This subject reared its head on UK TV and radio the other day and guess what? When you cut away the crap, they have located what might be some wooden crates underground!
I watched a couple of documentaries about the Battle of Britian the other nite. Had a segment about an RAF pilot who lost his legs but continued service as a pilot if I understood correctly (It was late and I was dosing a bit). Is this the fellow?
RAF G/C - DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar
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LEGLESS PILOT IS WITH R.A.F.
Flying Officer Bader Has Enlisted to Help His Country in War
London, Dec. 26, 1939 — (CP) — The Daily Mail reported today that a legless pilot, Flying Officer Robert Stewart Bader, is serving with the Royal Air Force.
"Coming out of a slow roll over Woodley aerodrome at Reading," the paper said, "he crashed and for weeks struggled against death in a hospital.
"That was eight years ago. Now, although he is legless as a result of the crash, he is once more a Royal Air Force pilot in Great Britain.
"Within nine months of the accident he was fitted with two artificial legs and again passed as a 100 per cent 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."
Last edited by HOOKED ON HISTORY; 11-30-2012 at 03:12 PM.
There is a movie starring Kenneth Moore called 'Reach for the Sky' which documents Douglas Bader's journey through the war. My dad was luck enough to meet both him and Adolf Galland (sp?) who was a high scoring Luftwaffe ace, perhaps the highest but I am not sure. My dad met them at the same time in the 60s which shows the irony and futility of war.
Can't have that EVIL OLD guns & ammo loose in the world. Here is what crazy people do when they get ahold of it.
What will happen when they get ahold of the whole plane?
My dad was luck enough to meet both him and Adolf Galland who was a high scoring Luftwaffe ace, perhaps the highest but I am not sure.
Galland was the highest scoring fighter pilot on the Western Front (104). Many scored far more kills but that was in Russia where the Luftwaffe dropped planes like crazy due to rather untrained Russian pilots. Erich Hartmann was the highest scoring Luftwaffe ace of the war (352) and he flew entirely on the Eastern Front. Both men actually have some interesting distinctions too. Galland had cigar lighters installed in the cockpits of the planes he flew and liked using Mickey Mouse as his personal insignia. Hartmann has the distinction of never losing a wingman in combat.
Sorry for the thread hijack. I just like the topic of WW II aviation....
Sorry for the thread hijack. I just like the topic of WW II aviation
Nothing to apologize about. The whole thing reads like a "silly season" story. About as plausible as a concrete parachute. Note how we have heard nothing more for 6 weeks. Like the supposed U-boot up a creek in the Canadian backwoods (were they looking for the North-West Passage?) - a flurry of wild speculation, and then total silence.
BTW, I have a boxed Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster in my cellar. The box is marked "Airfix".
There is a movie starring Kenneth Moore called 'Reach for the Sky' which documents Douglas Bader's journey through the war. My dad was luck enough to meet both him and Adolf Galland (sp?) who was a high scoring Luftwaffe ace, perhaps the highest but I am not sure. My dad met them at the same time in the 60s which shows the irony and futility of war.
Thanks I will seek the movie out. The irony /futility part was best christalized in my mind seeing the interview with Shifty Powers as part of the Band of Brothers series.Here is a llink to a video with the text of his quote reguarding those he faced in battle. [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLpigukXTMs"]
PM
Originally Posted by xa-coupe
