Which pilot famously fought in the Battle of Britain with two artificial legs?
Douglas Bader Within six months, he had been fitted with artificial legs and had learned to walk again. He was able to persuade the RAF to give him a chance to prove that he could still fly operationally and joined No. 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford in early 1940.
What is Douglas Bader famous for?
Douglas Bader was one of the RAF’s most famous fighter pilots during the Second World War. His story proved inspirational to countless people, both during and after the war. Born 21 February 1910 in London, Bader was awarded a scholarship to St Edward’s School in Oxford.
Which British pilot shot down the most planes in ww2?
Douglas Bader
| Sir Douglas Bader | |
|---|---|
| Douglas Bader in 1955 | |
| Nickname(s) | Dogsbody |
| Born | 21 February 1910 St John’s Wood, London |
| Died | 5 September 1982 (aged 72) Chiswick, London |
When did Bader lose his legs?
December 1931
In attempting a low level aerobatic display in December 1931, he crashed. Lucky to be alive, Bader was rushed to hospital where they were forced to amputate both his legs below the knee. Amazingly, Bader took the loss of the legs well.
Was Douglas Bader shot down by own side?
In the ensuing close engagements, Wing Commander Bader was ‘downed’. Exactly what happened to Bader remains a mystery to this day. Bader maintained that he had a mid air collision with a Bf 109. The Luftwaffe’s JG 26’s Kommodore, Oberst Adolf Galland, maintained that Bader had been shot down by one of his pilots.
Did the Polish won the Battle of Britain?
The first Polish victory came on 19 July 1940 when Pilot Officer Antoni Ostowicz of No. 145 Squadron shared in the destruction of a Heinkel He 111. Sadly, on 11 August, he became the first of his countrymen to be killed in the Battle. The first victory by a national unit – a Junkers Ju 88 – was achieved by No.