduce the death penalty for murder.
Ban betting shops, "They breed protection rackets. That's why we're getting like Chicago in the '20s."
Bader was known, at times, to be head-strong, blunt and unsophisticated when he made his opinion known. During one visit to Munich, Germany, as a guest of Adolf Galland, he walked into a room full of ex-Luftwaffe pilots and said, "My God, I had no idea we left so many of you bastards alive." He also used the phrase to describe the Trades Union Congress during economic and social unrest in the 1970s. Later, he suggested that Britons in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament were a "rabble" and should be deported.
Personal Life
Bader's first wife, Thelma, developed throat cancer in 1967. Aware that her survival was unlikely, the two spent as much time with each other as possible. Thelma was a smoker, and although she stopped smoking, it did not save her. After a long battle, she died on 24 January 1971. Bader married Joan Murray (née Hipkiss) on 3 January 1973. They spent the remainder of their lives in the village of Marlston, Berkshire. Joan was the daughter of a steel tycoon. She had an interest in riding and was a member of the British Limbless Ex-Serviceman's Association. They first met at one of the association's events in 1960. She also helped associations involved in riding for the disabled. Bader campaigned vigorously for people with disabilities and set an example of how to overcome a disability. In June 1976, Bader was knighted for his services to disabled people. Actor John Mills and Air Vice-Marshal Neil Cameron attended the ceremony.
Other awards followed. Bader maintained his interest in aviation, and in 1977 he was made a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He also received a Doctorate of Science from Queen's University Belfast. Bader was also busy acting as a consultant to Aircraft Equipment International at Ascot, Berkshire. Bader's health was in decline in the 1970s, and he soon gave up flying altogether. On 4 June 1979, Bader flew his Beech 95 Travelair (Galland had bought one as well) for the last time, the aircraft having being gifted to him on his retirement from Shell. He had recorded 5,744 hours and 25 minutes flying time. Bader's friend Adolf Galland followed Bader into retirement soon afterwards for the same reasons.
His workload was exhausting for a legless man with a worsening heart condition. On 5 September 1982, after a dinner honoring Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris at the Guildhall, at which he spoke, Bader died of a heart attack while being driven through Chiswick, west London, on his way home.
Among the many dignitaries and personalities at his funeral was Adolf Galland. Galland and Douglas Bader had shared a friendship that spanned more than 42 years since their first meeting in France. Although Galland was on a business trip to California, he made sure to attend the memorial service held for Bader at the St Clement Danes Church in the Strand. Peter Tory wrote in his London Diary newspaper column:
Certainly Bader, had he been present, would have instantly recognized the stranger in the dark raincoat. Stomping over to his side, he would have banged him on the back and bellowed: "Bloody good show, glad you could come!" — Peter Tory
Tributes
A biography about Douglas Bader by Paul Brickhill, Reach for the Sky, was published in 1954. Some 172,000 copies were sold in the first few months alone. The initial print run of 300,000 quickly sold out, as the biography became the biggest-selling hardback in post-war Britain. Brickhill had originally offered Bader fifty per cent of all proceeds, sealing the arrangement with a handshake. As sales soared, Bader became concerned that, after tax, he would make very little, and he insisted on a new deal, in writing. So, Brickhill agreed to make him a one-off payment from his company Brickhill Publications Limited of £13,125, the majority of which would be for 'expenses,' and tax-free, with only a small portion for 'services' and therefore taxable (£247 thousand today). The Inland Revenue subsequently waived any tax liabilities on Bader's earnings. After film director Daniel M. Angel bought the film rights and teamed up with Lewis Gilbert to write the screenplay, Bader came to regret the limiting new deal he had wrung from Brickhill. He was so bitter, he refused to attend the premiere, and only saw the film eleven years later, on television. He never spoke to Brickhill again, and never answered his letters. The feature film of the same title was released in 1956, starring Kenneth More as Bader, topping the box office in Britain that year.
On the 60th anniversary of Bader's last combat sortie, his widow Joan unveiled a statue at Goodwood, formerly RAF Westhampnett, the aerodrome from which he took off. The 6 ft (1.8 m) bronze sculpture, the first such tribute, was created by Kenneth Potts and was commissioned by the Earl of March, who runs the Goodwood estate.
The Douglas Bader Foundation was formed in honor of Bader in 1982 by family and friends—many also former RAF pilots who had flown with Bader during the Second World War.
One of Bader's artificial legs is kept by the RAF Museum at their warehouse in Stafford, and is not on public display. Another was sold at auction in February 2008, along with several other items belonging to the RAF ace.
The Northbrook College Sussex campus at Shoreham Airport has a building named after him in which aeronautical and automotive engineering are taught. The building was opened by his wife Joan Murray.
The Bader Way, in Woodley, Reading is named after Bader. Woodley Airfield is where Bader lost his legs in 1931.
Bader Drive, near Auckland International Airport, is named in his honor.
A pub at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, is named after Bader.
RAF Coltishall, sold off by the MoD, was purchased privately in 2006 and later renamed Badersfield.
Honors and Awards
1 October 1940 – Acting Squadron Leader Bader (26151) is appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order:
This officer had displayed, gallantry and leadership of the highest order. During three recent engagements he has led his squadron with such skill and ability that thirty-three enemy aircraft have been destroyed. In the course of these engagements Squadron Leader Bader had added to his previous successes by destroying six enemy aircraft. —London Gazette
7 January 1941 – Acting Squadron Leader Bader, DSO (26151), No. 242 Squadron is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross:
Squadron Leader Bader has continued to lead his squadron and wing with the utmost gallantry on all occasions. He has now destroyed a total of ten hostile aircraft and damaged several more. —London Gazette
15 July 1941 – Acting Wing Commander Bader, DSO, DFC (26151) is awarded a bar to the Distinguished Service Order:
This officer has led his wing on a series of consistently successful sorties over enemy territory during the past three months. His high qualities of leadership and courage have been an inspiration to all. Wing Commander Bader has destroyed 15 hostile aircraft. —London Gazette
9 September 1941 – Acting Wing Commander Bader, DSO, DFC (26151) is awarded a bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:
The fearless pilot has recently added a further four enemy aircraft to his previous successes; in addition he has probably destroyed another four and damaged five hostile aircraft. By his fine leadership and high courage Wing Commander Bader has inspired the wing on every occasion. —London Gazette
2 January 1956 – Group Captain Bader, DSO, DFC is appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to the disabled.
12 June 1976 – Group Captain Bader, CBE, DSO, DFC is made a Knight Bachelor for services to disabled people.
Combat Credos
Bader attributed his success to the belief in the three basic rules, shared by the German ace Erich Hartmann:
If you had the height, you controlled the battle.
If you came out of the sun, the enemy could not see you.
If you held your fire until you were very close, you seldom missed.
Nickname: Dogsbody
Born: 21 February 1910, St John's Wood, London
Died: 5 September 1982 (aged 72), Chiswick, London
Allegiance: United Kingdom
Service/branch: Royal Air Force
Years of service: 1928–1933; 1939–1946
Rank: Group Captain
Service number: 26151
Battles/wars: Second World War – Battle of France [Battle of Dunkirk, Operation Dynamo], Battle of Britain [Adlertag, The Hardest Day, Battle of Britain Day, The Blitz, Channel Front (POW)]
Awards: Knight Bachelor; Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Distinguished Service Order & Bar; Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar; Mentioned in Dispatches
Other work: Aviation consultant; Disabled activist
News Accounts of Bader
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LEGLESS PILOT IS WITH R.A.F.
Flying Officer Bader Has Enlisted to Help His Country in War
London, Dec. 26, 1939 — (CP) — The Daily Mail reported today that a legless pilot, Flying Officer Robert Stewart Bader, is serving with the Royal Air Force.
"Coming out of a slow roll over Woodley aerodrome at Reading," the paper said, "he crashed and for weeks struggled against death in a hospital.
"That was eight years ago. Now, although he is legless as a result of the crash, he is once more a Royal Air Force pilot in Great Britain.
"Within nine months of the accident he was fitted with two artificial legs and again passed as a 100 percent first-class pilot. As soon as he could, he took a course in civil aviation and actually operated a plane, operating the rudder controls with his false legs.
"He applied to be taken back into the service, but it was peacetime, and the air ministry refused. He continued to fly, and practiced on many aircraft types.
"On the outbreak of war he renewed his application to the air ministry, asking to be allowed to fly single-seaters. This time he was accepted.
"Flying Officer Bader was a Hendon acrobatic ace before his crash. He also played rugby football for Surrey, the Harlequins, and the Royal Air Force."
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Identify Legless Hero of R.A.F. as Doug Bader
London, 14 July 1940 - (CP Cable) - The legless pilot of the Royal Air Force fighter command who shot down a German bomber with a Hurricane fighter was identified today as Flying Officer Douglas Bader, onetime acrobatic ace. Saturday's Air Ministry news service told of the incident. Bader's legs were amputated in a plane crash before the war and at the outbreak of hostilities, he passed his flying test and re-entered the R.A.F.
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242 Squadron During the Battle of Britain
242 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, Duxford, September 1940 - P/O Denis "Crow" Crowley-Milling, F/O Hugh Tamblyn (KIA 3 April 1941), F/L Stan Turner, Sgt Joseph Ernest Savill, P/O Norman Neil Campbell (KIA 17 October 1940), P/O Willie McKnight (KIA 12 January 1941), S/L Douglas Bader, F/L George Eric Ball (KIFA 1 February 1946), P/O Michael Giles Homer (KIA 27 September 1940), F/O Marvin Kitchener "Ben" Brown (KIA 21 February 1941)
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All-Canadians' Legless Leader Awarded D.S.O. for Gallantry
(By PAT USSHER) London, 22 Sept. 1940 - (CP) - Acting Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, legless leader of the so-called All-Canadian Squadron of the Royal Air Force, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for gallantry in flying operations against the enemy. The award was announced by the Air Ministry Saturday.
The daring squadron led by Bader, who's personnel includes many Canadians, has won renowned for its achievements against superior enemy forces.
The squadron is unofficially credited with a 'bag' of more than 100 Nazi machines since the start of the war.
Bader persuaded R.A.F. leaders to allow him to re-enter the service for flying duties after an accident in which he lost both legs. A native of Marylebone, London, he is 30. He uses artificial limbs.
One of Bader's combat reports described by the Ministry news service as "one of the best descriptions of a dogfight that this war has produced," dealt with an air battle in which he led a formation of Hurricanes against numerically stronger Nazi forces.
