WOW! What a story, what a life! Douglas Bader was an incredible person! A World War ll Pilot, Hero and a champion for disabled people. This man's story is literally unbelievable! We watched and listened to this on the edge of our seats. The Legless Ace as he was known, is a man who's life should be known to everyone. This is a compelling episode and we are very thankful to have learned about Douglas Bader. We hope you will enjoy this and if there are any additional details left out, please let us know in the comments. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
Super interesting video. I have Aussie ideas with video’s available of varying lengths. I tried to post the links yesterday but they kept disappearing: Bernard O’Reilly and the Stinson crash, Paronella Park (it was a Spanish inspired castle), Coober Pedy underground town, Yowie (search Yowie History)
In 1972 I attended a school for the disabled, and Douglas Bader came to visit us, and gave a talk about his life, it's a memory I cherish always meeting him
@@markwolstenholme3354 Yes it was and considering the time was not long after the war of course it was a bit stereotype but Kenneth More played the part very well.
A fantastic film starring a truly brilliant actor but due to budget constraints and problems with filming schedules, you do need to take the details from this account with a touch of salt, in general though it does have the truth at the heart of the film. Read the book that the film is based on and research some of its background such as the story behind his final POW camp in Colditz Castle.
Funniest story I heard about him was from "This is your Life" as a kid. He was at a cinema and took a tumble on the way to his seat. The usherette turned and shone her torch on him , saw his leg in an inhuman shape, screamed and asked should she call an ambulance. Bader replied " Sod the ambulance, fetch me a spanner!" 😂😂. Legend of a man
Another story, might be in Reach for the sky, a landlady was showing him up to his room, and noticed him going upstairs one step at a time. Oh you've hurt your leg. she said. He paused and said - As a matter of fact I haven't got any legs.
There were two legless RAF fighter pilots in WW2, Colin Hodgkinson was injured in a mid air collision and after a double amputation fought back to fly Spitfires and become an Ace.
It's said that he filled his artificial legs with ping pong balls lest they drag him down if he had to bail out or ditch in the channel. Shortly afterward, he thought he was being attacked as he heard what he thought was gunfire, turned out to be the ping pong balls exploding due to the high altitude...
After the war, he was invited to speak to ex-Luftwaffe pilots in Germany. He entered the room, then said, "I never realised we left so many of you b@stards alive"
@@paulwild3676 After the war, Douglas Bader became an oil Executive for a major oil company. He flew a lot privately after war, including flying many times with Adolf Galland, the Luftwaffe Ace. The two became good friends.
My brother who lost his leg had the great honour of meeting Douglas Bader when he was presented with a bravery award. My brother 19 was in the ATC Air Training Corp and flew gliders. Nothing stopped my brother until his cancer sadly took his life.
My father lost his right leg, at the knee, in November 1980 as a result of a hit and run accident in Doncaster South Yorkshire. My father, being a coal miner at the time, spent months in hospital because he also had multiple injuries, which made it necessary to have traction for many months. This had a profound effect on my father's moral, he became despondent, withdrawn. However, several weeks later, in the very early hours of the morning, Nurses informed my father of a special VIP visitor, Douglas Bader himself. I was awaiting my father coming out of yet another bout of surgery, but in the corridor I heard a distinctive 'clip, clop' sound; it was none other than DB, air ace extraordinaire. He visited a number of times throughout my father's long term treatment, something my father was very honoured and proud to receive. I can honestly say Douglas changed my father's life; he gave ample reason to be thankful and to get on and try new things, my father even took up golf, as a result of Douglas. I now honour Douglas almost very day and I shall be eternally grateful to him for helping my father beyond measure. I wanted to have our local airport named Douglas Bader international airport, but was outvoted, to name it Robin Hood airport instead. So, Douglas went on to change many people's lives long after he retired, god bless him and may god protect him/xx
I actually met this great man outside a supermarket when I was a young boy. I only have a very vague memory of it. He was the reason I joined the British Army.
When I was 10 in 1960, my English father gave me the book about Douglas to read. It had a huge impact on how I lived my adult life, and, my understanding of what true courage is.
I was going to post about that myself .. also age 10 in 1960, my father was in the US Air Force and I lived for three years at RAF Upper Heyford from 1960-1962 and I read the book. It had a very big impact on me also .. I think a young person can be overly affected by things and the thought that you should overcome difficulties instead of weeping about them was fixed in my early development .. loosing your legs was just something to overcome and in no way made you less .. but you have to fight to make that so.
Me too! I must have read Reach For The Sky so many times that I wore the book out. Then, joined the Air Training Corps and later served in the RAF for 12 years. He inspired many people to triumph over adversity. That said, apparently he didn't always treat some people so well and was quite disliked by some oof the lower ranks. The book and the subsequent film are worth a look! 🇬🇧
@@michaelkenny8540 I think that's what I was alluding to! Some saw the man as a war hero. Yet, some that actually knew him ,disliked him and thought he was an absolute bastard!
My Uncle was a Squadron leader of Spitfires in The Battle of Britain. He told me that pilots from both sides had huge respect for each others flyng skills, and often saluted each other in the air.
That was lovely to hear! My mum was in the W.R.A.F but passed away in 2019 aged 95! We often talked about her time then! Thank you for what your Uncle did! My uncle was too old at 22 to be a fighter pilot and my dad's brother was killed in his first 1000 bombing raid! R.I.P all those that did not come back hey! 😞😥
@@BeckyPoleninja Thank you kindly! My uncle told me one story about when he was doing torpedo runs in a Wimpey bomber ok! We were on my dads boat on the flying bridge and he told me what it was like dropping a torpedo in the med! As he told us this, we heard a plane flying towards us! It was at the exact height uncle had told me, as he could see the crew rushing about! This was a twin engined plane while and had RAF roundels! It had to go up ti miss us! I will never forget dear uncle Alf! If you have a story about your uncle I would love to hear it! Take care 😀
@@nigeldewallens1115 Hi, he was also in the queue to go down one of the tunnels in the prison camp the film The Great Escape was based on, he had his fake papers and everything, he talked about watching those captured being brought back to camp knowing others had been shot He was one of the pilots consulted and used in the making of the film The Battle of Britain, and he helped build an orphanage in Borneo after the war ended. 1 traced him down 50 years later to say thank you.
@@BeckyPoleninja How wonderful! That was fascinating to hear! Thank you so much! I am on Facebook if you even wish to tell me more! I would love to hear it just for my own! As I have mums stories and it is lovely to hear the efforts of great folk back then! Thank you kindly! I loved that! 🤩👍
Blair 'Paddy' Maine one of the founders of the SAS from Newtownards, Northern Ireland. He managed to destroy more German aircraft on the ground in the North African desert in one day, than the RAF were able to in the air. A former Ireland international rugby player, boxer and lawyer, his feats during WW2 are legendary.
