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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
*
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."
*
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.
*
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)
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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."
*
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.
*
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.
*
1942
*
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."
*
'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
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
1945
*
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.
*
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.
*
'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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
1947
*
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. ...
*
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."
*
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.
 |
| 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. |
 |
| Bader in his Gloster Gamecock, 1930. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| Squadron Leader Douglas Bader, c. 1940. |
 |
| Squadron Leader D. R. S. Bader, DSO, DFC. (1940) by Eric Kennington. |
 |
| Douglas Bader on the wing of his Hurricane. |
 |
| RAF ace fighter pilot Douglas R. S. Bader (center) with his flying buddies before Hurricane at Battle of Britain time. Duxford, 1940. |
 |
| Douglas Bader and a Czechoslovakian pilot, Alexander Hess, in England, date unknown. |
 |
| Bader (center) with Pilot Officer W L McKnight (left) and Acting Flight Lieutenant G E Ball (right). |
 |
| Bader with wingman Alan Smith (right). |
 |
| Bader in his Spitfire. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| Douglas Bader by Cuthbert Orde, March 1941. |
 |
| 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. |
 |
| 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." |
 |
| 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. |