"When they counted up afterward," said the news service account of the battle, "eleven of the enemy Messerschmitt 110s and three Heinkel 111's had been destroyed without so much as a bullet hole in any of the Hurricanes."
Bader's report, quoted by the news service, said the squadron was at 15,000 feet when they saw a large enemy formation.
"There were roughly 70 to 100 twin-engined airplanes in tight formation stepped up at about 12,000 feet, then a gap of 1,000 feet, then a swarm of twin-engined machines stepped up from about 15,000 to 20,000 feet," Bader reported.
I ordered one section to attack the top of the lower formation and put my flight into line astern — my only object was to break up the formation and start a dogfight. I therefore dived straight into the middle of the tightly-packed formation, closely followed by the rest of my flight."
Bader then described how he downed one Messerschmitt in flames and crippled another.
The report concluded, "Not once did a Messerschmitt 110 get on me. I saw nothing except 110s, although I understand there were Dorniers in the formation. No one in the formation suffered any damage."
*
THREE CANADIAN SQUADRONS READY TO ENGAGE GERMANS
Dominion Flyers Show Great Ability in Defense of Britain
ACHIEVE SUCCESSES
Ottawa, Sept. 28, 1940 — (CP) — An all-Canadian air force establishment of two squadrons will probably be attached to Lieut.-Gen. A. G. L. McNaughton's army corps. This is expected to happen when the corps becomes the "Canadian Corps" — probably in a few months when the Second Division completes its training and joins the First Division.
Two Others Ready
Canadian airmen have already gained laurels in the battle of Britain, but many of them as members of the Royal Air Force. While one squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force battles the enemy over London skies, two others stand ready for action in support of the Canadian land forces when and if the Germans land on British soil or the Canadians move out to fight on continental battlefields.
The three RCAF squadrons went overseas as units complete with all categories of trained personnel and took aircraft and equipment with them. Two are army co-operation squadrons, one to be attached to each division, and the third is a fighter outfit, commanded by Squadron Leader Ernest McNab, of Regina. These men have already made headlines with their success against the Nazi raiders. Canadians in the R.A.F. are, for the most part, men who went overseas before the war, many of them working their way across in cattle boats and taking other means of getting into what was then the expected fight.
Canadians' Leaders
Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, D.S.O., who lost both legs in a crack-up before the war, is the English chief of an "all-Canadian" squadron of the R.A.F., which includes a large number of lads from Canada. Last month he led a dozen R.A.F. Hurricanes against 70 enemy aircraft and bagged 13 of the raiders. His squadron is credited officially with destroying 72 enemy planes in France.
The first RCAF squadron to reach Britain was the army cooperation unit under command of Squadron Leader Wilbur van Vleit, of Winnipeg. They went overseas in February to serve with the 1st Division.
These army co-operation squadrons and a fighter squadron consist of something in the neighborhood of 400 men each, and for the co-operation work, the squadron strength ranges upwards from 15 planes.
The army co-operation squadrons are the eyes of the ground forces. They scout out the enemy territory and advise the ground forces and in addition may be used for bomb work or ground strafing. Ordinarily one air force army co-operation squadron is assigned to assist an army division on active service.
Canada's second army co-operation squadron and the fighter squadron moved across at the time of the German push through the Low Countries. This army cooperation squadron is under the command of Squadron Leader William Clements, of North Devon, N.B., and is expected to serve with the 2nd Canadian Division now completing its training overseas.
Canadian air operations overseas are under the general supervision of Air Commodore L. F. Stevenson, formerly of Regina, who recently succeeded Air Commodore G. V. Walsh as air officer commanding overseas headquarters of the RCAF Air Commodore Stevenson, in turn, reports to Air Vice-Marshal L. S. Breadner, chief of air staff, in Ottawa.
*
THE LONDON GAZETTE, 1st October, 1940, Air Ministry, ROYAL AIR FORCE
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the undermentioned appointment and awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:
Appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order:
Acting Squadron
Leader
Douglas Robert Stewart BADER (26151)
This officer has displayed gallantry and leadership of the highest order. During three recent engagements he has led his squadron with such skill and ability that thirty-three enemy aircraft have been destroyed. In the course of these engagements Squadron Leader Bader has added to his previous successes by destroying six enemy aircraft.
*
Passed Legless Air Hero, Now Posted to RCAF
Ottawa, Oct. 15, 1940 - (CP) - While Canadian airmen in the All-Canadian Squadron of the Royal Air Force help meet the German air attacks on Britain, the man who largely was responsible for putting their legless leader, Douglas Bader, back in the fighting is taking up new duties in the Dominion.
Group Captain (Dr.) Raymond W. Ryan, who has served in every country where the R.A.F. operates, has been appointed to organize a medical service for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Before being posted to Canada, Group Captain Ryan was president of the RAF's Central Medical Board. It was his job to rule on the eligibility of any man to take a plane into the air. So when Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, leader of the Canadian squadron, lost his legs some years ago, Ryan invalided him out of the service. Then, when Bader tried to return to active service he came to Ryan.
"Bader is a protégé of mine," Ryan says. "He is an amazing man. He plays squash and tennis —I don't know how he does it— and he said he had been flying privately for years. They tested him in a Spitfire fighter, and you have read what happened. He has been leading these Canadian lads who have been shooting down the Nazis with such success."
Group Captain Ryan isn't surprised that the Canadians in Bader's squadron have won such a name for themselves. As he puts it, "Any man would want to follow a leader like that." But Ryan also has a sincere respect for the flying ability of the average Canadian, once he has been trained.
"There's no doubt about it, the Canadian is naturally adapted to flying," he says. "He operates a plane as naturally as he skates, or plays hockey and baseball."
Although high in praise for the manner in which the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps has provided medical service for the RCAF, Group Captain Ryan feels that there will be advantages in having a separate RCAF medical group.
"When a man gets his feet off the ground, a new science is involved," he says. New problems and new medical conditions have arisen in aviation, and they have to be studied and met.
"This has created a need for a special branch of the flying service to get the answer to the problems, and maintain the fliers in a state of health where they can carry on their air duties."
Keeping a pilot's eyes in perfect condition is one of the specialized problems of aviation medicine, he explains, adding; "A man can shoot a hawk at 1,000 yards range with perfect results, but that doesn't mean he can operate aircraft with the same success."
*
Dowding in Ottawa
Ottawa, 31 December 1940 - Sir Hugh is a slight, medium sized man with a dark mustache and horn-rimmed spectacles. He speaks slowly, almost academically and his appearance gives no hint of the reputation as "fire-eater" that "Stuffy" Dowding has built up during his long career in the RAF.
He talked of the autumn victory of his own command with detachment. But there was nothing aloof or detached when he was asked about the way the people of Britain stood up under fire. The man credited with being mainly responsible for organizing the air defense of Britain, who has been in the Air Force since 1914 and was an artillery officer before that, broke down, coughed and wiped his glasses when he spoke of the Corkneys of the East Side.
"The people in the East End, when their poor houses were bombed – oh, I just can't talk about it," he said. A moment later he added, "They put up Union Jacks in the ruins and carried on. Hitler isn't going to win the war by defeating the morale of those people."
Sir Hugh completely shed his reserve when he talked about the Canadians serving with the RAF. He referred to the "very remarkable and gallant individual, Squadron Leader Douglas Bader," the man without legs, who had made the Canadians with the RAF "one of the finest squadrons in my command. I'm proud of those fellows. They have done nobly and gallantly."
In similar language he spoke of the Canadians under Squadron Leader Ernie McNab, who had behaved with the "utmost gallantry and success." They were above the average age but that didn't stop them," Sir Hugh said. They are now in the Glasgow Estuary, Glasgow itself and the Glasgow district.
Sir Hugh arrived in Ottawa at noon today and met the press late in the afternoon.
"I imagine you would rather ask questions now than wait for the prepared statement tomorrow," he said.
*
1941
*
Distinguished Flying Cross
THE LONDON GAZETTE, 7 JANUARY, 1941, Air Ministry, ROYAL AIR FORCE
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Acting Squadron Leader Douglas Robert Stewart BADER, D.S.O. (26151), No. 242 Squadron
Squadron Leader Bader has continued to lead his squadron and wing with the utmost gallantry on all occasions. He has now destroyed a total of ten hostile aircraft and damaged several more.
*
Legless Flyer Heads List of Leading British Aces; Bags Are From, 15-30 Huns
London, Jan. 9, 1941 — (UP) — The Royal Air Force disclosed today the identities of its ten leading aces. One is a former financial clerk in a newspaper office, another, a former South African sailor. One has artificial legs; one is only 22 years old; one shot down six German planes in six hours.
Each has shot down from 15 to 30 German planes. All have been decorated, some three times. They are veterans of the battle of France, the evacuation of Dunkirk and of countless air fights over south England. All but one are still active.
Scores of other R.A.F. men have shot down from five to ten German planes, but these are the top ten:
Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, thrice decorated leader of the Canada squadron. He lost both legs in an accident ten years ago and learned to manipulate artificial legs before the war started.
Squadron Leader Roland Tuck, thrice decorated, has 23 swastikas and two Italian flags painted around the cockpit of his plane, signifying that many victories. He also has an Iron Cross, the gift of a wounded German pilot he had shot down.
Pilot Officer H. M. Stephens, thrice decorated, formerly a financial clerk on a London evening newspaper; he and a colleague shared a pool for shooting down the 600th German plane destroyed by their squadron.
Squadron Leader Adolph Gysbert Malan, thrice decorated, formerly a South African sailor.
Flight Lieutenant John Ignatius (Iggy) Kilmartin, an Irishman, formerly attached to the advanced air striking force in France, credited with having shot down 15 German planes.
F/L J. S. Dundas, recently posted as missing and believed dead, credited with 15 German planes, one of which he chased from Winchester to Cherbourg, France, before destroying it.
Pilot Officer Geoffrey Allard, formerly a sergeant-pilot, commissioned because of his outstanding fighting, credited with 15 German planes.
Flight-Sgt. George Cecil Unwin, credited with from 15 to 20 enemy planes; last September, flying alone, he charged into a formation of 15 German bombers escorted by 30 German Messerschmitt fighters and shot down two Messerschmitts before he ran out of ammunition.
F/L J. H. Mungo-Park, veteran of Dunkirk and sharer with Stephens of the 600-plane pool.
P/O Albert Gerald Lewis, of South Africa, who shot down more than 20 German planes, including six in six hours.