@chillin101 No he and the men got jeeps and fitted them with twin Vickers K machine guns with a high rate of fire which they loaded with tracer and high explosive rounds. But in the biginning they were on foot and placing lewis bombs on the aircraft to distroy them the jeeps came later.
Without a doubt you must look up Violette Szabo. A British spy who joined special operations after her fiancé was killed, captured tortured escaped captured, sent to a concentration camp. Never told any secrets and was shot in a firing line. Great film made about her life. A great woman of WW2
All the Ladies of SOE were wonderful. However, they were rewarded with Civilian medals not Military. Some of the survivors sent them back with stinking letters: "I have fought like a soldier, made more kills than most men, I organised a military campaign and in the absence of orders made decisions befitting of a General." That sort of thing... They were peed off. And I don't blame them. Odette accepted her OBE or whatever it was with smiles, but certainly that wasn't the consensus. They should have been properly honoured. Bravery medals, not something that is randomly given to an actor for 'services to theatre' or a former headmaster for 'services to education'. Hugely insulting.
In the early seventies Douglas was the speaker at my school prize giving in Maltby, South Yorkshire. I remember him being very funny and receiving a massive cheer when he called our Headmaster a 'silly old fool'. The film 'Reach For The Sky' is a classic and well worth watching.
Douglas Bader was not just a bad ass, he was a hero. The greatest of the great. The cheeky British attitude of asking "if he could take the aircraft for a spin" was so funny
'Reach for the sky' was one of my favourite movies growing up, such an amazing story that so few people are aware of and I don't just mean people for other countries. I think Kenneth More was the only actor who could of played him.
Watch the film "Reach for the Sky" it tells the story of Douglas Bader in detail - it's a superb fim and one of the few you can watch again and again. There is so very much missing from that short video you watched - so watch the film, I'm sure you will love it.
I've read both Douglas Baders and Adolf Gallant's biographies. Both write about his capture and how honoured Adolf was to have Douglas his prisoner. Adolf sent a pilot to drop a message about Baders capture and offered an opportunity for a uncontested flight over Gallant's airfield to drop off the spare legs. It's true that the Germans threatened to take away his legs due to constant attempts at escape. After the war Douglas and Adolf became friends a kept in contact for the rest of their lives. Gallant remained in the Lufftwaffer after the war becoming its head. Both books are fantastic reads, especially the chapters on their encounter in France.
Worth noting the RAF declined the uncontested flight offer and dropped the replacement leg from a bomber which was en route to another bombing raid elsewhere.
@@chillin101 Bader also refused to move from one of his POW camps until the Germans threatened to shoot him, and actually surrounded the hut he was in with armed guards. He then came out and inspected the guards, commenting on their poor uniform and berating them for sloppiness in front of the other British prisoners.
Galland served with the Argentine Air Force as a test pilot and consultant from 1947 until 1955 before moving back to Germany and although there was some talk about him joining the newly reconstituted Luftwaffe in the end it never happened and so of course he was never it's head.
When you look at his life, you have to understand that he was not constrained in any way by normal limitations. He was universally considered to be a mad b*st*rd. And we love them.
Also an insufferable snob, who refused to accept that he had been shot down by a sergeant pilot. It now seems more likely that he was downed by a fellow RAF pilot by mistake in a tangled dogfight - an own goal! I worked with ex-RAF guys who had known Bader and, sorry to say, he was widely disliked, treating "other ranks" with contempt.
@@danlefou this was part of his character. if he had not been so, he would have wallowed in self pity after losing his legs. he knew he had to go the extra mile to be accepted .. the RAF would only have given him a desk job in 1939 if he had not been such a badass. most heroes are not likeable in personal lives.
An aunt of mine was once seated next to him at a dinner. She told me afterwards that she had never met a more spectacularly arrogant human being in her life. I think that a lot of the people we have been taught to admire because of what they achieved against apparently impossible odds are like that. They have to have that level of self belief to have done it, but they must be impossible to deal with on an everyday basis. "God, it's that Nightingale woman again. You talk to her. I talked to her yesterday".
Hello ladies, you might consider watching & or reacting to the incredible story of Charles Upham, an intensely humble & shy man from New Zealand. He was awarded the Victoria Cross twice during WW2. Once is astonishing, twice astounding & unique. According to his superiors he could easily have earned another one or two
I recollect another subsequent American reaction video which was not about Douglas Bader but included the photograph of him lifting up his leg to get into the cockpit of his fighter. Given the reactor’s obvious lack of knowledge of the man, this elicited laughter which grated like hell with me. Perhaps they assumed that it was an outdated drill movement which should have been scrapped year before? I wrote a rather strong comment about it because I am of the immediately post WW2 generation which was still allowed to have heroes. Perhaps they were of the mindset that describes our five elite Army regiments, the Guards, as men in ‘silly uniforms and fuzzy hats’. You ladies can always be relied on to pay due respect to all those who deserve it.
I had the privilege of meeting the man in 76 at the knightsbridge sporting club, at the same time the spaghetti house siege was going at the same time of the same year. Funny enough ,two American ladies that couldn't come in because it was a very exclusive club, ask why we let someone who they thought was drunk in ,and not them. I had to explain he had two prosthetic legs, remember prosthetics back then were not like today's.
As a young lad growing up with Spina Bifida during the 1970s and 80's, Douglas Bader's achievements and determination were a constant inspiration to me, pushing me to live as much of an active and full life as possible. Extraordinary bloke.
Gazlator, you too are an inspiration in your courageously determined spirit and resolve to make the best of yourself despite the lousy hand that life had dealt you,God bless you, I salute you. Never give up, never give in. Us Brits don't quit do we buddy !
Colditz itself is worth a look, it wasn't as un-escapable as the Nazi's liked to think. A famous US female reporter was one of the first in with the US forces and took the only know photograph of the Colditz Glider.
There was a film made of Baders life in the '50s called "Reach for the Sky " starring a great actor called Kenneth More . Bader was the sort of man that used up all the air in the room .An absolutely amazing man . 🇬🇧
A cracking film too, I've watched it many times.. Both men were amazing at their crafts.. Sir Douglas was such an inspiration to so many during the harshest times during WW2 but also afterwards.
As brave as he undoubtedly he also wasn't well liked by the people who knew him. He was in fact by all accounts in some ways a pig of man i'm sorry to say. Indeed he treated the squaddie who carried him about on his shoulder in the prisoner of war camp like shit. Moreover during the repatriation period at the end of the war he held on to that same aquaddie who wanted to go home to look after his physical needs
Hi Ladies Sir Douglas Barder lived in the old vicarage in Sprotbrough South Yorkshire at one time there is a college in Doncaster near me named after him.
