"But These Fokkers..."

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Old No7
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"But These Fokkers..."

Post by Old No7 »

I hadn't heard this version of the "These Fokkers..." WWII story before, but this must be the one from which all others started...

RIP an RAF Hero.

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Those Fkers.jpg
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by Blaine »

One of my favorites...thanks for posting. :lol:
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by gamekeeper »

:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Old No7
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by Old No7 »

I dug a little deeper into this fellow while on lunch...

I wonder how he controlled the rudder with no legs?

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Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert (21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) 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.

Bader joined the RAF in 1928, and was commissioned in 1930. In December 1931, while attempting some aerobatics, he crashed and lost both his legs. Having been on the brink of death, he recovered, retook flight training, passed his check flights and then requested reactivation as a pilot. Although there were no regulations applicable to his situation, he was retired against his will on medical grounds.

After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, however, Douglas Bader returned to the RAF and was accepted as a pilot. He scored his first victories over Dunkirk during the Battle of France in 1940. He then took part in the Battle of Britain and became a friend and supporter of Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory and his "Big Wing" experiments.

In August 1941, Bader baled out over German-occupied France and was captured. Soon afterward, he met and was befriended by Adolf Galland, a prominent German fighter ace. Despite his disability, Bader made a number of escape attempts and was eventually sent to the prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle. He remained there until April 1945 when the camp was liberated by the First United States Army.

Bader left the RAF permanently in February 1946 and resumed his career in the oil industry. During the 1950s, a book and a film, "Reach for the Sky", chronicled his life and RAF career to the end of the Second World War. Bader campaigned for the disabled and in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1976 was appointed a Knight Bachelor "For services to disabled people". He continued to fly until ill health forced him to stop in 1979. Bader died, aged 72, on 5 September 1982, after a heart attack.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by wvfarrier »

Bwahahahaha
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by JimT »

Old No7 wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 12:46 pm I wonder how he controlled the rudder with no legs?
He had one leg amputated above the knee and the other leg was amputated below the knee. His prosthetic legs were made of tin and he could control the rudder with precision with them. He apparently could withstand pretty high G forces and fliers often wondered if it was due to the fact that he had no extremities for the blood to be forced into.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by Blaine »

I wonder how he controlled the rudder with no legs?
He was going to sue, but his lawyer told him he didn't have a leg to stand on. :cry: :oops:
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by gamekeeper »

My generation know the story well, mostly from the movie " Reach for the Sky " the younger generation not so much.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by JimT »

When he was shot down and captured by the German he only had one leg. Bailing out of the airplane, one of his legs got caught in the canopy. He could not free himself so he pulled the ripcord. The parachute broke the straps holding his leg on and made a successful jump with one leg.

The Germans let the British know he needed a new leg. The British made up a new leg and dropped it to him by parachute.

He escaped several times and tried so many times they threatened to take both his legs away. Finally they put him in Colditz and he was there until the Allies freed Colditz.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by JimT »

gamekeeper wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 1:55 pm My generation know the story well, mostly from the movie " Reach for the Sky " the younger generation not so much.
That's kind of sad. He was the kind of man we need more of in this old world.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by JOG »

Very funny stuff! :D
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by 1894cfan »

He lost one leg BELOW the knee and one ABOVE the knee! BTW, never heard or read that before, LOVED it! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
OOPS, JimT answered this already!
BTW, the fighter Bader crashed was a Bristol Bulldog that was reported to be a rather heavy and hard to maneuver aircraft. He was part of a three aircraft aerobatic team at the time that used that fighter. HTH
Last edited by 1894cfan on Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by Jay Bird »

I'd sure like to find his tin legs......I'd melt those babies down and make lots of good bullets.

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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by samsi »

I recall that Bader's "attempted aerobatics" that resulted in the crash was a slow roll started at an altitude of 30 feet. He was quite a hotshot, and a hothead at times. I read the book in High School, along with The Colditz Story, The Great Escape, Stanford-Tuck's Fly For Your Life and little known title by TD Calnan, Free as a Running Fox. Tommy Calnan was a Photo Recon Spitfire pilot shot down and captured by the Germans, where upon he became a serial escapist and general pain in the backside for the Germans. It's been 40+ years since I read it but think he ended up in Colditz as well.
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by Old Savage »

Read the book Reach for the Sky many years ago, extraordinary individual.
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samsi
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Re: "But These Fokkers..."

Post by samsi »

This thread got me thinking (not always a dangerous thing) that I have another Bader book around the house, gifted to me a few years ago: Bader, The Man and His Men. Published in 1990 by Arms and Armour, it goes into greater detail of individual air campaigns and development of tactics. Forgot I had it, but looks good. I should probably move it to the nightstand stack.
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