*
Bader Eludes Cargo of Bombs Victim Drops
23 Jan. 1941 - (BUP) - The Air Ministry revealed today that a cargo of bombs jettisoned by the crew of a badly damaged Junkers 88 just before it crashed into the North Sea, nearly ended the career of the Royal Air Force's legless squadron leader, D.R.S. Bader.
Bader, leader of The All-Canadian Squadron, was so close beneath the bomber, finishing off an attack, that the bombs, dropped from the hurriedly opened hatch, hurtled straight toward his machine. Only a quick turn saved him.
Bader, who lost his legs in a civil flying accident, uses artificial legs, and is so proficient that the R.A.F., at the outbreak of the war, overlooked his "handicap."
Last month he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry in shooting down ten German planes.
*
KING DECORATES LEGLESS FLYER
S/L Douglas Bader Receives D.S.O. and D.F.C. for Bravery
London, Feb. 27, 1941 — (CP Cable) — The King decorated Squadron-Leader Douglas Bader, English leader of the all-Canadian squadron of the Royal Air Force, with the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross at a recent investiture at Buckingham palace.
The legless pilot's mother and wife attended the ceremony. Bader had been awarded the D.S.O. September 31 and the D.F.C. December 23.
At the same investiture the King decorated his cousin, Capt. Lord Louis Mountbatten, with the D.S.O. Lord Louis was in command of a destroyer in a brush with German naval units in the English Channel recently, and also was captain of the flotilla leader Kelly, which survived torpedoing last May.
*
Mentioned in Despatches
THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17 MARCH, 1941, Air Ministry, ROYAL AIR FORCE
His Majesty has been graciously pleased to give orders for the publication of the names of the following officers and airmen who have been mentioned in dispatches by Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief:
Squadron Leaders: ... D.R.S. BADER, D.S.O., D.F.C. (26151) (Acting) ...
*
Had Metal Legs Straightened After Crash, Rejoined Battle
(By WILLIAM J. HUMPHREYS) London, June 25, 1941 - (AP) - When waspish Spitfires and Hurricanes hum across the English Channel these sultry summer days, screening bombers on sweeps of the invasion coast, the heroes of last autumn's Battle of Britain fly at the stinging end of the fighter formations. Bader...Kent...Malan...Park...Tuck. These are the names of aces who are leading the junior pilots. Veterans of such day-long battles as that of last Sept. 15, when at least 185 Nazi planes were the prey of R.A.F. marksmanship, they know the cunning in the German bag of aerial tricks.
They learned them the hard way when the outnumbered R.A.F. played David to the German Air Force's Goliath and came out on top.
S/L Douglas Bader, DSO, DFC, legless former leader of the All-Canadian fighter squadron in the R.A.F., is one of the spearheads of the British fighter convoys. When given his Distinguished Service Order he was described in the official citation as exhibiting "gallantry and leadership of the highest order."
In a recent crash both his metal legs were badly bent, he waited until they were straightened in a vice and took off immediately in another plane.
S/L John Alexander Kent, slender Canadian holder of the DFC, from Winnipeg, is a "born leader," according to his citation for exceptional skill in battle.
(This dispatch was the first intimation that S/L Kent had returned to actual fighting. A Canadian Press dispatch Wednesday stated he had recently been actively engaged in training the 1941 crop of fighter pilots.)
W/C Adolph G. Malan, DSO, DFC, is another fighter pilot at the head of the attack which is taking place daily changing the Battle of Britain into the Battle from Britain. His leadership is officially described as "brilliant." Born in South Africa, he is a former seaman. Malan's personal score is known to be nearly thirty Nazi planes, possibly more.
S/L J.H. Mungo-Park, DFC, and S/L Roland Tuck are two younger British aces.
*
Ontario Flyers Are Decorated; Bader Awarded Bar to DSO
London, 15 July 1941 – (CP Cable) – two Canadian airmen were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross today for individual exploits in the air war against Germany.
They were F/L Gordon Raphael, who was born in Brantford, Ont., and F/L R. D. Grassick, whose father, J. Grassick lives at 888 Lorne Avenue, London, Ont.
Grassick is the last original member of the famous All-Canadian Squadron of the Royal Air Force. He is a fighter pilot. Raphael has a distinguished record as a night fighter pilot.
In addition to these awards, W/C Douglas Bader, British-born leader of the All-Canadian squadron which distinguished itself in the fighting over Britain last fall, was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order. He is the famous legless airman who lost his limbs in a flying accident before the war.
The official citation described Raphael as "a relentless, skillful night fighter pilot" who since May has destroyed three and probably four enemy aircraft.
There was no immediate citation for Grassick.
Bader, whose individual record is fifteen enemy aircraft, "led the wing on a series of consistently successful sorties over enemy territory during the past three months; his high qualities of leadership and courage have been an inspiration to all."
*
Bar to the Distinguished Service Order
THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 JULY, 1941, Air Ministry, ROYAL AIR FORCE
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:
Bar to the Distinguished Service Order
Acting Wing Commander
Douglas Robert Stewart BADER, D.S.O., D.F.C. (26151)
This officer has led his wing on a series of consistently successful sorties over enemy territory during the past three months. His high qualities of leadership and courage have been an inspiration to all. Wing Commander Bader has destroyed 15 hostile aircraft.
*
GREAT WORK OF RAF SHIPS PAVING WAY FOR NAZI DEFEAT
Unceasing Raids Carry Death and Destruction to Germany
CANADIANS TO FORE
From The Spectator's London News Bureau by A. C. Cummings Copyright 1941 by Southam Co., London, July 23, 1941 — For the first time in this war of the skies, the German Luftwaffe has been fighting on the defensive all over western Europe. Goering's boasts of the doom of Britain in the air have been utterly falsified.
Down Two for One
Every few hours these fine summer days, squadrons of fighters and bombers roar out over the south coast of Britain the channel and the flat country of northern France They seek German aerodromes German-controlled French factories, power-stations, railway yards, barracks and indeed every kind of military target. They fly right into Germany in broad daylight and when the German fighters come up — often reluctantly — they shoot down two of them for each machine they lose themselves. In three weeks recently, the Nazis lost 253 aircraft while the British losses — on the offensive be it noted — were only 117 with twelve pilots saved.
The damage done in these intensified and unceasing raids has been enormous. Better still, the Nazi airmen are beginning to realize that nothing can stop such day and night blitzes — and that knowledge is not good for morale. Even Goebbels' propaganda machine no longer tries to pretend these RAF raids are unimportant. And it is certainly true the German pilots now in France show nothing like the wish for air fights their predecessors did in the days when they sang, "We are marching against England."
Now Darken Heavens
A few months ago these continental raids were small scale affairs — half a dozen aircraft of nuisance value mainly. Now they have become air armadas darkening the heavens above the English channel and leaving behind them, as they return, a trail of fire and ruin in perhaps half a-dozen towns. Sometimes even troops on the march are shot up. So accurate is the bombing that the French people do not run to shelter because they know they will not be the target. Needless to say, not much work for the Nazis is done in French factories when the RAF is aloft in the French skies.
It is an arresting spectacle that of watching the return of these squadrons who have conducted a daylight sweep over the Continent. They are all specially trained men. Usually they start off in the dawn hours and are back in a couple of hours.
One sees only a few far distant specks on the clear sky — approaching rapidly. Then their engines' roar grows and grows until finally they are overhead in twos and threes and landing singly on the tarmac.
Immediately after they ground they report to their intelligence officer details of the air battle. It is usually given in a few terse sentences and not until afterwards do you realize the danger involved and the cool courage evoked by it.
Carry New Bombs
"I had a good show" one pilot says. "The factory I was after just came up and hit the clouds"
"It was all I could do," a young fighter pilot complains, "not to chase those Messerschmitts when they came up underneath." His duty was not to be enticed away from the bombers he was protecting.
The bombers carry the wonderful new British bomb now and its destructiveness has to be seen to be believed.
"Can Germany take it" is the question now asked here. These RAF raids constitute 'strategical bombing,' that is to say, independent attacks on the enemy's means of making war in contradistinction to 'tactical bombing' which means direct bombing aid to ground troops while fighting. The Germans have tried strategical bombing in their attempt to destroy British ports and wreck British cities. It has failed. In Russia so far, the Nazi method has been mainly tactical bombing.
It remains to be seen what 'strategical bombing' by day and night over Germany can achieve in the long run whether in short it can, as its exponents believe, wreck German cities and war industries to the point where they cease to be able to carry on. The Nazis, as has been said, failed at it — but given enough bombers, the R.A.F. may succeed. Once the Germans have to withdraw a big part of their air force from the Russian front to meet the British offensive then it will be clear that 'strategical bombing' has justified itself.
Canadians are prominent in the present daylight raids on Germany and occupied France. They call the squadron led by Wing Commander Douglas Bader the "Bader Bus Service" so regularly does it operate.
*
One of Great Aces of War, Malan, South Africa, Bags 35 of Hitler's Luftwaffe
Only Pilot Who Has Bars to D.S.O. and D.F.C.
London, July 24, 1941 — (CP) — One of the great aces of this war is Wing-Cmdr. A. G. Malan, D.S.O. and bar, D.F.C. and bar, whose confirmed record of 35 enemy aircraft destroyed is the highest of any man in the Royal Air Force.
A South African who holds a ship's second officer's certificate, Malan joined the R.A.F. six years ago because he wanted to earn enough money to be married. He has been flying steadily since then and is the first pilot of this war to win a bar for both his decorations.
Malan leads a wing, composed of three squadrons, and takes Spitfires and Hurricanes into battle in sweeps across the channel. He was in the thick of the Dunkerque fighting last year and in the Battle of Britain, led the crack No. 74 Squadron.
No. 74 was as famous in the last war as in this. Its leaders then included Major Edward Mannock, who shot down 75 (61 –jf) German planes, and "Taffy" Ira Jones with 40.
Malan is a close friend of Wing-Cmdr. Douglas Bader, who led the famous all-Canadian squadron in the Battle of Britain. Both men are 30, old for fighter pilots, and in appearance are somewhat alike — not tall, thick set and well featured.
Bader, who lost both legs while rehearsing for the Hendon pageant 10 years ago, is at a different station from Malan, but often the men get together, swap experiences and plan new tactics. The Englishman's score is not as high as the South African's but he has brought down more than 20 planes.
Neither Malan nor Bader puts much moment on the total bag of pilots. They are strictly team commanders and their motto is "You've all got to fight as one."