There's a film Reach For The Sky that you may like, where Kenneth Moore plays Bader in his story up to the end of WWII. I think Bader was a very confident man which would have helped him carry on but that over confidence, or cockiness probably went a long way to causing the accident in the first place.
a great movie. though Moore was maybe a little too "likeable" to play Bader. Bader's attitude was tough and abrupt. which was what was needed to be a leader in war. after the war Bader did a lot of great work for disabled veterans - championing them long before present day organisations like Help for Heroes and Invictus games etc
Douglas Bader was a family friend. I met him several times. He often used to visit my Grandmother as my Grandfather was one of his first flying instructors
I went to the school that was named after him and officially opened by him in 1971. The school was built on an old R.A.F Airfield. If you want to look at someone may I suggest Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer, who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history" he designed the first transatlantic steamer and lots of bridges including the Clifton suspension bridge.
When I was a youngster our class reader at school was 'reach for the sky' which was the story of Douglas Bader. When I worked in London I attended an evening event and met the man himself. He was helping to fundraise for a charity for the disabled. I didn't spend many minutes in his company, but he was unforgettable even so.
Must admit I love the story of Douglas Bader and even remember him appearing on the British Version of This Is Your Life presented by Eammon Andrew's in March 1982, just months before he died! I have the fullest respect for him, just as you have to for the German Flying Ace, Baron Von Richthofen who died before the end of 1918 still in WW1! He was given a full Military Funeral by the English, The French and other Allies! That was because he was the only Flying Ace ever to have 70 confirmed kills, hence they both feared and yet fully respected him too!
It's great that you chose to make a video with Douglas Bader as the subject as he's an inspirational character who I learned about from watching the old black & white movie "Reach For The Sky" when I was a child. Another figure from British history that I would suggest you check out is Admiral Horatio Nelson, he was blind in one eye, his right arm was amputated yet he managed one of the greatest naval victories in the Royal Navy's history at the battle of Trafalgar. As always you ladies are as classy as you are awesome, great stuff👍🏼
As other commenters have said, Reach For The Sky (1956) is a classic British film depicting Douglas Bader's time in the RAF. Directed by Lewis Gilbert who also directed Sink The Bismark! (1960) before Bletchley Park secrets were declassified, and three James Bond films, as well as several other classic British films.
Hi I’m 71yrs old and was told about Douglas Bader when I was a kid by my dad as I grew up I read the book watched the film and just fell in love with this incredible man he’s always been my hero no pop stars nor film stars ever took his place. When I was in my 60s I visited Duxford which is a museum now I still love this man he was my hero when I was young and he’ll remain my hero to the day I die. Thank you for this video
My Grandfather lost both his feet in the trenches of WW1. He then worked in the early days of prosthetic's and worked with Douglas Bader in developing artificial limbs.......so thank you for this video, it means a lot to me
As a teenage boy in the 1970's I was lucky enough to meet Douglas Bader when he was guest of honour at an airshow I was attending. I remember the meeting as if it were yesterday.
Douglas Bader crashed very close to where I live in Woodley Berkshire. He was honoured in an episode of "This is your life" in the 70s by many friends, but as all real heroes seem to be, came across as very humble but with a great sense of humour. He just appitamises the grit and steel that English people are made of.
There is a great film about Bader called 'reach for the sky', one of my favourite films. He once told a story that the telephone rang he answered it and was asked if he could kneel down, he said i dont know ill try, minutes later he picked up the phone and said ive just fallen on my bloody arse who am i talking to? the reply was Buckingham Palace sir, He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth
The story of how he met his wife is just as fantastic showing his determination in the same way he learned to walk again and his return to the RAF. They first met not long after his recovery from the surgery. You should really take some time to watch the movie "Reach For The Sky" he is played by Kenneth More.
I have just re-watched Douglas Bader this is your life its all but an hour long and worth every minute of it. he was such a genuine man. I highly recommend it to you two girls.
Also check out "Paddy" Maine of the SAS - first SAS in North Africa; The Raid of St. Nazaire - The Greatest Raid of All when the Royal Navy took an old scrap boat and ploughed into a German held dock to blow it up and gained probably the most Victoria Crosses in one campaign. The Dambusters who flew low to take out 3 dams in Germany to destroy their arms manufacturing and shorten the war. The Brother of Herman Goering, Albert, who rescued Jews from the grasp of the SS.
I've got one leg and what's left of the other after an above knee amputation. I've struggled to have to learn to walk again and that's with the help of modern prosthetics. I can't run but can dance in a fashion. Bader was some bloke with all the amazing things he achieved after major adversity
Douglas has been my personal hero all my life. He was a bloody minded b*stard who never gave up, no matter the odds. He's been an inspiration to me - whenever I feel like giving up or something seems too difficult, I just think about him, pull on my Big Girl Pants, and get on with it. He was an absolute Mad Lad and a true legend.
This was a great episode. Natasha’s enthusiasm is very contagious. The film ‘Reach for the sky’ is worth watching, it shows his character pretty well. Kenneth More played Bader after Richard Burton turned the role down. Another hero of a similar type and determination was Guy Gibson the leader of the 617 Squadron Dambusters raid. He was played by Richard Todd in the Dambusters film.
What an amazing individual. Such an inspiring man in British history. I can’t wait to watch the movie. An exceptional video ladies. Thank you for introducing us to not just a British hero but I think a hero to all. Amazing plane graphic there also.
Apparently, he was not much appreciated by the other prisoners in Colditz, partly because he was so well known that it turned attention on Colditz, and also because - I hate to say it - he was a very 'difficult' person to be around.
Thanks for posting this, makes me feel proud to be English, also made me think about my Grandad who lost his life fighting in WW2. I've met quite a few people from the US and always found them very polite and friendly, i think we are very similar in alot of ways and if WW3 kicked off tomorrow we would have each others backs.
Group Captain Bader gave a talk at the senior school neighbouring my choir school, I think in 1960 or thereabouts. His talk was very inspirational, and the question hour thereafter was a mix of the profound and the humorous. Westminster School is just across Dean's Yard from the tiny school I attended from aged 8-13 and being included in the "big boys" seminal events, such as this talk, was among the highlights of our non-musical school activities. Bader's humility and frankness in speaking with youngsters remains indelibly escribed in my memory. 🤔
If you can get hold of a copy the book "Reach for the Sky' by Paul Brickhill is a very absorbing and detailed read. There is a film of the same name based on the book but like all films only scratches the surface.
