I myself am a bilateral amputee. I find your ability to make light of of these things very refreshing. I’ve always made jokes and such about my amputations. To the point the nurses in the hospital had a psychiatrist come talk to me about being in denial. I found it hilarious these people thought I could deny missing half my body. Weird
why is it always people being offended on others behalf? humor has always been a human coping mechanism and dark humor one of the funnier forms. glad you were able to make light of your situation and apparently handled it better then the people sent to take care of you.
Had a buddy lose his legs in a car crash. He showed up to the next christmas party wearing a shirt that had a gingerbread man with snapped off legs on it. Love that guy
One of my favorites was from the '70s, a British airline pilot going into Frankfurt. Frankfurt controllers were known to be stern and impatient. Once on the ground the pilot asked for directions to his gate, and the controller snapped "Have you never been to Frankfurt before?" Pilot: "Well yes, but that was in 1944, and I didn't land, I just dropped something off."
I had the real honour to escort this Legend for his last medical in 1982 at PMRAF Halton as a young medic. His first words were as he literally jumped out his taxi" hello lad, I'm Dougie Bader and your expecting Kenneth More " he looked at the wheelchair I'd been ordered to convey him on and told me he wouldn't be needing that and walk and chat with him. What a great personsable man. He inspired me so much that when i sustained a brain injury 30 years later and was told I'd be in a wheelchair for life, i just shook my head and proved them wrong .Thank you Dougie🙏
That's incredible. I can't help but smile at this, so thank you. I just hope others can take inspiration from this and conquer their own adversities just as you have. 👍
"You can't fly. You don't have any legs Dougie." "Does a bird use its legs to fly? Me neither. Put me in a plane!" Probably went just like that, but with a lot more swearing on Bader's part. The man swore up a blue streak at any opportunity.
I've heard the joke about fuckers and Messerschmitts before. I didn't know it was an actual quote. That makes it even funnier. Thanks for the laugh, Sir Bader.
Bader's story reinforces something I was once told about German Culture: The various Germanic states and later United Germany represented a diverse group of peoples that on the few things they were uniform upon there was immense passion. One of those things was a grand admiration for innovation and excellence in the face of adversity. When the pilots of Germany looked at Bader they didn't see a cripple; they saw someone who had defied Fate with technology and an iron will.
I would agree with that opinion. Additionally, Adolf Galland was known for having respect towards the enemy and for not supporting Hitler/Nazi leadership. He fought for the German people, not his leaders. He was a more traditional pilot, in that he cared for the opposition’s pilots. I 100% believe he wanted to show his respect to Bader during this because, as they say, game spots game. Very cool story :)
@@carter2671The idea of being a pilot who sees the enemy as somebody worthy of respect is kind of how the story of Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler happened. He saw an unarmed, defenceless aircraft as he would somebody in a parachute.
@@airplanemaniacgaming7877 Certainly! Adolf Galland and Franz Stigler served together during WW2, specifically in North Africa and the final defense of Germany. Exactly the same principle was shared by both men.
Of german descent, huge german family, german german german. Can confirm 100% Nothing will bring a tear to a german's eye faster than someone fighting through a wound or hardship and achieving victory while struggling and suffering. Hitler tried to convince the world that the aryans were the superior state of humanity. OGs (original germans) believe that the real super-race is people who do the right thing and persevere no matter how difficult the battle they face becomes. For some people it's physical, for some people it's psychological, some spiritual. But a person who does "able shit" while "not able" is a german superhero, plain and simple. Sidebar: This is what made them so vulnerable to the propaganda the nazis used. All they had to do was tell the people that germany would survive and become stronger despite its wounds and the people fell for it immediately. I personally believe that the german obsession with engineering comes from a desire to see broken things work again, and so they take every effort to make things that work and work and keep working even with bullet holes in them. It is a character trait that can be easily abused, but can also be easily put to great use. My grandfather was a US veteran and farmer in North Dakota, and his farm fed thousands of people in and around his community. He died of cancer. Almost a full year after they said he'd be dead, and long after his 80th birthday. He's in heaven now, with the real superhero. But that man was proof that the closest thing a German believes in as far as a superhero isn't someone who can lift a train car with his bare hands, but someone who can stand back up after having one dropped on him.
As an American, who used to be a Brit. (Yes it confuses people when I show them all my guns with a British accent! 😂 Long live the Republic!). I really appreciate your coverage of the absolute mad lad Douglas Bader!
I was also confused watching The Chieftain's (Nicolas Moran) channel. He's a US Army armour officer with an Irish accent. He held dual US and Irish citizenship for a while.
I knew a cool ass British American guy when I was in the service who you remind me of. Glad to have you over here sir. He was in the British version of the Army, then he joined our Army and got his citizenship. Coolest freakin dude ever.