*
Led Canadians in Glorious Fights, Douglas Bader Now Posted Missing
Legless Hero Is One of Britain's Greatest Air Aces of Present War
IDOLIZED BY MEN
London, Aug 12, 1941- (CP) - Missing was the ominous word written tonight beside the illustrious name of Wing Commander Douglas S. Bader, early air stunter who gained most of his fame as the legless leader of the all Canadian squadron of the Royal Air Force, now sheared by death or transfer of most of its Canadian identity.
The brief word that Bader failed to reach home after one of his numerous sweeps over enemy territory was given out by his mother at the village rectory at Sprotbrough, Yorkshire. Confirmation was made by the Air Ministry which at the same time announced a similar fate had befallen F/L E. S. Lock, 21 year-old holder of the DSO and the DFC and Bar, all awarded by the King at the same time.
Lock was called 'Sawn Off Lockie' because he was so short. He was credited with shooting down thirty German planes nine of them in one week last September His plane was shot down in flames over Britain and he spent three months in a hospital with severe leg wounds a broken arm and burns. He underwent fifteen operations left hospital to be decorated at Buckingham Palace and then returned for a sixteenth trip to the operating table.
Both Often Decorated
Both Lock and Bader ranked high on the list of RAF greats. Lock as one of its most brilliant combatants and the 31-year old Bader as an organization leader.
Although Bader's greatest quality was flying leadership, he was credited officially with fifteen enemy planes.
Like Lock, Bader was heavily decorated — the DSO and DFC and Bars to both. Only two other men in the flying service held all these medals.
It was back on June 19, 1940, that Bader, who was British born, took over the all-Canadian squadron, which had been badly battered over Dunkirk, and finally led it through some of the fiercest and numerically unequal battles ever seen in the air.
From these, Bader, who resented being described as legless — he had artificial legs thanks — emerged with the DFC. It was men of his fighting caliber and the Canadians he led into battle against almost overwhelming odds that Prime Minister Churchill had in mind when he spoke of so much being owed by so many to so few. It was due to their work and men like them that the Germans chose to stay on their own side of the Channel during daylight.
Delighted in Raids
That meant the RAF had to go after them. They did — day after day and week after week.
Back even in the sleety days of last winter, Bader took a boyish delight in scampering across the English Channel with a couple of his Canadian colleagues, harassing enemy troops and shooting up enemy fields.
Bader himself counted most of the German pilots yellow and openly said so. He treated the Germans in battle with contempt but his men swore by him.
An illustration of his spirit of team play and consideration for his men occurred one day when he and P/O L. E. Cryderman of Toronto and F/O N. D. Edmond of Calgary — both since listed as missing or killed — ran across a German bomber over the Channel. Bader, the leader, went after the big bomber, poured rounds of gun fire into it — then swerved aside to allow the two youngsters to finish it off.
They shared in the destruction of the plane but only after a narrow, escape from bombs jettisoned by the harassed bomber.
Wanted More Canadians
Bader was extremely proud of his Canadian squadron No 242. He asked for more Canadians to be placed under his command but he was promoted and transferred from the squadron early this year. He was succeeded by Whitney Straight, American born sportsman who was shot down a few days ago just before the announcement was made that he had been awarded the DFC.
For a time, Bader was an instructor but he put forth some persuasive argument and he was transferred as leader of another squadron. He never did go back to No 242 but he left behind, in the officer's mess and across the airfield, generally a fighting spirit that can never die.
Associated with him as the inspiration for the squadron were men like P/O William L. McKnight of Calgary who held the DFC and Bar and was in line for the DSO when he was reported missing. McKnight at one time was the top ranking fighter pilot in the RAF with at least twenty three German planes to his credit.
On a sortie over France with Bader and others, McKnight, who once brought down three German planes in one day, failed to return. He was strafing enemy troops from a particularly low height when he was last seen.
McKnight had been a protégé of Bader's and when the young Canadian failed to return Bader forgot his quiet poise and became enraged at the Germans. He wanted to return immediately and "rake the devil out of them" but was forbidden because of heavy weather.
In spite of the order — at least so the story goes — Bader called up several of his squadron leader friends and tried to arrange an unofficial trip through the storm to avenge the loss of the young Calgary flier.
The awards to Bader were not given out for any particular action but for persistent and daring leadership mostly of the all Canadian squadron.
From one of these trips, the squadron returned without loss and a bag of twelve Jerries. As the planes landed in the fast gathering dusk, P/O K. M. (Pat) Sclanders of Saint John N.B. - since killed - nipped into another machine and stood his own on its nose.
"Lots of Hurricanes"
Later Sclanders, appearing in the mess, apologized for apparently spoiling the day's show.
Bader stopped sipping his cocoa looked at the boy's bruised eye and slapped him on the back saying, "Hell, they've got lots of Hurricanes. We'll get another one tomorrow but I doubt if that eye will clean up for a week or so."
The names of many young Canadians have since been added to the squadron's roll of honor and in the officer's mess there is to be seen only one of the original Canadian members — F/L R. D. Grassick, London, Ont., who has won one of the squadron's eleven DFCs. Today most of the fliers are British.
Bader lost his legs in a flying accident before the war when he was regarded as one of the best stunt pilots in Britain. After many attempts, he persuaded the RAF he could manipulate a plane with his artificial legs as well as most men without his handicap. His record showed he was right.
*
Great Englishman Lost When Bader Met Hero's Death
London, Aug. 13, 1941 - (CP) - With Wing Cmdr. Douglas R. Bader among the missing in recent air operations, it is recalled here that in July last, Cassandra, Daily Mirror columnist, suggested that the legless Royal Air Force pilots who led the all-Canadian squadron in last fall's Battle of Britain, should be "prohibited from ever stepping into an aircraft again."
"Such men as he — and there are many like him — are too valuable to England," wrote the columnist. "This country cannot afford to lose this splendid strain of manhood."
The writer mentioned another, airman — F/L J. C. Mungo-Park, D.F.C. and bar, officially credited with bringing down 27 enemy planes before he was reported missing July 1.
"The R.A.F. lost a great pilot. But we, his countrymen, lost more — a great Englishman. By their valor, by their splendor of spirit, these men kill themselves. Already they have done 10,000 times their share toward winning the war, I say they have done enough."
*
Bader Is Alive And a Prisoner, British Intimate
London, Aug. 14, 1941 — (CP) — An authoritative source said today information had been received that Wing Cmdr. Douglas Bader, legless Royal Air Force pilot reported missing two days ago, is alive and a German prisoner.
Efforts are being made, the source said, to confirm the information.
Bader, 30, was credited with shooting down 15 German planes and was one of two R.A.F. pilots holding both the Distinguished Service Order with bar and the Distinguished Flying Cross with bar. He won fame as leader of the all-Canadian Squadron of the R.A.F. in the Battle of Britain.
*
Bader Is Prisoner, Germany Confirms
Berlin, 14 Aug. 1941 - (UP) — Wing Commander Douglas Robert Bader, hero of the British Air Force, is a German war prisoner after parachuting to a safe landing, when his plane was shot down in an air battle over the Channel last Saturday. It was revealed today.
The official D.N.B. agency said that Bader, who was reported missing by the British Tuesday, was "one of the most popular pilots of the R.A.F.," and is being treated with full courtesy.
Bader, credited by the British with having shot down more than fifteen German planes, lost his legs in an airplane crash ten years ago.
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Offer to Buy Bader New Set Of Legs
London, Aug. 15, 1941 - (CP Cable) - Sir Bernard Docker, chairman of the British Hospital association, today offered to buy a new set of artificial legs for W/C Douglas Bader, Royal Air Force ace, now a prisoner of war.
It is believed Bader's metal legs were broken in his descent by parachute onto enemy territory when shot down earlier this week. The Red Cross is arranging delivery of the new limbs.
Bader lost his own legs in a flying accident before the war.
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Legs for Bader May Be Dropped By Parachute
London, 16 Aug. 1941 - (CP) - It was unofficially reported here tonight that the Nazi Air Force has offered to allow a Royal Air Force plane to fly new metal legs across the Channel for S/L Douglas Bader, legless R.A.F. ace now a prisoner. Bader's legs were reported broken in his descent by parachute to enemy territory when shot down earlier this week.
If the Nazi offer is accepted the legs probably would be dropped by parachute, it was indicated.
Offers to Take New Leg to Bader
London, 17 Aug. 1941 - (CP) — The Sunday Chronicle said today that S/L Douglas Bader's batman, whom it did not identity, has offered to parachute into enemy territory with an artificial leg for the flier who was taken prisoner by the Nazis a week ago.
Bader was reported to have broken an artificial leg when he bailed out from his plane over enemy territory.
The batman was said to have made the offer, to Mrs. Bader.
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BADER'S OUTFIT DROPS HIS LEG
Entire Squadron Flies Spare Part to Prisoner
PACKED WITH CHUTE
London, Aug, 20, 1941 - (Wednesday, CP) - A metal leg for Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, to replace the one he broke when he landed on enemy territory and was taken prisoner, was dropped from a fighter plane during Tuesday's Royal Air Force sweep over German-held France, the Daily Express said today.
The newspaper said there was so much competition among the members of Bader's squadron for the honor of dropping the artificial limb that it was decided the whole outfit should do the job together.
Flying in a tightly packed formation the squadron crossed the Channel and the leg, carefully packed to avoid damage, was dropped by parachute. It was last seen floating gently to the ground as the planes continued toward their objective.
Bader lost his legs in a flying accident some years before the war, but learned to fly again, using artificial legs.
*
BADER AWARDED BAR TO HIS DSO
Legless Air Hero Is Now Prisoner in Hands of Germans
London, Sept. 4, 1941 - (CP Cable) - The air ministry officially announced today that Wing Commander Douglas Bader has been awarded a bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross.
When it was reported August 12 that Bader was missing, it was made known that this decoration had been conferred upon him, but the official publication was delayed.
Bader, now a prisoner of war; also holds the Distinguished Service Order and bar.
The Daily Express today told how Spitfire planes of Bader's squadron followed him down for thousands of feet to protect him when he was forced to bail out over German-held territory last month.
." . The Spitfires spiraled around him in a protective coil," the paper said.
In landing, Bader damaged one of his two artificial legs. Another leg has been dropped in Nazi territory by the R.A.F. to replace it.
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Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross
THE LONDON GAZETTE, 9 SEPTEMBER, 1941, Air Ministry, ROYAL AIR FORCE
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:
Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross
Acting Wing Commander
Douglas Robert Stewart BADER, D.S.O., D.F.C. (26151)
This fearless pilot has recently added a further four enemy aircraft to his previous successes; in addition he has probably destroyed another four and damaged five hostile aircraft. By his fine leadership and high courage Wing Commander Bader has inspired the wing on every occasion.