He was an inspiration of mine as a child. One of them. My great grandfather was a test pilot. for AVRO and the RAF who died testing the AVRO Manchester and later the Lancaster bomber came about and is named in a couple of books.
My father was in the RAAF straight after WW2 and flew P-51's for the 1st year of the Korean War. A few years later he found himself in England doing the Test Pilot course for 3 years. A natural flyer, he excelled at everything and was there flying all 3 V bombers, including rocket assisted take offs. At graduation, dad was awarded a Special Citation, one that Bader had also been awarded years before. Dad went on to be Australia's Chief Test Pilot for many years, culminating in test flying the F-111.
@@bigpuppy9923 Very cool. Used to hear the stories as a child .. but never see the books until a few years ago and I cover them in a couple of videos on my channel.
Loved this , So glad you have reacted to this great man . I watched the film when l was a child and it fascinated me to think it was a true story. What a pilot what a man what a inspiration. He triggered my interest in the Battle of Britain . Never have so many owed so much to so few 🇬🇧
Thank you for showing this. I have known about Douglas Bader practically me whole life and "Reach for the Sky" is one of my all time favourite films. In fact, I think I will watch the film this afternoon.
All women n men doing their piece for the war effort, where hero's, every single one of them had stories to tell. Thankyour lucky stars your alive... God save the king 🤴 🏴👀🙏🏻🎯💯
The stories of some of the men who flew in Bomber Command can be heard in the interviews of the digital archives of the International Bomber Command Centre, which overlooks the city of Lincoln.
Love your Elvis T Shirt and fun fact back in the early 80s i met the RAF pilot at an Airshow who shot down the German pilot who bombed Buckingham Palace. Obviously he failed. I had a book called Fighter aces of the RAF and James "Ginger " Lacey had his own chapter, i got him to autograph it for me. These pilots along with Bader were heroes and i'm so glad you appreicate their contribution to the war.
Back in the Summer of 1966 we were in a Pubs Garden ane Douglas Bader was there,i went over and spoke to him,as a kid of 6 i was in awe of him,we had a wee conversation about planes.
The problem with Douglas Bader, I met him the year before his death and he was quite probably the most unpleasant ex-officer I've ever met. Short fuse, incredibly arrogant and completely unapproachable. When he was taken to Colditiz Castle as a POW his orderly had to carry him up and down ninety steps to his room, four times a day, at the very least. When released early he left his orderly behind when he could have quite easily taken him with him. Post war, Bader found the orderly, not to enquire upon his health and well being, but in a telephone call to enquire if he'd brought the rest of Bader's belonings back including a set of spare legs. When the orderly answered in the negative, Bader replied, "You f*cking Ar*ehole!" and slammed the phone down on him. Just a reminder that sometimes Heroes are not great people who deserve to be worshipped..
He was arrogant, a racist and a snob who treated those he deemed to be his social inferiors appallingly. He had martial qualities which are necessary and lauded in wartime, but other qualities which are reviled in peacetime.
@@michaelwilkinson2928 watch this is your life hosted by Irishman Eamon Andrews its on here in black and white , his mates and family. when you watch it you can make up your own mind about his character yourself I enjoyed it myself.
The thing to remember more than anything else is that in 1940 the German army was on the other side of the channel in France waiting to invade, if it was not for Sir Douglas Bader and the rest of those men who fought in the battle of Britain Britain would have been overrun and the outcome of the war could have been totally different. Yes ladies, we owe them so much many died in the conflict.
WOW! What a story, what a life! Douglas Bader was an incredible person! A World War ll Pilot, Hero and a champion for disabled people. This man's story is literally unbelievable! We watched and listened to this on the edge of our seats. The Legless Ace as he was known, is a man who's life should be known to everyone. This is a compelling episode and we are very thankful to have learned about Douglas Bader. We hope you will enjoy this and if there are any additional details left out, please let us know in the comments. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
If you would like to see another English eccentric from world war II you might like to check out mad jack Churchill
@blindarchershaunhenderson3769 we did a video on him over a year ago. Go check it out
Super interesting video. I have Aussie ideas with video’s available of varying lengths. I tried to post the links yesterday but they kept disappearing: Bernard O’Reilly and the Stinson crash, Paronella Park (it was a Spanish inspired castle), Coober Pedy underground town, Yowie (search Yowie History)
@@Pauline-zs6ooGreat! Easiest to message them on Patreon. Thanks ❤️
@@TheNatashaDebbieShowokay, I’ll have to get Jen to do that. She owns the remote 😂
In 1972 I attended a school for the disabled, and Douglas Bader came to visit us, and gave a talk about his life, it's a memory I cherish always meeting him
The film "Reach for the Sky" with the excellent Kenneth Moore playing Douglas Bader is well worth a watch.
Hi, agreed, a great film. I always enjoyed watching it on telly as a youngster.
@@markwolstenholme3354 Yes it was and considering the time was not long after the war of course it was a bit stereotype but Kenneth More played the part very well.
I love that film
A fantastic film starring a truly brilliant actor but due to budget constraints and problems with filming schedules, you do need to take the details from this account with a touch of salt, in general though it does have the truth at the heart of the film. Read the book that the film is based on and research some of its background such as the story behind his final POW camp in Colditz Castle.
Yep definitely worth watching Reach for the Sky
Douglas Bader A national treasure I had the wonderful honour of meeting and talking to him
Funniest story I heard about him was from "This is your Life" as a kid. He was at a cinema and took a tumble on the way to his seat. The usherette turned and shone her torch on him , saw his leg in an inhuman shape, screamed and asked should she call an ambulance. Bader replied " Sod the ambulance, fetch me a spanner!" 😂😂. Legend of a man
Another story, might be in Reach for the sky, a landlady was showing him up to his room, and noticed him going upstairs one step at a time. Oh you've hurt your leg. she said. He paused and said - As a matter of fact I haven't got any legs.
There were two legless RAF fighter pilots in WW2, Colin Hodgkinson was injured in a mid air collision and after a double amputation fought back to fly Spitfires and become an Ace.
Not heard of his efforts.
@@dave_h_8742 'Best Foot Forward' paperback £7.99 e bay
It's said that he filled his artificial legs with ping pong balls lest they drag him down if he had to bail out or ditch in the channel. Shortly afterward, he thought he was being attacked as he heard what he thought was gunfire, turned out to be the ping pong balls exploding due to the high altitude...
@@Boobyi1953 thanks.
I believe there was a German pilot who lost his legs as well and still flew in WW2.
After the war, he was invited to speak to ex-Luftwaffe pilots in Germany. He entered the room, then said, "I never realised we left so many of you b@stards alive"
😂😂 And I bet they all laughed!
