“AND EVERY CHANCE BROUGHT FORTH A NOBLE KNIGHT”

DOUGLAS BADER, CBE, DSO AND BAR, DFC AND BAR

SQUADRON LEADER, 242 SQUADRON

This legendary ace lost both his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him help turn the battle in Britain’s favour

Aged 30 during the battle, Douglas Bader was older than most RAF pilots and his leadership was to prove inspirational to the younger men under him. This was especially true when, on 15 September, the Luftwaffe launched its largest attack against London in the mistaken belief that Fighter Command was so stretched it could destroy its remaining aircraft in one go. The skies were filled that day with 1,500 aircraft and the dogfights lasted until dusk.

With the fighter squadrons attacking in Big Wing formations of up to 60 planes – a tactic Bader endorsed – the RAF inflicted colossal damage on the Luftwaffe at little cost to themselves. For Bader it would prove a particularly successful day. Just after noon, his wing ran into a great mass of aircraft, both British and German, outside London. In fact the skies were so busy that, according to the report he later gave an intelligence officer, his wing “had to wait until Spitfires and Hurricanes engaging the enemy broke away”. Once they had, Bader sent his Spitfire force to attack the German fighters, while he and his Hurricane pilots got stuck into the bombers.

Typically Bader led from the front, getting the first kill. His report reveals, “[Bader] opened fire at 100 yards in a steep dive, and saw large flash behind the starboard motor of the Do 17 as its wing caught fire. He attacked another E/A [enemy aircraft] but it was difficult to get them in his sights as the sky was so full of Hurricanes