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Missing Canadian Flier Dropped Prisoner 'Tin Pins'
New York, Sept. 26, 1941 (CP) — A Blenheim bomber, piloted by 19-year-old Jack Nickleson of Toronto, who since has been reported missing, dropped metal legs for Wing Commander Douglas Bader to replace those the British ace broke when he landed on enemy territory and was taken prisoner, according to word received here today.
Sergeant-Pilot Nickleson, in a letter dated Aug. 30 to his brother Allan, a member of The Canadian Press staff in New York, told of the flight and said, "We dropped them over Northern France during daylight and they say he received them OK — it was my plane that dropped them."
Young Nickleson's parents in Toronto, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Nickleson, received word last Sunday that their son is missing and believed dead. The bomber he piloted did not return from a raid last Saturday.
Sergeant-Pilot Nickleson joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on graduation from North Toronto Collegiate in June 1940, and went overseas this spring. Since then he had participated in many raids on Germany and Nazi-occupied territory.
Bader, curly-haired air stunter, who gained most of his fame as leader of an all-Canadian squadron of the Royal Air Force, was reported missing Aug. 12. Subsequently it was confirmed he was a prisoner of war and that his metal legs - he lost his own in a flying accident before the war - had been broken in a parachute descent from his fighter plane.
A month ago it was reported that the legs, carefully wrapped, had been dropped from a plane by parachute. There had been no indication, until today, who had the honor of flying the legs to the much-decorated Bader, who early this year had been transferred from the all-Canadian squadron.
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Even Bader Knew 'Funk,' Hero's Mother Reveals
First Air Victory Was a 'Horrible Experience'
London, Sept. 26, 1941 (CP) — Wing Commander Douglas Bader, the stout-hearted Briton who formerly led the Royal Air Force's Canadian fighter squadron, was "green with funk" when he shot down his first German airplane.
After accounting for a Dornier, he told his mother, Mrs. Ernest Hobbs: "Shooting down men for the first time is a horrible experience. I looked in my mirror. I couldn't believe it was me. I was green with funk."
The story was told in an interview with Bader's mother in the Daily Mail after the legless ace had been shot down and taken prisoner in a sweep over Northern France.
Ten years ago she painstakingly taught him to walk on what he called his "tin pins" after losing both legs in an air crash.
At the time, she said, he had heard "his dearest wish was about to be fulfilled." He had been chosen to play rugby football for England. His happiness was complete.
"But it was not to be. Five days before the match Douglas crashed. Both legs had to be amputated. When I arrived at the hospital Douglas was unconscious. He remained unconscious for nine days. I never left his bedside."
Finally the surgeon, James Leonard Joyce, said his patient was out of danger. Only then did his mother relax.
"Never have I known a woman as brave as this," said Joyce.
"Everything in life had come easily to my Douglas," she declared. "He was always impatient of the drudgery of learning. I knew that now he must learn again the very fundamentals of living. And that it would be my job to teach him.
"Never for one second did I think of him, or allow him to think of himself, as a disabled man."
Through his long convalescence she was always with him. He learned to drive a car, to fly again, to dance, to play golf and even tennis.
When the war came he volunteered for flying duties with the R.A.F., and his enthusiasm and persistence wore down official opposition.
When Bader went to Buckingham Palace last February to be decorated by the King, His Majesty said, "I and my great Empire are very proud of you. Well done."
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Bader Almost Made Escape On 'Tin Legs'
Rome, Sept. 28, 1941 - (UP) - Reports reaching here today said that Wing Commander Douglas Bader, Britain's famous "legless pilot," almost escaped to the French sea coast recently on a pair of artificial legs which the R.A.F. dropped for him over occupied France after he was shot down during a dogfight.
The reports said the aluminum legs, dropped with German permission, were given to Bader while he was in a German hospital. Several days later, it was said, he slid down a blanket from the hospital window and began walking away during the night.
Bader was picked up four days later, it was reported, 100 miles from the hospital. He was trying to reach the French coast.
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Legless Flying Hero Appreciates Food Parcel Received in German Camp from Canadian Red Cross
17 Dec. 1941 - The Canadian Red Cross Society has received definite proof that Wing Commander Douglas Bader, the legless British flying ace who is now a prisoner of war in Germany, has received one of the food parcels now being packed at the rate of 10,000 per week in Montreal and 14,000 per week in Toronto for prisoners of war.
The above reproduction was made from the actual card received from the distinguished flyer who twice won the D.S.O. and who was also twice awarded the D.F.C. before being shot down over enemy territory.
The message in Bader's handwriting reads "Many Thanks, Douglas Bader. Wing Commander, R.A.F." The reverse side of the card shows the post mark of the Oflag VI B prison camp in Germany. The inset picture of Bader shows him standing on the wing of his Hurricane Fighter just after he was awarded the first Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down 10 German raiders and damaging several more.
Definite proof that the handwriting on the card received by the Canadian Red Cross is that of the famous fighter ace is borne out by the fact that it is identical with the autograph on a picture of Bader recently received from the German prison camp by his friends in England.
The flying ace broke one of the artificial legs while landing after having been shot down over enemy territory. A new one was dropped over his prison camp by the R.A.F. and a few days later he attempted an escape from hospital. He was recaptured 100 miles away.
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1942
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Leg Was Jammed in Crashing Plane So Bader Just Bade It Farewell
London, 25 Jan. 1942 - (CP) — W/C Douglas Bader is the only known fighter pilot in the world who could escape from a crashing plane while a leg was securely jammed in the wreckage - and that's how he escaped death to land in a German prison camp last September.
While his tailless Spitfire was plummeting earthward after a skirmish in which he destroyed one Messerschmitt by gunfire and collided with another in a daylight sweep over France, Bader was arguing with his artificial right leg in the cockpit.
Here's how he told about it in a letter from the prison camp to Henry Longhurst of the London Sun-Express: I had to jettison my right leg in a somewhat protracted but energetic performance of evacuation," the letter said. "It wished to stay inside the tailless airplane, while I wished to leave — so we both had our own way."
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'MERCY' AIRMAN LISTED AS DEAD
Flt. Sgt. J. M. Nickleson Flew Legs to Bader
2 May 1942 - The Toronto airman who risked his own life to drop a pair of artificial legs to Douglas Bader, famed R.A.F. legless squadron leader held prisoner in Germany. Flight-Sergeant John M. Nickleson, 20, is now reported dead. He was listed as missing some time ago following operations over German-held territory.
A veteran of many air battles, it was while he was attached to a Canadian bomber squadron attacking enemy shipping last September that his aircraft was shot down and crashed in the sea. It was not known whether he had been picked up by a German ship.
A graduate of North Toronto Collegiate, Flight-Sergeant Nickleson enlisted in the RCAF two years ago. His mother, Mrs. W. J. Nickleson of Roselawn Avenue, said she had received many letters from her son, telling of raids in which he had taken part. "They used to swoop down low over the water and blast at enemy ships. On one occasion he bombed a power station at Cologne, swooping down to within 300 feet before releasing his bombs," she said.
Although the enemy had promised to respect the aircraft which was to drop the artificial legs to Bader, Mrs. Nickleson said she had received clippings from British papers indicating that the Germans had opened fire on the aircraft.
Besides his parents, Flight-Sergeant Nickleson leaves two brothers, Allan, a Canadian Press correspondent in England, Douglas of Toronto, and a sister, Mrs. Douglas Terry of Toronto.
*
Lost Leg at Dieppe, Would Be a Pilot
Calgary, 22 Oct. 1942 - (CP) - Pte William Levinsky came back to Calgary from Dieppe the other day after suffering the loss of his right leg in the raid. He came back with an ambition — to be a pilot.
Chatting after the Victory Loan show at Victoria Park here, he said, he could still service his country as a pilot.
He spoke about Wing Commander Douglas Bader, famed legless ace of the Royal Air Force, now a prisoner of war in Germany.
*
1943
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Ace of Spitfire Pilots Downs 23 Enemy Planes
By ALAN RANDAL, With the RCAF, Fighter Command, Somewhere in England, September 3, 1943 - (CP) - Quietly, flying in the vanguard of Canada's Spitfire pilots in England, a new Fighter Ace has been born in fighter command. He is Wing Cmdr. J. E. Johnson, an Englishman who wears a "Canada" flash on his flying battledress as a mark of fellowship and admiration for the Canadians he leads.
Today his score stands at 23 enemy planes destroyed. Only Group Capt Sailor Malan, D.S.O., D.F.C. and Bar, with 32, tops Johnson among active airmen in fighter command.
At 27, Johnson has been leading the Canadian fighter wing since March 16 last, has the D.S.O., the D.F.C. and Bar. He scored 14 of his "kills" with the Canadians and they'd follow this smiling pilot to the ends of the earth if their petrol would hold out that long.
Behind his leadership Canadians have been piling up scores of their own, young fliers such as Sqdn. Ldrs. Chuck Magwood, Hugh Godefroy and Flight Lieutenant Deane MacDonald, all of Toronto, and all with five or more aircraft shot down.
Among Lowest Losses
This fighter wing that Johnson commands has one of the best scores in the group. It also has among the lowest losses. Here, in the words of one of Johnson's pilots, is the reason:
"Every pilot knows Johnson is looking after him and when he calls back a couple who are chasing a Jerry down toward the ground they get up into formation in a hurry, no matter how badly they may want to continue the chase. Johnnie likes to get Jerries and he likes to see his pilots get them but he wants even more to bring his boys safely back home."
He used to fly No. 2 to Wing Cmdr. Douglas Bader, the legless ace who bailed out over France and now is a prisoner of war. Johnson was along on that flight. He saw Bader bale out and blasted two Me 109's out of the sky before turning for home.
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Airmen Who Met Huns During Battle of Britain Paved Way For Offensive
Some of Canada's First Aces of This War Still Are in Action - Pilots Now Seek Out Enemy Over His Own Territory
(Written for the Canadian Press by F/L Basil Dean, RCAF) Fighter Command, Somewhere in England, Sept. 8, 1943 — (CP) — There are still some of the few left, some of those hard-fighting combat pilots of Battle of Britain days, but mostly it is a new brood of pilots who fly from the air bases hereabouts in Britain's Fighter Command. Three years ago, when the first few of Canada's aerial aces were fighting their way to fame, the battles were over British soil. Now, with greater numbers of Canadians than ever before in Fighter Command, the pilots are going out to seek the enemy over his own territory. This air fighting of today is offensive, not defensive, as during the Battle of Britain, but it was the fighting then that made the current offensive possible.