Highly respected in Germany. I was thinking that we don’t produce heroes like Bader now and then I thought we do, Kevin Sinfield.
@@paulwild3676 After the war, Douglas Bader became an oil Executive for a major oil company. He flew a lot privately after war, including flying many times with Adolf Galland, the Luftwaffe Ace. The two became good friends.
And we call David Beckham a “HERO”
And golfing buddies, too.@@Brian-om2hh
My brother who lost his leg had the great honour of meeting Douglas Bader when he was presented with a bravery award. My brother 19 was in the ATC Air Training Corp and flew gliders. Nothing stopped my brother until his cancer sadly took his life.
My father lost his right leg, at the knee, in November 1980 as a result of a hit and run accident in Doncaster South Yorkshire. My father, being a coal miner at the time, spent months in hospital because he also had multiple injuries, which made it necessary to have traction for many months. This had a profound effect on my father's moral, he became despondent, withdrawn. However, several weeks later, in the very early hours of the morning, Nurses informed my father of a special VIP visitor, Douglas Bader himself. I was awaiting my father coming out of yet another bout of surgery, but in the corridor I heard a distinctive 'clip, clop' sound; it was none other than DB, air ace extraordinaire. He visited a number of times throughout my father's long term treatment, something my father was very honoured and proud to receive. I can honestly say Douglas changed my father's life; he gave ample reason to be thankful and to get on and try new things, my father even took up golf, as a result of Douglas. I now honour Douglas almost very day and I shall be eternally grateful to him for helping my father beyond measure. I wanted to have our local airport named Douglas Bader international airport, but was outvoted, to name it Robin Hood airport instead. So, Douglas went on to change many people's lives long after he retired, god bless him and may god protect him/xx
Wonderful to hear..God Bless..
I actually met this great man outside a supermarket when I was a young boy. I only have a very vague memory of it. He was the reason I joined the British Army.
Thank you for your service Douglas many respects from 🇬🇧
You have to watch the movie with Kenneth Moore Reach for the sky is a brilliant movie. He was a real hero
When I was 10 in 1960, my English father gave me the book about Douglas to read. It had a huge impact on how I lived my adult life, and, my understanding of what true courage is.
Same I watched the film reach for the sky's about Douglas's life awsome film .
I was going to post about that myself .. also age 10 in 1960, my father was in the US Air Force and I lived for three years at RAF Upper Heyford from 1960-1962 and I read the book. It had a very big impact on me also .. I think a young person can be overly affected by things and the thought that you should overcome difficulties instead of weeping about them was fixed in my early development .. loosing your legs was just something to overcome and in no way made you less .. but you have to fight to make that so.
Me too! I must have read Reach For The Sky so many times that I wore the book out. Then, joined the Air Training Corps and later served in the RAF for 12 years. He inspired many people to triumph over adversity. That said, apparently he didn't always treat some people so well and was quite disliked by some oof the lower ranks. The book and the subsequent film are worth a look! 🇬🇧
@@barryhumphries4514 You make light of his character. It appears he was a horrible human being and very few who got to know him liked the man.
@@michaelkenny8540 I think that's what I was alluding to! Some saw the man as a war hero. Yet, some that actually knew him ,disliked him and thought he was an absolute bastard!
My Uncle was a Squadron leader of Spitfires in The Battle of Britain. He told me that pilots from both sides had huge respect for each others flyng skills, and often saluted each other in the air.
That was lovely to hear! My mum was in the W.R.A.F but passed away in 2019 aged 95! We often talked about her time then! Thank you for what your Uncle did! My uncle was too old at 22 to be a fighter pilot and my dad's brother was killed in his first 1000 bombing raid! R.I.P all those that did not come back hey! 😞😥
@@nigeldewallens1115 ❤❤
@@BeckyPoleninja Thank you kindly! My uncle told me one story about when he was doing torpedo runs in a Wimpey bomber ok! We were on my dads boat on the flying bridge and he told me what it was like dropping a torpedo in the med! As he told us this, we heard a plane flying towards us! It was at the exact height uncle had told me, as he could see the crew rushing about! This was a twin engined plane while and had RAF roundels! It had to go up ti miss us! I will never forget dear uncle Alf! If you have a story about your uncle I would love to hear it! Take care 😀
@@nigeldewallens1115 Hi, he was also in the queue to go down one of the tunnels in the prison camp the film The Great Escape was based on, he had his fake papers and everything, he talked about watching those captured being brought back to camp knowing others had been shot He was one of the pilots consulted and used in the making of the film The Battle of Britain, and he helped build an orphanage in Borneo after the war ended. 1 traced him down 50 years later to say thank you.
@@BeckyPoleninja How wonderful! That was fascinating to hear! Thank you so much! I am on Facebook if you even wish to tell me more! I would love to hear it just for my own! As I have mums stories and it is lovely to hear the efforts of great folk back then! Thank you kindly! I loved that! 🤩👍
Blair 'Paddy' Maine one of the founders of the SAS from Newtownards, Northern Ireland. He managed to destroy more German aircraft on the ground in the North African desert in one day, than the RAF were able to in the air. A former Ireland international rugby player, boxer and lawyer, his feats during WW2 are legendary.
Thats why Winston Churchill called that generation a special generation, the like of which we would never see again, Chris.
Read the book Rogue Hero. Paddy was a one man Army.
@chillin101 No he and the men got jeeps and fitted them with twin Vickers K machine guns with a high rate of fire which they loaded with tracer and high explosive rounds. But in the biginning they were on foot and placing lewis bombs on the aircraft to distroy them the jeeps came later.
He was an amazing man; heartbreaking how he died and the fact no-one was brought to justice for his death.
The great paddy Maine courage beyond but what terrible ending to his life 😮after all that he done and been through.
Without a doubt you must look up Violette Szabo. A British spy who joined special operations after her fiancé was killed, captured tortured escaped captured, sent to a concentration camp. Never told any secrets and was shot in a firing line. Great film made about her life. A great woman of WW2
A truly great film - Carve Her name with Pride - it is on UA-cam
All the Ladies of SOE were wonderful. However, they were rewarded with Civilian medals not Military. Some of the survivors sent them back with stinking letters: "I have fought like a soldier, made more kills than most men, I organised a military campaign and in the absence of orders made decisions befitting of a General." That sort of thing... They were peed off. And I don't blame them. Odette accepted her OBE or whatever it was with smiles, but certainly that wasn't the consensus. They should have been properly honoured. Bravery medals, not something that is randomly given to an actor for 'services to theatre' or a former headmaster for 'services to education'. Hugely insulting.
