Douglas Bader Term Papers

Douglas Bader was a World War II fighter pilot who shot down 22 German aircraft during the Battle of Britain, earning the title of ace due to the number of enemy planes that he destroyed. Bader was remarkable because he was a double amputee, having lost both legs in an aircraft accident in 1932, shortly after his graduation from the RAF officer training school. To a large degree, Bader exemplified the spirit of Britain at the time by his unwillingness to allow any obstacle prevent him from doing his share to defend his country. The fact that he was allowed to fly by the RAF despite official policy that prohibited disabled individuals from engaging in combat operations also demonstrates the desperate need for trained pilots during the Battle of Britain.

Bader was born in 1910, and entered the RAF in 1928 as an officer candidate cadet. During his training, he was deemed unsuitable for military service by his superiors for his reluctance to follow orders. Because of his flying skill, however, the RAF granted him a commission. Shortly afterwards, he was ordered to engage in stunt flying with a cumbersome early model airplane known as the Bulldog. The plane crashed and Bader lost both of his legs. In 1933, he was officially discharged from the RAF. Afterwards, he learned to use artificial metal legs that were designed by a French firm and which gave him a relatively high degree of mobility. At the outbreak of World War II, he volunteered for service with the RAF, with the RAF making an exception to its policies that prohibited flying by disabled individuals. In May 1940, he was appointed Squadron Leader and given command of RAF fighter squadron 242 that flew Hurricane aircraft.

The Battle of Britain is the term given to the air battle that took place over England that began in July 1940 following the surrender of France to Germany. The Battle was the first attempt by a modern nation to use airpower alone to force the surrender of an enemy. The German strategy was to bomb the cities of Britain to the point where the casualties to the civilian population were so heavy that Britain would sue for peace. At the time, the Luftwaffe greatly outnumbered the RAF, with a large bomber fleet and more than twice the number of fighter planes . The tactics employed by the RAF in order to implement this strategy focused on the destruction of the RAF fighter command in order to achieve the same level of air superiority over Britain that they enjoyed in France. The RAF’s defensive strategy was to focus primarily on the enemy’s fighter aircraft, recognizing that the bombers were vulnerable if the fighters could be eliminated. The RAF, however, did not have sufficient air assets to carry the battle to the German air bases located in France, and had to act in a primarily defensive mode.

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