Some Still Flying
Some of the Canadians who fought with honor and glory in those grim days three years ago are still flying. Wing-Cmdr. D. B. Russel, D.F.C., of Montreal, who now leads an RCAF Spitfire wing in Britain, was then P/O Dal Russel and a member of Canada's No. 1 Fighter Squadron, which arrived in England in June, 1940 — just in time to get trained for the fierce tests of August and September of that year.
Russel's old commanding officer, Ernie McNab, now is Group Capt. Ernest McNab, D.F.C., of Regina, commander of an RCAF fighter station.
In Sicily, Squadron-Ldr. Stanley Turner, D.F.C. and Bar, of Toronto, led the RCAF's City of Windsor fighter squadron through the island campaign. In 1940, he was a flight commander in the RAF's famed "all-Canadian" squadron led by Wing-Cmdr. Douglas Bader, D.S.O., D.F.C., which destroyed 63 enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain and shared three with other squadrons.
The squadron was composed mainly of Canadians who had joined the R.A.F. before the war, and fought nobly during the Battle of France and over Dunkerque.
Most Efficient
Its achievements during the Battle of Britain, indeed, brought from the air officer commanding of the group in which it was serving at the time a message which said that its efficiency as a squadron was "equal, if not superior, to any squadron in the R.A.F." The British chief of air staff signaled: "You are well on top of the enemy and obviously the fine Canadian traditions of the last war are safe in your hands."
Greatest pilot of the "all-Canadian" squadron — apart from the legless commander, Bader (who was not Canadian) — was P/O W. L. McKnight, D.F.C. and bar, of Calgary, who was reported missing some months after the Battle of Britain ended. McKnight destroyed 16½ enemy aircraft, and was the first Canadian ace of the war.
The "all-Canadian" squadron's first Battle of Britain engagement was August 30, when Bader, now a prisoner of war, led a formation of 14 Hurricanes against a "vast number" of German aircraft, two swarms of 70 to 100 each. Detaching one section to investigate a third formation of aircraft some distance away, Bader led the rest of his pilots to the attack. As a result, 12 enemy aircraft were destroyed; not one of the Hurricanes had so much a scratch.
Similar engagements followed. On September 7, Bader and his Canadians destroyed 10 enemy aircraft without losing a pilot, although seven of the squadron's Hurricanes were damaged. On September 19, when the wing in which the squadron was flying destroyed a total of 18 enemy aircraft, the "all-Canadians" were credited with 11 of these for the loss of one pilot killed.
And then, in the greatest day's fighting of all on September 15, the squadron destroyed 12 enemy aircraft. This was the day on which Bader described the fighting as "the finest shamble I've ever been in."
"The sky," he added, "was full of Hurricanes and. Spitfires, queuing up and pushing each other out of the way to get at the Dorniers. I was seldom able to hold my sights on a target for long for fear of colliding with other Spitfires and Hurricanes anxious to get in a burst."
Among the Canadians P/O J. B. Latta, D.F.C., Victoria, B.C., had knocked down five enemy planes; F/L Turner had five; so had P/O N. K. Stansfeld, D.F.C., Vancouver. P/O H. N. Tamblyn, D.F.C., North Battleford, Sask., and P/O N. Hart had four each. Altogether Canadian pilots in the squadron had destroyed 45 of the total of 65 credited to the squadron; Bader had scored 11.
Canada's own No. 1 fighter squadron, which although its personnel have completely changed; is still flying in Britain with fighter command, had scored a total of 31 victories during the battle under McNab's leadership. McNab himself had scored the first victory to be credited to a member of the squadron when, in order to gain combat experience, he flew as a supernumerary officer with an R.A.F. squadron before No. 1 fighter was ready for front-line duties.
In the squadron's first engagement as a unit, on August 24, it destroyed three Dorniers for the loss of one pilot (RL Edwards). By the end of its first week in action it had destroyed eight enemy aircraft for the loss of one pilot killed. The score continued to mount until September 27, when the Canadian squadron destroyed seven enemy aircraft out of about 70 engaged during the day; one pilot of the squadron was killed. In the day's first fight, Russel had destroyed an ME 109 and an ME 110 and had shared with a Polish pilot the destruction of a third enemy fighter.
McNab, F/L G. R. McGregor and Russel were each awarded the D.F.C., having destroyed between them, 11½ of the squadron's total. McNab and McGregor now are both group captains; Russel is a wing commander.
In other squadrons of the R.A.F., Canadians had also distinguished themselves. One of the flight commanders in the R.A.F. squadron was a Canadian, F/L R. A. Barton, Kamloops, B.C., who later became squadron commander of his unit. He was awarded the D.F.C. for his "outstanding leadership" on September 27, a day on which the squadron destroyed 21 enemy aircraft for the loss of two pilots killed. The total bag during September was 48, a total exceeded only by the famous No. 303 Polish squadron, in which another Canadian, F/L (now Wing-Cmdr.) John Kent, Winnipeg, was at that time a flight commander.
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Escapers Now Roommates
TORONTO, 25 Oct. 1943 — A trio of inveterate escapers - two of them among the best-known Allied fighting men in this war - are roommates and chums in the German prison camp Oflag 4c, a 15th century castle near Leipzig.
Letters to the wife here of Maj. Gordon Rolfe, Calgary tankman taken prisoner at Dieppe, and to the wife in Belleville, Ont., of Lt.-Col. Cecil Merritt of Vancouver, Canada's only VC in this war and another Dieppe prisoner, tell how these two Canadian officers have been booked into the same quarters as W/C Douglas Bader, the Royal Air force's legless fighter ace.
The prison is reserved chiefly for prisoners who have made persistent efforts to escape, a category covering all three. Bader's attempts to escape have never been totaled, but are believed to number more than six, while Maj. Rolfe twice fled another camp last June. Col. Merritt is known to have made at least one escape attempt - one which he made good for four days before he was recaptured.
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1945
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Bader Freed From German Prison
Legless Douglas Bader Freed From Nazi Camp
Paris, 18 April 1945 - (CP) - Wing Cmdr. Douglas R. Bader, curly-haired air-stunter, who gained most of his fame as the legless leader of the all-Canadian squadron of the RAF, has been freed by United States troops after three years in German prison camps, it was disclosed today.
Date of his release and the place were not given, but it was disclosed that Bader is in France. He was taken prisoner when his fighter plane was brought down in a raid over German-held territory Aug. 14, 1941, escaped thrice from German camps, but was recaptured each time. His captors finally took his artificial legs away from him.
(Mrs. Cecil Merritt, wife of Lt. Col. Merritt, Canada's first winner, of the Victoria Cross in this war, said in Toronto Wednesday that her husband was a roommate of Bader in prison camp. She received no information whether her husband also has been freed. Col. Merritt, who won the V.C. at Dieppe where he was captured by the Germans Aug. 19, 1942, was quartered with Bader at Oflag 7B near Leipzig.
(Ross Munro, Canadian Press war correspondent, reported April 2 that Col. Merritt was understood to be with high Canadian officers at Oflag 7A at Eichstaett, 40 miles south of Nurnberg (Nuremburg). United States 7th Army troops are fighting in Nurnberg, near the southern end of the Western Front.)
Wing Cmdr. Bader, who lost his legs in a flying accident before the war, when he was regarded as one of the best stunt fliers in Britain, succeeded after many attempts in persuading the RAF that he could manipulate a plane will his artificial legs as well as most men without his handicap.
His record - 15 enemy planes shot down up to the time of his capture - showed he was right. He was awarded the DSO and the DFC and Bars to both.
In June 1940, the British-born Bader took over the all-Canadian squadron which had been battered through the Dunkerque evacuation, and finally led them through some of the fiercest and numerically most unequal battles ever fought in the air.
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REFUSING TO MOVE AS YANKS DREW NEAR, PRISONERS FREED
Companion Tells of Life in Camp Where Col. Merritt Was Confined
(From the Spectator's London News Bureau, by A. C. Cummings, Copyright, 1945, by Southam CO.) London, April 21, 1945 — Released From Oflag IV-C (Schloss Colditz), 25 miles southeast of Leipzig, Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt, British Columbia Victoria Cross winner, is back in Britain today. Here is an account of prison camp life by a fellow prisoner of war who is a member of the Times' staff and shared Colonel Merritt's imprisonment.
Derelict Castle
The prison was a bleak, derelict castle, he says, on the River Molde. It could not be compared with a concentration camp, but it had a dismal, uncanny, look and the occupants were subjected to endless, petty annoyances culminating in the removal eastward at the dead of night of 20 notable prisoners just as U.S., troops were only 25 miles away. These prisoners included King George's nephew, Lord Lascelles, Captain Lord Half, several relatives of Premier Churchill and the leader of the Warsaw revolt, the Polish General BorKomorowski.
Flat Refusal
When the news reached the German camp commandant that Allied forces were approaching, the British senior officer, Lieut.-Col. Tod, was ordered to remove all his men eastward so that they would not be liberated. He flatly refused and the German commandant telephoned his superior. The major-general lost his temper and reiterated the order but when told force would be necessary he changed his mind and said the prisoners might stay. A little later, shells from U.S. tanks began to fall near the castle. So the German commandant gave over the interior command to the British and tried to obtain a promise he would not be handed over to the Russians after the camp was liberated. He showed the greatest terror lest he would be sent to Siberia or treated as a war criminal.
Made No Promises
The British commander declined to make any promises whatever. The commandant thereupon surrendered the interior castle to the British, only stipulating no flags should be hung out lest other German troops in the neighborhood should know the prison camp had been given up.
Just then, US artillery was getting the range for the gunners thought the castle might be a likely strongpoint. However, only a few shells struck it. One of them knocked Wing Commander Bader, famous leader of a squadron of Canadian Hurricane fighters, off his artificial legs.
No one was seriously hurt during the battle, says the Times' staff man. It lasted the whole night and few prisoners got any sleep. Electric lights in the castle fused and as arc-lamps could not be switched on outside, the camp appeared as detestable a place as it really was. When U.S. soldiers arrived, every one cheered. Then the German camp officers surrendered. They explained that the notable prisoners they had sent away were ordered removed by Himmler himself: All camp officials were at once arrested.
Relief Immense
"Relief at returning home is immense," says the member of the Times staff. "Marred only by the absence of friends, whom the German Government kidnapped within a few hours of their freedom. The only place we had for exercise was a courtyard 50 yards by 20. The castle had been a prison during the last three wars and in peace time, had been a lunatic asylum. All the windows were barred. In the last two months 1,500 prisoners had to live in accommodation suitable only for 600."
