This short film details some of Douglas Bader's early RAF life including the crash in 1931 at Woodley Airfield near Reading. Where flying low level aerobatics in a Bristol Bulldog e he damaged both legs so badly they were both amputated by the surgeon Leonard Joyce.
Douglas Bader joined the RAF as an officer cadet in 1928, aged 18, and was commissioned in 1930. Following the crash and after a long period of recovery and recuperation, Bader learned to walk again with the aid of artificial legs and was determined to take up flying again. The Central Flying School reported that Bader could fly well but couldn’t pass him fit for flying because there was nothing in the king’s regulations that covered Bader’s extraordinary case, so he was invalided out of the RAF in 1933.
With tensions rising in Europe, Douglas Bader reapplied to join the RAF, and finally, in November 1939, he was assessed to be fit for flying. Involved in the Battle of France, Bader was assigned 242 Squadron, becoming Squadron Leader during the Battle of Britain.
Douglas Bader’s story has been told many times not least in Paul Brickhill’s biography ‘Reach for the Sky’ 1954 and the subsequent film of the same name 1956.
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, FRAeS was a Royal Air Force 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.
With thanks to Ed Storo and his replica Bristol Bulldog and Aviation Video Archive for the Avro Tutor Footage. Steve Teasdale for his painting of Douglas Bader. Dilip Sarkar Author.
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