In the early seventies Douglas was the speaker at my school prize giving in Maltby, South Yorkshire. I remember him being very funny and receiving a massive cheer when he called our Headmaster a 'silly old fool'. The film 'Reach For The Sky' is a classic and well worth watching.
Douglas Bader was not just a bad ass, he was a hero. The greatest of the great. The cheeky British attitude of asking "if he could take the aircraft for a spin" was so funny
You know the war would have ended right then if that had let him!
If the Germans had allowed him to take a short flight you can be sure the plane would not have been armed with any ammunition.
The picture in the book showed Bader sat in the 109 and a German officer with a pistol in his hand
I shook hands with Sir Douglas Bader back in 1980/81
I met him once when I was working in menswear...instantly recognisable as soon as he walked into the shop.
For me the most amazing thing is that the Germans requested the British to fly in his prosthetics and gave them safe passage, not the other way round.
'Reach for the sky' was one of my favourite movies growing up, such an amazing story that so few people are aware of and I don't just mean people for other countries. I think Kenneth More was the only actor who could of played him.
or even "could have" played him....
Watch the film "Reach for the Sky" it tells the story of Douglas Bader in detail - it's a superb fim and one of the few you can watch again and again. There is so very much missing from that short video you watched - so watch the film, I'm sure you will love it.
I've read both Douglas Baders and Adolf Gallant's biographies.
Both write about his capture and how honoured Adolf was to have Douglas his prisoner.
Adolf sent a pilot to drop a message about Baders capture and offered an opportunity for a uncontested flight over Gallant's airfield to drop off the spare legs.
It's true that the Germans threatened to take away his legs due to constant attempts at escape.
After the war Douglas and Adolf became friends a kept in contact for the rest of their lives.
Gallant remained in the Lufftwaffer after the war becoming its head.
Both books are fantastic reads, especially the chapters on their encounter in France.
Worth noting the RAF declined the uncontested flight offer and dropped the replacement leg from a bomber which was en route to another bombing raid elsewhere.
How wonderful.
@@chillin101 Bader also refused to move from one of his POW camps until the Germans threatened to shoot him, and actually surrounded the hut he was in with armed guards. He then came out and inspected the guards, commenting on their poor uniform and berating them for sloppiness in front of the other British prisoners.
@@lloydcollins6337 We told them that we did not need their permission to fly anwhere!
Galland served with the Argentine Air Force as a test pilot and consultant from 1947 until 1955 before moving back to Germany and although there was some talk about him joining the newly reconstituted Luftwaffe in the end it never happened and so of course he was never it's head.
The film is incredible and definitely worth watching, he was an amazing man
When you look at his life, you have to understand that he was not constrained in any way by normal limitations.
He was universally considered to be a mad b*st*rd.
And we love them.
Those he regarded as socially inferior didn't love him.
Also an insufferable snob, who refused to accept that he had been shot down by a sergeant pilot. It now seems more likely that he was downed by a fellow RAF pilot by mistake in a tangled dogfight - an own goal!
I worked with ex-RAF guys who had known Bader and, sorry to say, he was widely disliked, treating "other ranks" with contempt.
@@danlefou this was part of his character. if he had not been so, he would have wallowed in self pity after losing his legs. he knew he had to go the extra mile to be accepted .. the RAF would only have given him a desk job in 1939 if he had not been such a badass. most heroes are not likeable in personal lives.
@@coling3957 Yes, that has been my experience too, but it must be said that some heroes are modest and self-effacing.
An aunt of mine was once seated next to him at a dinner. She told me afterwards that she had never met a more spectacularly arrogant human being in her life. I think that a lot of the people we have been taught to admire because of what they achieved against apparently impossible odds are like that. They have to have that level of self belief to have done it, but they must be impossible to deal with on an everyday basis. "God, it's that Nightingale woman again. You talk to her. I talked to her yesterday".
He was a special man. Everybody my age I'm Britain knows about him.
Hello ladies, you might consider watching & or reacting to the incredible story of Charles Upham, an intensely humble & shy man from New Zealand. He was awarded the Victoria Cross twice during WW2. Once is astonishing, twice astounding & unique. According to his superiors he could easily have earned another one or two
I recollect another subsequent American reaction video which was not about Douglas Bader but included the photograph of him lifting up his leg to get into the cockpit of his fighter. Given the reactor’s obvious lack of knowledge of the man, this elicited laughter which grated like hell with me. Perhaps they assumed that it was an outdated drill movement which should have been scrapped year before? I wrote a rather strong comment about it because I am of the immediately post WW2 generation which was still allowed to have heroes. Perhaps they were of the mindset that describes our five elite Army regiments, the Guards, as men in ‘silly uniforms and fuzzy hats’.
You ladies can always be relied on to pay due respect to all those who deserve it.
I had the privilege of meeting the man in 76 at the knightsbridge sporting club, at the same time the spaghetti house siege was going at the same time of the same year. Funny enough ,two American
ladies that couldn't come in because it was a very exclusive club, ask why we let someone who they thought was drunk in ,and not them.
I had to explain he had two prosthetic legs, remember prosthetics back then were not like today's.
I was born in 1949. Douglas Bader was an absolute (british) hero to me and my friends as we grew up in post war Britain. A great warrior. RIP Douglas.
As a young lad growing up with Spina Bifida during the 1970s and 80's, Douglas Bader's achievements and determination were a constant inspiration to me, pushing me to live as much of an active and full life as possible. Extraordinary bloke.
As a fellow 70’s SB’er, my friend a 60’s SB’er learnt to fly via Baders school and made a career from flying…..sadly he’s no longer with us.
Gazlator, you too are an inspiration in your courageously determined spirit and resolve to make the best of yourself despite the lousy hand that life had dealt you,God bless you, I salute you. Never give up, never give in. Us Brits don't quit do we buddy !
Makes me even more proud to be British 🇬🇧 what an inspiration!
Colditz itself is worth a look, it wasn't as un-escapable as the Nazi's liked to think. A famous US female reporter was one of the first in with the US forces and took the only know photograph of the Colditz Glider.
i watched on my I pad this is your life and this was about his life he had a lot of mates who was in the battle of britain
There was a film made of Baders life in the '50s called "Reach for the Sky " starring a great actor called Kenneth More . Bader was the sort of man that used up all the air in the room .An absolutely amazing man . 🇬🇧
A cracking film too, I've watched it many times.. Both men were amazing at their crafts.. Sir Douglas was such an inspiration to so many during the harshest times during WW2 but also afterwards.
One of my favourite films and well worth watching!