In the neighborhood of Schloss Colditz the Americans also released 1,000 French officers and discovered a Jewish concentration camp where conditions were so appalling, half of the occupants were dead and the rest barely able to crawl. They had been distinguished men, including lawyers and doctors.
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'The Few' Fly Once More To Plaudits of 'the Many' In Spectacular Parade
By NORMAN CRIBBENS, London, Sept. 16, 1945 - (CP) - Twelve powerful Spitfires roared over London's cheering millions yesterday, manned by Battle of Britain aces who took to the sky in memory of the earlier, slower Spitfires which battled the Luftwaffe exactly five years previously and on that memorable Sept. 15, 1940, sent 185 German planes falling in flames.
Behind the Spitfires in the 30-mile parade of squadrons came 300 fighters and fighter-bombers of Fighter and Coastal Commands. Mustangs flew with Spitfires, Typhoons and Beaufighters in perfect formation, screaming Tempests streaked by at greater heights. Seemingly slow by comparison were the fleet Mosquitos. At the end of the line, searing across the steely sky, came jet-propelled Meteors.
Bader in Lead
Above the roar of this armada fliers heard terse commands radioed by G/C Douglas Bader, legless ace and one-time commander of the RAF's All-Canadian Squadron, who led the procession in an immaculate Mark XI Spitfire. Bader, who wore white kid gloves and the blue scarf known to airmen before he was shot down and taken prisoner in 1941, was one of the 12 gallant young men who took part in the epic battle and also shared in the flight.
They represented possibly 1,000 pilots - the immortal "few" who fought the Battle of Britain and of whom an unknown number survive.
Some survivors are serving overseas or holding staff appointments and many Canadian aces are back home or grounded for repatriation.
Londoners remembered Winston Churchill's words, "Never have so many owed so much to so few," as the mighty roar of the fighter planes recalled to them that Sept. 15, 1940, day - "the most brilliant and fruitful" of large-scale air engagements, as Mr. Churchill, then, Prime Minister, said at the time.
From a Beaufighter Mark X in which I flew with two Londoners, F/O Harry Sharp, pilot, and F/O Red Godwin, navigator, it was possible to catch only a brief glimpse through straggling clouds of the massed humanity gathered in London streets and on rooftops — where in grimmer days many of them kept vigil for Nazi fire-bombs.
Thousands in Square
As we roared down over Trafalgar Square fluttering handkerchiefs like a flurry of snowflakes indicated the wild demonstration. F/O Sharp, who trained at Brandon Man., was too occupied with keeping formation even to glance down.
"There are thousands of them," I shouted through the intercom, "All are cheering like mad."
"Sorry, can't talk now old boy, have to concentrate hard." Sharp replied. "This is tricky work."
Often Sharp had to throttle down abruptly because he was too close to the plane ahead and a buzzer warning of reduced speed ran through the ship.
Low clouds made it necessary to fly lower than normally. We never rose above 2,000 feet, dropping to 500 over London for the benefit of watchers below, who said later, they could almost feel the slipstream from the planes as they tore past.
Above and ahead of us in perfect alignment, the trim Spitfires stood out sharply against a background of dark clouds, gold-edged by the sun. Every now and then a fiery Tempest shot underneath so that the trapdoor of our plane seemed to shake with the roar of the mighty engines. Sometimes the wings of neighboring Beau fighters seemed dangerously close - not more than 10 feet - but Sharp's cool, steady hands and watching eye lent confidence.
Poles in Flight
Flying with us were five squadrons of Mustangs manned by Polish pilots. But the plane which played the biggest part in winning the Battle of Britain - the 400-miles-per-hour Hurricane - was conspicuously absent. Even at maximum speed it would have been left lagging by the Typhoon and Tempest fighters of 1945.
Bader's own Spitfire - pride of his ground crew - had been tuned to a nicety and he was smiling when the mechanics helped him into the cockpit at the start of the flight.
"Let's go, boys," he said. Many times during the Battle of Britain he had spoken those words, but now there was a subtle difference in his tone. No grim battle with the enemy lay ahead. He and "the few" were going to "raid"' London and cheering crowds awaited them.
Afterward Bader presented his beribboned ace pilots to Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, commander-in-chief of Fighter Command in those fateful days of 1940.
Well pleased with the performance, Lord Dowding shook hands warmly with Bader and his fellow aces, who wore 52 medals between them.
"Excellent show," Lord Dowding commented.
Thanks and Commendation
"The few" then gathered at an officers' mess where they receives thanks and commendation from Bader and congratulations of other fliers. Many regretted such aces of the air war as F/L George Beurling of Verdun, Que., and G/C Johnny Johnson, English-born leader of a crack Canadian Spitfire wing, could not have taken part.
In the final scoring record compiled by the RAF, RCAF and United States Army Air Forces, Johnson topped the list with 38 German planes destroyed. Next came G/C A. G. (Sailor) Malan, a South African member of the RAF, and the late S/L Brendan (Paddy) Finucane of the RAF with 32.
Beurling was credited with 31 enemy planes destroyed and W/C Stanford Tuck of the RAF, who participated in the anniversary flight, scored 29 "kills."
Aces who flew with Bader yesterday were: G/Cs Frank Carey & Stan Turner; W/Cs Pete Brothers, Ed Wells, Dennis Crowley-Milling, Keith Lofts, Billy Drake, John Ellis & Tim Vigors & S/L Charlie Bush.
G/C Turner, who was born in Devon, lived in Toronto before the war and came to England to join the RAF.
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MERE HANDFUL OF PILOTS ALIVE TO TELL STORY
London, Oct. 13. 1945 - (AP) - Fewer than 50 of "the few" Battle of Britain fighter pilots who saved this island from German invasion in the gloomy autumn of 1940 are alive today.
All the rest of the 375 top-flight fighters of the battle were killed in action. The last one went down six weeks before the war ended.
Almost all of those whose luck kept them alive through five years of war still are serving in the R.A.F., Air Ministry records show. Many of them, too young to have had civilian professions when they joined up, plan to make the air force their career.
Most widely known among the survivors is legless Group Capt. Douglas Bader, 35, who led the "All-Canadian" squadron of the R.A.F. into the Battle of Britain.
Turner High On List
Among the men who flew with him and lived to see the war through are Group Capt. P. S. (Stan) Turner, born in Devon, England, but who lived most of his life in Toronto. Taciturn and superstitious, Turner would never pose for newspaper photographers. "Bad luck," he said succinctly.
Turner was one of the young Canadians who went to England before the war to join the R.A.F. and was posted to Squadron 242, which became the "All-Canadian" unit, and which numbers among it, survivors F/L R. D. (Bob) Grassick, of London, Ont.; recently returned from Egypt.
Bader fought the Battle of Britain from the cockpit of a Hurricane using a set of artificial legs. He previously had made flying history with a comeback after a flying accident in 1931 cost him both legs.
Bader was shot down over France after the crucial battle and spent four years in German prison camps before the United States 1st Army set him free last summer.
Defies Hun Captors
He had broken his artificial legs in his parachute jump to German capture and a new set was parachuted to him by F/Sgt. Jack Nickleson, of Toronto, since lost. Bader attempted to escape four times so the Germans took away his legs.
He now is second in command of the RAF's famous 11 Fighter Group, the same outfit with which he fought in 1940.
The commander of No. 11 Group during some of the hottest days was Sir Keith Park, now Allied air commander of the Southeast Asia command. He is an air chief marshal.
Little Art (Sailor) Malan was one of the most publicized pilots in the Battle of Britain. He now is a group captain at R.A.F. Staff College.
F. R. Carey, another one of the original few, has a desk job in the same office with Bader. W/C P. M. Brothers, veteran Hurricane ace, is one of the top men at the R.A.F. Cadet College.
Among other old-timers holding staff jobs are: W/C W. Crowley-Milling, Keith Lofts, Bill Drake, Joe Ellis and Tom Vigors. All those names once were virtually household words around London.
Released, Serves Again
Al Donaldson, who knocked down three Germans in one afternoon, now, is stationed with the R.A.F. in Calcutta. Stanford Tuck, who gained almost as much attention as Bader and Malan, spent two years as a prisoner of war, but now is back with old Group 11. How the few hundred pilots contrived to give the Luftwaffe the thrashing they did in the Battle of Britain is one of the miracles of the war.
The superior morale of the pilots, their skill, the fact that they were fighting over and for their very homes, the excellence of the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters, good organization in the control rooms and the invaluable secret of radar - all were factors contributing to victory.
It has been admitted officially that in July, 1940, the R.A.F. Fighter Command had only 640 aircraft available daily for the battle. These were being supplemented at the rate of 130 new planes a week.
Terrible Toll of Life
This was little more than enough to make up for heavy losses. But it was the high toll among the best pilots, more than the loss of aircraft, that almost cost them the decision. In the four months from July to October, 1940, the fighter command lost 481 pilots killed, captured or missing plus 422 injured.
The turning point in the Battle of Britain came on that historic Sunday of September 15, 1940, when a gallant little band of dog-tired Pilots, outnumbered ten to one, went up for a desperate last-ditch stand and shot down 185 German Planes in a nightmare battle which lasted all day over London and southeast England. The pilots fought in relays that day, each coming down only long enough for a cup of tea and for refueling his plane.
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Legless R.A.F. Ace Gets Bars to Crosses
London, 27 Nov. 1945 — (Reuters) — Group Capt. Douglas Bader, legless ace of the R.A.F., today was given bars to his Distinguished Service Cross and his Distinguished Flying Cross by the King at Buckingham Palace.
Capt. Bader, fighter pilot veteran of the Battle of Britain and later a prisoner of war, walked almost effortlessly up the red carpeted ramp to the royal dais. He bowed to the King, who shook hands and gave him the decorations.
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1947
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Mentioned in Despatches
THE LONDON GAZETTE, 31st January, 1947, Air Ministry, ROYAL AIR FORCE
The King has been graciously pleased to give orders for the publication of the names of the following personnel who have been mentioned in dispatches:
Group Captains:
D.R.S. BADER, D.S.O., D.F.C. R.A.F. ...
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Legless Ace Grounded, Can't Even See Niagara
(By JACK HAMBLETON, June 3, 1947)
G/C Douglas Bader, the famous "legless" Bader of the Second Great War, has a "scunner" against North American weather. Of course, he admits, he is not alone in bemoaning the rainfall and fog which has characterized recent local, weather. But when a chap is 20 yards from Niagara Falls, which he has never seen before, and can't see them now - well … It's not quite cricket, old boy.