I'm English, come from a family of vets and have never heard of this guy, I was born in the early 80s, I feel let down (by my nation's education system) that an American (no insult intended, love your content) had to teach me this. This story, especially told the way it was in this video is inspiring. How many kids dealing with mental health issues, disability, depression, puberty hormones would be inspired by this whole story including the fokker part. Thank you for revealing a real hero to me.
Tbf no countries history lessons will teach you about individual, pilots, soldiers or seamen unless they have a greater effect So its nothing to do with our education system Topics like these are more of a deep dive topic.
I was born in the mid 50s, and grew up watching the 1956 B&W film "Reach for The Sky" many, many times. There were so many war films and programmes on the TV, kids knew all about WW2. We read war comics and built plastic kits of Spitfires and tanks. Then Star Wars happened and everything changed.
I first learned and read about Baader when I was 10 years old. I was exposed to a lot of things then that children today are not ever exposed to. I heard the stories of two world wars from the men who lived them.
After the war Douglas wanted a private pilot license, the air ministry refused him because he had no leges. He went to the ministry headquarters and explained that he was a war ace and pow after a long conversation he got the license
@@EthalaRideI do love some of those "do you know who I am stories". Reminds me of a few other stories like one where a former special forces veteran was forced to take a basic firearms test because they didn't beleive he knew how to operate a firearm, or another story where some young men tried picking a fight with Jack Dempsey (former world heavy weight boxing champion), or a similar story (not to his face) where people questioned why Cus Dimato (sp?) knowledge of boxing (trained Tyson and impressed Ali repeatedly), or that time an idiot told Stephen King he didn't know about literature and should read a book because he didn't recognize him
You should do a video on the Alaska Scouts from WW2, also nicknamed Castner's Cutthroats. They were a special Army unit comprised of hunting guides, trappers, miners, prospectors, and fishermen. After Japan took a couple Alaskan islands, these guys were dropped off via submarine and rubber rafts to establish beach heads and airstrips in order to facilitate the air bombings of the Japanese held islands. They lived off the land and operated in areas where 99% of the conventional Army would've failed or been held stagnant by the conditions. There were only about 100 members of the unit.
If you haven't covered Fighting Jack Churchill, then you should. Dude went into battle during WW II with a longbow, Scottish broadsword, and bagpipes. Dude was a bad ass.
Msgt Roy Benavidez should be next. Survived a landmine and 37 bullet, bayonet and shrapnel wounds after a 6hr fight. Another legendary Green Beret Texan.
My favorite part of Bader's story is that after the war, Britian's Southern Railway built a series of steam locomotives known as the "Battle of Britain Class." Each locomotive was named for officers, squadrons, and RAF bases that had participated in the battle. When the locomotive named "Fighter Pilot," number 21C155 was commissioned, Bader was invited to the christening ceremony as a guest of honor. He was even allowed into the cab and took the throttle for the loco's maiden run.
Reminds me of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who I had the incredible honor to interview one time. Sick and tired of his frostbitten fingers, he went to the shed and cut them off. Annoyed by the construction of an ugly concrete damn near his home in the UK, he decided to blow it up. Got kicked out of the SAS for that one. Also went to both poles, served in Oman and climbed Everest. Absolute gentleman and madman.
With all due respect to ALL of the men and women who've fought (and sometimes died), there's one man who you should absolutely recognize for this coming Christmas. For all of the DECADES that he was active, as long as there were Americans fighting, he never spent a holiday at home. He was ALWAYS with them, helping morale, giving them a reason to keep going, despite never having served, himself, due to a childhood accident that nearly crippled him, when one knee was crushed while playing in a train yard. When I was small boy, even into my teen years, he served the men and women in Vietnam. Before that he helped out in WW2 and Korea, and wherever men and women were stationed far from home. Eventually, the USAF gave him the honorary rank of full General, in recognition of his decades of selfless service to American servicemen and women.... .....General Bob Hope
You gotta be pretty gangsta to be a civillian that gets bumped straight to General for what you've done. Didn't know this, now, on to a Google rabbit hole I go! 😅 P.S. Appropriate last name is appropriate.
That would be so right! I really hope to see that video here; I know it would be excellent. General Bob Hope was on tour in Vietnam while my ship was in the Tonkin Gulf directing aircraft in and out of the fight. We never knew about that at the time though. I'd never heard about his "promotion." What a deserved acknowledgment! 👍
That quote about Messerschmitts had me rolling. I have said before, I'll say it again: If history were taught like this in schools, maybe kids would have a better understanding and therefore a greater appreciation of history.
If you can't tell a story that grabs kids' attention, you have no business teaching history. Both of my parents were teachers, so I knew whose class to take.
