Douglas Roberts Steuart Bader DSO DFC (1910 - 1982)

Born 21 Feb 1910 in St Johns Wood, London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Olive Thelma Elney (Edwards) Bader — married 5 Oct 1933 (to 24 Jan 1971) in Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Joan Eileen (Hipkiss) Bader OBE — married 3 Jan 1973 (to 5 Sep 1982) in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 5 Sep 1982 at age 72 in Chiswick, Hounslow, London, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robert France [send private message]

Biography

Douglas Bader DSO DFC is Notable.

Douglas Bader DSO DFC was born in St John's Wood, London, England.

Birth

Douglas Roberts Steuart Bader (/ˈdʌɡləs ˈbɑːdə/) was born 21 February 1910 at Saint Johns Wood, London, England, United Kingdom

Volume: 1A - Page: 547

Father Frederick Roberts Bader

Mother - Jessie Scott MacKenzie

Sibling - Frederick (known as 'Derick).

Marriage One

Douglas R S Bader wed Olive Thelma Enley Edwards 5 October 1933 in Kensington, London, England

Thelma died 24 January 1971

Marriage Two

Douglas R S Bader wed Joan E Murray (nee Hipkiss) 3 January 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England

Joan died after Douglas

Death

Douglas Robert S Bader died 5 September 1982 at Chiswick, Hounslow, London, England, United Kingdom in the Registration District of Kensington & Chelsea, London

Birth Date - 21 Feb 1910

Military WW2

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

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.

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 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 metres) 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 levelled out at 24,000 feet (7,300 metres) 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 metres)

Prisoner of war - The Germans treated Bader with great respect. When he baled 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 including 452 Squadron.

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 mid-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 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 No. 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 Bader to escape 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 labour 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 practised 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 JG 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.

Was imprisoned in the following camps: Dulag Luft from 18/08/1941 till 28/09/1941, 7C - from 30/09/1941 from 01/10/1941, O6B from October, 1941 till 11/05/1942, Stalag Luft 3 from 13/05/1942 till 07/07/1942, O8B from July, 1942 till 18/08/1942, O4C (Colditz castle) from August, 1942 till 15/04/1945.

He was at the following work camps - Gleiwitz from 02/08/1942 till 07/08/1942 Escaped in a working party to get an aeroplane, Failed.

England and Wales Census, 1911

Douglas Bader

Lezayre, Isle of Man

Parish: Lezayre

William H McCann Head Male 70 Lezayre, Isle Of Man

Emma Louisa McCann Wife Female 54 India Res

Evelyn Teare McCann Daughter Female 25 India Bombay Res

Emma Louisa McCann Daughter Female 18 India Bombay Res

Emma Maidment Mother-in-law Female 67 India Bombay Res

Nancy Maidment Sister-in-law Female 24 India Bombay Res

Robert Bader Nephew Male 2 England Res

Douglas Bader Nephew Male 1 London Res, London

Tom Walker Servant Male 40 Newmarket Res, Suffolk

Mary Clucas Servant Female 59 Whirton Res, Lancashire

Dorothy Smith Servant Female 20 London Res, London

Laura Moir Servant Female 24 Scorland Res

Note

The birth & death dates on Wikidata are completely incorrect

Davey-570 16:20, 27 July 2020 (UTC)

Sources

• Birth - "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2F2Q-K8T : 1 October 2014), Douglas Roberts S Bader, 1910; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Marylebone, London, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England

• "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7V3-GNZ : 23 July 2019), Douglas Bader in household of William H McCann, Lezayre, Isle of Man; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• Two Marriage registrations - Dec qtr 1933 - Vol 1A - Page 1561 & Dec qtr 1937 - Vol 1A - Page 300
• Marriage One - "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV84-QJFZ : 8 October 2014), Douglas R S Bader and null, 1933; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1933, quarter 4, vol. 1A, p. 1561, Hampstead, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV8X-F22N : 8 October 2014), Douglas R S Bader and null, 1937; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1937, quarter 4, vol. 1A, p. 300, Kensington, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• Marriage Two - "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV6B-WS65 : 8 October 2014), Douglas R S Bader and Joan E Munay, 1973; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1973, quarter 1, vol. 9C, p. 1296, Coventry, Warwickshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24PF-LZD : 15 March 2018), Douglas R B Bader, 1947; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZ3-YWRF : 4 September 2014), Douglas Robert S Bader, 1982; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, Kensington & Chelsea, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5SQ-WB8D : 7 July 2020), Sir Douglas Bader, 1982.

• Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page for Sir Douglas Bader (21 Feb 1910–5 Sep 1982), Find A Grave: Memorial #67133996, ; Maintained by Paul Monaghan (contributor 47155457) Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Douglas Bader

• Royal Air Force (RAF) Officers 1939-1945

• 14 December 1931 "Bad Show"

• 242 Squadron RAF

• POW records

• Battle of Britain article by Bader

• "The War Illustrated" October 10 1941

• Kershaw, Roger, "The extraordinary life of Douglas Bader. The National Archives Blog, 21 February 2021.

• Lucas, P. B. Lucas, ‘Bader, Sir Douglas Robert Steuart (1910–1982)’, rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press (2004) online edition, May 2011, accessed 18 November 2017.

• This is your life - Douglas Bader

• Douglas Bader interview 1965

• Douglas Bader interview 1966

• 50 minute film on Douglas Bader life story with interviews from relatives & colleagues

• Royal Air Force (RAF) Officers 1939-1945: D.R.S. Bader

• Daily Mail - Flawed Hero, 3 Aug 2011

• Sunday Post 12 Nov 2015

• CNN, 29 August 2020, "The crazy-but-true story of a WWII fighter pilot who said his artificial legs saved his life"