Nor is it hardly fair that a pilot, who has made three abortive attempts to escape from a German prison camp and finally was released by the United States Army, should be denied a sight of New York's famed skyline - because of rain and fog.
Nor is the stocky, dark-haired fighter pilot particularly happy about the fact the Shell Oil Co. plane he was piloting from Akron to Toronto was forced back at Buffalo - by weather - and that he was forced ignominiously to drive into Toronto yesterday. G/C Bader will spend several days with Shell executives here before returning to New York Wednesday.
An interview with G/C Bader is an experience in itself. This grey-suited individual with the blue shirt, striped tie and two artificial legs, is no morose cripple. As he sits on a chesterfield and drags at a typical English pipe, he is quite alive - and kicking. He stomps around the room, with little about his gait to indicate his legs aren't perfectly normal. And if there are any individuals in Canadian hospitals who want to know what it is like to be without legs, Bader is anxious and willing to tell them - and show them.
He came to this continent, he said, because he "wants to learn something about aviation." (This from a fellow who lost both legs in the crash of a fighter plane in 1931, talked the Royal Air Force into letting him handle the first 'All-Canadian' fighter, squadron which shot down 33 enemy aircraft, with Bader personally, accounting for six.)
What about war talk in England? Well, "if you are busy trying to get enough food for yourself, you haven't much time to think about what is going on in the outside world. Flatly, the British people are not talking about war with any one at the time."
It isn't exactly true that the Germans took away his artificial legs to prevent his escaping. When he was captured by the Germans in France, after shooting down two of their planes and colliding with a third, the Nazis did remove his legs and carried him to a German camp. On this occasion, RAF fliers dropped him a spare leg, which his captors duly delivered to him. Once after that, his legs were taken away "for something I had done. I forget just what, but it was probably something connected with an escape attempt. I thought it was very unsporting at the time and was quite mad about it."
Bader's artificial limbs have flexible ankles, and he can dance, play squash, tennis, cricket and golf. He hopes to shoot a game of golf locally, having played on some of the United States' courses and found them "excellent." The weather though, will have to clear before he becomes greatly interested in a golf game. Even in Southern California - and at the risk of alienating every chamber of commerce on the west coast - it rained "furiously all one morning, although they said the sun was always shining out there." He might, he admitted rather reluctantly, be accused of bringing the weather with him. Meanwhile, it has been typical Bader stuff "Visibility normal - can't see a thing."
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Battle Of Britain Service Planned Here For Sunday
Pay Tribute To Heroic Airmen
On Sunday, September 21, (1947) - Across the whole Dominion of Canada congregations in churches will bow their heads in prayer in tribute to the valiant members of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force who gave their lives for freedom in the Battle of Britain waged over the skies of that island from July to October 1940.
In that epic struggle for supremacy of the air, Canada was represented by several hundred officers and airmen who served as air crew and ground crew in Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands. The great majority of these Canadians who fought in the Battle of Britain were young men who had crossed the Atlantic in pre-war days to enroll in the R.A.F. and served in units of that force. There were, however, two fighter squadrons which bore the name Canadian. One was 242 (Canadian) Squadron of the RAF, composed of Canadian fighter pilots in the R.A.F.; the other was No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron of the RCAF, (later designated No. 401) which arrived in Britain on the eve of the battle.
Hamilton today mourns the loss of one of her sons who fought in this heroic battle. P/O Norris Hart, son of R. S. Hart, 90 Stinson Street, was shot down in the first week of November 1940 after having served with 242 Squadron under the famous leader S/L Douglas Bader for two months.
Official Record
Speaking of 242 Squadron R.A.F., on September 15, 1940, the official R.A.F. records state "September 15 marked the climax of the battle, the historic day on which 85 enemy aircraft were shot down. When, just before noon on that sunny Sunday morning, the first great waves of raiders began to cross the Channel, No. 242 Squadron took off to engage them. Over Gravesend, east of London, the squadron, accompanied by four other fighter units, found about 30 Dorniers escorted by Messerschmitt fighters flying 6,000 feet below. S/L Bader led his pilots in a diving attack out of the sun and the enemy force was all but annihilated. Bader described the action as "the finest shambles" he had been in. For once the British had the advantage of height, position and numbers; indeed the sky seemed to be full of Spitfires and Hurricanes who queued up and pushed each other out of the way to get a shot at the Nazi bombers. The German fighters judiciously stayed out of the way. Stansfeld and Turner each destroyed a Dornier; F/O Tamblyn shared another with a companion; S/L Bader shot down a fourth and a Fleet Air Arm pilot in the squadron accounted for a fifth. P/O Hart shot down an Me-109 in flames. In addition, several Dorniers were damaged. The four squadrons flying with No. 242 claimed 23 destroyed and eight probables in the action.
This is but the account of one squadron in one day of those terrible four months that finally hammered the Hun into submission so far as striving for the conquest of Britain was concerned. It is for the heroism of those pilots who fought those grim battles high above the British Isles that Canadians everywhere will offer a prayer of thanks on Sunday as will the people of Great Britain.
Church Parade
Here in Hamilton the occasion will be marked by a church parade of 424 Fighter Squadron RCAF (Auxiliary) and the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadrons of Hamilton to the Church of St. Thomas. At this special service W/C Douglas H. Wigle, commanding officer of 424 Squadron will read the lesson and Rev. Dr. R.C. Blagrave, rector of the church, will deliver a special sermon.
Following the service the squadron and cadets, led by the Air Cadet Trumpet Band, will march west on Main Street East to James Street, north on James to King Street, and east on King Street past a saluting base near the Cenotaph. Here the salute will be taken by Commander Sam Ross RCN (R), commanding officer of HMCS Star; Lt.Col. A.E. Bliss, E.D., commanding officer of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, and Group Captain Norman S. McGregor, president of the Hamilton Air Cadets.
Following the march past the squadron will return on the north side of King Street and halt in front of the Cenotaph where a wreath will be placed and Last Post and Reveille sounded. The parade will then move off south on Hughson Street to Hunter Street for dismissal.
In the afternoon at approximately 4 o'clock two flights of the squadron, commanded by S/L Douglas Annan, D.F.C., A.F.C., and S/L William A. Olmsted, D.S.O., D.F.C. and Bar, will fly in formation over the city.
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| Squadron Leader Douglas Bader (center) and fellow pilots of No 242 Squadron, Flight Lieutenant Eric Ball and Pilot Officer Willie McKnight, admire the nose art on Bader's Hawker Hurricane at Duxford, October 1940. |
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| Bader in his Gloster Gamecock, 1930. |
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| Gloster Gamecock stunt team and one of its aircraft. Left to right: Douglas Bader, Fl.Lt. Harry Day and Fl.Off. Geoffrey Stephenson. Training for the 1932 Hendon Air Show. |
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| Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIA K-1676. This is the actual aircraft that Douglas Bader was flying when he crashed at Woodley Aerodrome, 14 December 1931. |
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| Not much was left of Bader's Bulldog biplane after it dug its wingtips into the turf; this accident cost him his legs. Douglas Bader's shoes can be seen in the right foreground of the picture. |
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| Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, c. 1940. |
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| Squadron Leader D. R. S. Bader, DSO, DFC. (1940) by Eric Kennington. |
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| Douglas Bader on the wing of his Hurricane. |
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| RAF ace fighter pilot Douglas R. S. Bader (center) with his flying buddies before Hurricane at Battle of Britain time. Duxford, 1940. |
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| Douglas Bader and a Czechoslovakian pilot, Alexander Hess, in England, date unknown. |
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| Bader (center) with Pilot Officer W L McKnight (left) and Acting Flight Lieutenant G E Ball (right). |
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| Bader with wingman Alan Smith (right). |
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| Bader in his Spitfire. |
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| Bader on the wing of his Spitfire P7966 D-B. Note his initials as aircraft codes. |
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| Bader on the wing of his Spitfire P7966 D-B. Note his initials as aircraft codes. |
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| Pilots' Cricket, June 30, 1941: A group of fighter pilots enjoying a game of cricket in their spare time between sweeps across the Channel to bomb Germany's frontline. Douglas Bader's Spitfire is parked in the field behind them. |
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| Wing Commander Douglas Bader climbs down from his personal Spitfire Mk. Va "Lord Lloyd I" after an offensive sweep over France whilst Wing Leader at Tangmere. |
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| Douglas Bader by Cuthbert Orde, March 1941. |
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| Pilots RAF Douglas Bader with JG26 Adolf Galland, August 9, 1941. Bader was forced to abandon his Spitfire over the French coast after colliding with a Bf 109, possibly that flown by Uffz. Albert Schlager of 3./JG26. After being captured, Bader was entertained by Adolf Galland and members of JG26 at Audembert and allowed to inspect one of the unit's Bf 109Fs at close quarters. |
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| Bader with Galland and other Luftwaffe officers after being shot down and captured. |
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| A transcript of a message sent by the Germans tells how they asked for Britain to send over an artificial leg for the captured Captain Bader. |
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| "This box contains an artificial leg for Wing Commander Bader, RAF, Prisoner of War. Please deliver to the following address: Commanding Officer, German Air Force, St Omer (Longuenesse) airfield." |
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| Teleprinter message relating to the parachute dropping of a replacement artificial leg over St. Omer, August 19, 1941. The Germans had offered to guarantee safe passage to an aircraft carrying a spare leg. The offer - which would have given the Germans welcome publicity - was turned down, and the leg was dropped by a Blenheim taking part in a bombing raid. |
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| Luftwaffe personnel examine one of Bader's legs, presumably the spare leg dropped by parachute to replace his damaged leg. |
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| Christmas card from Colditz (front). |
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| Christmas card from Colditz (reverse). |
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| Colditz Castle in April 1945. Bader was a prisoner here for nearly three years. |
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| Representatives of the RAF at Colditz. Seated in the center is Douglas Bader. |
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| Hugh Dowding and Douglas Bader. |
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| Bader. |
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| Painting of Group Captain Douglas Bader by Cuthbert Julian Orde. |
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| Bader. |
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| Bader at North Weald Airfield getting into a Spitfire, with his initials in place of the aircraft codes, ready to lead a flight over London commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Britain. |
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| Bader, April 19, 1945. |
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| Sir Douglas Bader pictured in 1982 with a remote controlled Spitfire model airplane. |
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| The film Reach for the sky in 1956 has brought the Bader story to several generations. The actor Kenneth More played Bader. |
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| Douglas Bader House in Fairford is now the headquarters for the RAF Charitable Trust. |
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