As brave as he undoubtedly he also wasn't well liked by the people who knew him. He was in fact by all accounts in some ways a pig of man i'm sorry to say. Indeed he treated the squaddie who carried him about on his shoulder in the prisoner of war camp like shit. Moreover during the repatriation period at the end of the war he held on to that same aquaddie who wanted to go home to look after his physical needs
Hi Ladies Sir Douglas Barder lived in the old vicarage in Sprotbrough South Yorkshire at one time there is a college in Doncaster near me named after him.
Lovely ladies, as a schoolboy of the 1950s I grew up knowing the story , for us boys he was one of our hero's 🇬🇧
Aah watch Reach for the Sky - you’ll love it I’m pretty sure ❤
There's a film Reach For The Sky that you may like, where Kenneth Moore plays Bader in his story up to the end of WWII. I think Bader was a very confident man which would have helped him carry on but that over confidence, or cockiness probably went a long way to causing the accident in the first place.
a great movie. though Moore was maybe a little too "likeable" to play Bader. Bader's attitude was tough and abrupt. which was what was needed to be a leader in war. after the war Bader did a lot of great work for disabled veterans - championing them long before present day organisations like Help for Heroes and Invictus games etc
My local pub at raf tangmere was his local. The Bader arms, apparently he was very cocky and came across rude at times
Douglas Bader was a family friend. I met him several times. He often used to visit my Grandmother as my Grandfather was one of his first flying instructors
Had he listened to your Grandfather more, he may have kept his legs . . .
Wow.... that's awesome.
As a follow up show try and find the Douglas Bader “This is your life” an old TV programme
I went to the school that was named after him and officially opened by him in 1971. The school was built on an old R.A.F Airfield. If you want to look at someone may I suggest Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
He was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer, who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history" he designed the first transatlantic steamer and lots of bridges including the Clifton suspension bridge.
Love him or hate him, this man had balls of tempered steel.
I’m Welsh and I don’t even have a Welsh bible, this is brilliant and makes my heart smile. 🏴🇺🇸👏🏻❤️❤️
When I was a youngster our class reader at school was 'reach for the sky' which was the story of Douglas Bader. When I worked in London I attended an evening event and met the man himself. He was helping to fundraise for a charity for the disabled. I didn't spend many minutes in his company, but he was unforgettable even so.
Must admit I love the story of Douglas Bader and even remember him appearing on the British Version of This Is Your Life presented by Eammon Andrew's in March 1982, just months before he died! I have the fullest respect for him, just as you have to for the German Flying Ace, Baron Von Richthofen who died before the end of 1918 still in WW1! He was given a full Military Funeral by the English, The French and other Allies! That was because he was the only Flying Ace ever to have 70 confirmed kills, hence they both feared and yet fully respected him too!
It's great that you chose to make a video with Douglas Bader as the subject as he's an inspirational character who I learned about from watching the old black & white movie "Reach For The Sky" when I was a child.
Another figure from British history that I would suggest you check out is Admiral Horatio Nelson, he was blind in one eye, his right arm was amputated yet he managed one of the greatest naval victories in the Royal Navy's history at the battle of Trafalgar.
As always you ladies are as classy as you are awesome, great stuff👍🏼
He was amazing. He was occasionally on tv for various reasons and so positive, cheerful and funny❤
As other commenters have said, Reach For The Sky (1956) is a classic British film depicting Douglas Bader's time in the RAF. Directed by Lewis Gilbert who also directed Sink The Bismark! (1960) before Bletchley Park secrets were declassified, and three James Bond films, as well as several other classic British films.
Nicholas Winton A most inspiring man!
The British Schindler.
Actually met him when i was a young Cadet in the early 70s, my small claim to fame😂
I had the privilage of meeting this hero back in the 1970s amazing man.
I can remember watching the film when I was a child. It really is an amazing story of an amazing life+
Wow!..god bless his service!..
Hi I’m 71yrs old and was told about Douglas Bader when I was a kid by my dad as I grew up I read the book watched the film and just fell in love with this incredible man he’s always been my hero no pop stars nor film stars ever took his place. When I was in my 60s I visited Duxford which is a museum now I still love this man he was my hero when I was young and he’ll remain my hero to the day I die. Thank you for this video
Wow... that's wonderful.
My Grandfather lost both his feet in the trenches of WW1. He then worked in the early days of prosthetic's and worked with Douglas Bader in developing artificial limbs.......so thank you for this video, it means a lot to me
Wow what a hero,
As a teenage boy in the 1970's I was lucky enough to meet Douglas Bader when he was guest of honour at an airshow I was attending. I remember the meeting as if it were yesterday.
Douglas Bader crashed very close to where I live in Woodley Berkshire. He was honoured in an episode of "This is your life" in the 70s by many friends, but as all real heroes seem to be, came across as very humble but with a great sense of humour. He just appitamises the grit and steel that English people are made of.
There is a great film about Bader called 'reach for the sky', one of my favourite films. He once told a story that the telephone rang he answered it and was asked if he could kneel down, he said i dont know ill try, minutes later he picked up the phone and said ive just fallen on my bloody arse who am i talking to? the reply was Buckingham Palace sir, He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth
He was, is and always will be my hero and inspiration.
The story of how he met his wife is just as fantastic showing his determination in the same way he learned to walk again and his return to the RAF.
They first met not long after his recovery from the surgery.
You should really take some time to watch the movie "Reach For The Sky" he is played by Kenneth More.
I have just re-watched Douglas Bader this is your life its all but an hour long and worth every minute of it. he was such a genuine man. I highly recommend it to you two girls.
Also check out "Paddy" Maine of the SAS - first SAS in North Africa; The Raid of St. Nazaire - The Greatest Raid of All when the Royal Navy took an old scrap boat and ploughed into a German held dock to blow it up and gained probably the most Victoria Crosses in one campaign. The Dambusters who flew low to take out 3 dams in Germany to destroy their arms manufacturing and shorten the war. The Brother of Herman Goering, Albert, who rescued Jews from the grasp of the SS.
I've got one leg and what's left of the other after an above knee amputation. I've struggled to have to learn to walk again and that's with the help of modern prosthetics. I can't run but can dance in a fashion. Bader was some bloke with all the amazing things he achieved after major adversity
Douglas has been my personal hero all my life. He was a bloody minded b*stard who never gave up, no matter the odds. He's been an inspiration to me - whenever I feel like giving up or something seems too difficult, I just think about him, pull on my Big Girl Pants, and get on with it. He was an absolute Mad Lad and a true legend.
Early 1970s he attended a prize giving ceremony at my school and i had the great pleasure of meetng him.
