Douglas Bader
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Websites
Century of Flight
www.century-of-flight.net
Detailed overview of the history of 20th-century aviation, including the Battle of Britain, with lots of very good illustrations and maps.
WWII Ace Stories: Douglas Bader
www.elknet.pl/acestory/bader/bader.htm
Detailed hagiography of Bader’s life as an aviator.
Hero Bader’s mascot given to base
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/5013310.stm
News story from the BBC about how Bader's mascot – a battered green toy bunny – was presented to RAF Coltishall.
Good show of Douglas Bader’s ‘bad show’
www.rbbh.nhs.uk/news/good-show-douglas-bader039s-039bad-show039.php
News story about a painting showing Bader flying just before his accident in 1931, unveiled by his widow at the hospital where he was treated.
Interview with World War II Luftwaffe general and ace pilot Adolf Galland
www.historynet.com/historical_conflicts/3026576.html
Long interview with the German aviator who arranged to have new legs sent to the captive Bader.
The Battle of Britain: A beginner’s guide
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/a-b/battlebritain.html
Websites, books, films, museums and other sources that you can use to find out more about – and get some idea of the experience of – the Battle of Britain.
Escape from Colditz
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/C/colditz/index.html
Like Douglas Bader, you're a Colditz prisoner, in solitary confinement. Escape at first seems out of the question – but there is a way. Can you find it?
Books
Fight for the Sky: The story of the Spitfire and Hurricane by Douglas Bader (Pen and Sword Books, 2003, first published 1973)
Bader himself tells the story of the Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of 'the few'. He traces the development of the Spitfire and Hurricane and describes the actions of those who flew them. As an added bonus, other well-known fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, 'Laddie' Lucas and Max Aitken contribute to the book.
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Reach for the Sky: The story of Douglas Bader – hero of the Battle of Britain by Paul Brickhill (Cassell Military, 2000, first published 1954)
The first biography of Bader, on which the film was based. Published not long after the war, the sheen of hero worship is still in evidence.
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Spitfire! Courage & sacrifice by Dilip Sarkar (Victory Books International, 2006)
A tribute to those who created, built and operated the Spitfire during World War II. It presents stories of young pilots who failed to return, and, for the first time, relates the full story of how Douglas Bader was actually the victim of 'friendly fire' when shot down and captured in 1941.
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Bader: The man and his men by Michael Burns (Cassell Military, 1998)
Not strictly a biography of Bader, this is a day-by-day diary of his exploits in the air war, which continues with a log of the tactical innovation and leadership shown by some of the men who had flown with him.
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First and the Last by Adolf Galland (Buccaneer Books, 1997)
The autobiographical account of the wartime career of the Luftwaffe ace, which contains a gripping account of the Battle of Britain from the German point of view.
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