This was a great episode. Natasha’s enthusiasm is very contagious. The film ‘Reach for the sky’ is worth watching, it shows his character pretty well. Kenneth More played Bader after Richard Burton turned the role down. Another hero of a similar type and determination was Guy Gibson the leader of the 617 Squadron Dambusters raid. He was played by Richard Todd in the Dambusters film.
It really is such an amazing film, well worth a watch, amazing man xx
What an amazing individual. Such an inspiring man in British history. I can’t wait to watch the movie. An exceptional video ladies. Thank you for introducing us to not just a British hero but I think a hero to all.
Amazing plane graphic there also.
Thank you x
Apparently, he was not much appreciated by the other prisoners in Colditz, partly because he was so well known that it turned attention on Colditz, and also because - I hate to say it - he was a very 'difficult' person to be around.
You don't succeed with such disabilities without being dogmatic and 'cussed' - both things which were vital in wartime.
I knew someone who interviewed him for a magazine she said he was very difficult unfortunately!
Indeed. Have a look at my post about my dad. Hero, yes, but they were all heroes weren't they?
Thanks for posting this, makes me feel proud to be English, also made me think about my Grandad who lost his life fighting in WW2. I've met quite a few people from the US and always found them very polite and friendly, i think we are very similar in alot of ways and if WW3 kicked off tomorrow we would have each others backs.
Group Captain Bader gave a talk at the senior school neighbouring my choir school, I think in 1960 or thereabouts. His talk was very inspirational, and the question hour thereafter was a mix of the profound and the humorous. Westminster School is just across Dean's Yard from the tiny school I attended from aged 8-13 and being included in the "big boys" seminal events, such as this talk, was among the highlights of our non-musical school activities. Bader's humility and frankness in speaking with youngsters remains indelibly escribed in my memory. 🤔
Reach for the Sky 1956 film about Douglas Bader, starring Kenneth More. If you can find it, it's worth a watch.
If you can get hold of a copy the book "Reach for the Sky' by Paul Brickhill is a very absorbing and detailed read. There is a film of the same name based on the book but like all films only scratches the surface.
A real hero along with all who were fighting in the war respects
He was an inspiration of mine as a child. One of them.
My great grandfather was a test pilot. for AVRO and the RAF who died testing the AVRO Manchester and later the Lancaster bomber came about and is named in a couple of books.
My father was in the RAAF straight after WW2 and flew P-51's for the 1st year of the Korean War.
A few years later he found himself in England doing the Test Pilot course for 3 years.
A natural flyer, he excelled at everything and was there flying all 3 V bombers, including rocket assisted take offs.
At graduation, dad was awarded a Special Citation, one that Bader had also been awarded years before.
Dad went on to be Australia's Chief Test Pilot for many years, culminating in test flying the F-111.
@@bigpuppy9923 Very cool.
Used to hear the stories as a child .. but never see the books until a few years ago and I cover them in a couple of videos on my channel.
true hero, gave his all for king and country
Excellent ladies.... keep it up ❤
This was fantastic ❤
there is a movie about him
Loved this , So glad you have reacted to this great man . I watched the film when l was a child and it fascinated me to think it was a true story. What a pilot what a man what a inspiration. He triggered my interest in the Battle of Britain . Never have so many owed so much to so few 🇬🇧
Reach for the sky, fantastic film about his life 👍
Thank you for showing this. I have known about Douglas Bader practically me whole life and "Reach for the Sky" is one of my all time favourite films. In fact, I think I will watch the film this afternoon.
He's definitely up there as one of the greatest brits
There was a film made about him in 1956 called Reach For The Sky a brilliant tribute to a great hero of the U.K.
All women n men doing their piece for the war effort, where hero's, every single one of them had stories to tell. Thankyour lucky stars your alive...
God save the king 🤴 🏴👀🙏🏻🎯💯
The stories of some of the men who flew in Bomber Command can be heard in the interviews of
the digital archives of the International Bomber Command Centre, which overlooks the city of Lincoln.
@@annemumby-qt9uo thanx
As soon as I saw the name, my mind immedietly went to Horrible Histories RAF Song. Horrible Histories being a super popular childrens sketch show.
Love your Elvis T Shirt and fun fact back in the early 80s i met the RAF pilot at an Airshow who shot down the German pilot who bombed Buckingham Palace. Obviously he failed. I had a book called Fighter aces of the RAF and James "Ginger " Lacey had his own chapter, i got him to autograph it for me. These pilots along with Bader were heroes and i'm so glad you appreicate their contribution to the war.
Douglas Bader was also a good rugby player. He played for Harlequins & was tipped to play for England prior to his accident!
Reach for the sky is a great movie. I first saw it as a kid with my granny, but have watched it many times over the years. Amazing man!
Read the book for school in Australia: Reach for the Sky. I really loved it. Someone to check out is Nancy Wake from WW2
Nancy Wake another New Zealander born in Wellington, but brought up in Sydney Australia
Back in the Summer of 1966 we were in a Pubs Garden ane Douglas Bader was there,i went over and spoke to him,as a kid of 6 i was in awe of him,we had a wee conversation about planes.
The problem with Douglas Bader, I met him the year before his death and he was quite probably the most unpleasant ex-officer I've ever met. Short fuse, incredibly arrogant and completely unapproachable. When he was taken to Colditiz Castle as a POW his orderly had to carry him up and down ninety steps to his room, four times a day, at the very least. When released early he left his orderly behind when he could have quite easily taken him with him. Post war, Bader found the orderly, not to enquire upon his health and well being, but in a telephone call to enquire if he'd brought the rest of Bader's belonings back including a set of spare legs. When the orderly answered in the negative, Bader replied, "You f*cking Ar*ehole!" and slammed the phone down on him. Just a reminder that sometimes Heroes are not great people who deserve to be worshipped..
The film about his life is quite good. Worth a watch.
Super interesting story of a resilient man. I wonder what great things he would’ve done if he lived in our current time period.
He was arrogant, a racist and a snob who treated those he deemed to be his social inferiors appallingly. He had martial qualities which are necessary and lauded in wartime, but other qualities which are reviled in peacetime.
@@michaelwilkinson2928 watch this is your life hosted by Irishman Eamon Andrews its on here in black and white , his mates and family. when you watch it you can make up your own mind about his character yourself I enjoyed it myself.
Such a courageous man. I've seen his movie many a times in which Kenneth Moore played the part of Douglas Bader.
The thing to remember more than anything else is that in 1940 the German army was on the other side of the channel in France waiting to invade, if it was not for Sir Douglas Bader and the rest of those men who fought in the battle of Britain Britain would have been overrun and the outcome of the war could have been totally different. Yes ladies, we owe them so much many died in the conflict.
Reach for the sky was 1956 film about him I watched when I was young. Real plucky hero!