I read Bader's biography "Reach For The Sky" back when I was just a kid in the early 1970s. Totally amazing badass. Never let his limitations limit him. Thank you for telling his story to many folks who might not have heard of this legless Brit pilot.
I briefly met Douglas Bader as a kid in the 1960s when he came to our town to meet up with a young boy who had become a double amputee after an accident. He stopped to ask for directions and we chatted for a little while. He did seem quite formal and reserved but that would have been quite normal for a man of his age at the time - especially one with a background in the Forces. I would have had no idea who he was if not for a local newspaper running an article on his visit. I believe he stayed in touch with the lad he visited for years by letter.
When Bader went down, his plane was indeed recovered. The Germans recovered his prosthetic leg from the wreckage and gave it back to him. When he pointed out that it was damaged, the Germans did a little work on it and brought it up to serviceable condition.
@@ez_company9325this comment only said a leg, it's possible that his other leg was damaged and fell off during his capture and they repaired it, it's also possible that their repairs weren't 100% correct or that despite the repairs it still wasn't in good enough shape for long term usage, or the recovered and repaired leg was the air dropped one, or this is false. I don't know the answer, but there was at least a recreation of the letter shown in the video. Edit: that letter is around the 20:00 minute mark
@@ez_company9325 That part of the story is true, but there's more detail to it. The spot where the leg was bent never really worked right, so he asked the Germans if they could check on getting another. The Germans graciously offered to let a single British plane overfly the area and drop the leg, but not wanting the Germans to get any humanitarian ammo out of such a gesture, the RAF decided to include the leg in a regular bombing run. Worked like a charm.
There's a book called "Life's Too Short To Cry" written by a Battle of Britain ace Tim Vigors who was interestingly enough an Irishman fighting with the RAF. He served under or with Bader under 222 Squadron, and in an effort to be the fastest crew during a night scramble Bader devised a plan where Tim was in a bunk on one side of Bader with one of his prosthetic legs, and another pilot was on the other side of Bader with his other prosthetic leg and I believe they eventually had the system down where they were the fastest crew for a scramble. 10/10 would recommend reading/listening to that book as it tells another amazing story of a RAF ace.
It was not uncommon for Irishman to fight with the British in WW2 (Excluding northern Irish cause well of course it was common) Many Irishman felt like Ireland standing by doing nothing while Hitler committed great evil was something they could not sit idly by so many joined the Northern Irish Regiments , RAF or the navy . The sad part is how they were treated by the Irish when they returned They had land taken from them Abandoned by families (Most out of fear of retaliation) So they either stayed and suffered until Ireland wiped there records (Too late most of there lives were ruined) Or go to the UK where they were treated as heroes by the so called enemy
4:46 : "He just figured it out". Something to be said about a guy who trailblazes a path for others to follow in his footsteps... when he doesn't have any feet of his own.
I'm a 71-year-old great-grandmother and I love your videos because I've always been interested in World War I and World War II . I've subscribed and rang the bell. God Bless you
Oh my god lol… so, this is officially one of my favorite videos you’ve made because the last minute or so contained one of my dads favorite “jokes” that I never knew was at least based on a true story. The “those fuckers were Messerschmitts” line KILLS. My life is complete knowing that was a real interaction lol.
Reach for the Sky was a book (written by Brickhill) before it became a movie. He toured US VA Hospitals and took interest in the amputees. He told one guy, who had lost a leg below the knee and was at a low point mentally, "You're lucky that you only lost one." The guy angrily snarled at him, said things that would get this post banned, and basically half shouted "what do you know about it?" Bader then walked over to a chair, sat down and pulled up his pants high enough to show that he had lost two! He did coach the guy a bit and let him know that he fought the Battle of Britain AFTER he had lost his legs, to inspire the man! He also had written a boy who had to have a leg amputation while he was in Coldlitz Prison, encouraging him to learn how to walk and be active!
@@peterrollinson-lorimer I used to buy hardback copies (when I could find one in very good condition that I could afford) and give them out to Rehab centers. Both for the staff to read and for loans to a patient(s) and/or their family(ies)
I'd love to hear your take on the "Ye Olde Pub" incident, in which a German fighter pilot encountered a crippled B17 but instead of shooting it down and scoring an easy kill, escorted them to safety. The two pilots later became lifelong friends.
Damn bro! This Permasafe sponsorship hits close to home! Literally 3 mins and 47 seconds ago I was telling my wife that I checked the dishwasher filter and it is disgusting. I promised to clean it when I have some gloves. PSA: Check and clean you dishwasher filter. Protect your hands with Permasafe gloves first. Also, change your car’s cabin air filter!
@@johngillespie3409look I’m no plumber. But I imagine y’all spend just as much time on your knees as I do putting in floors. I’m a young man but skateboarding as a younger man and only a few knee pad-less days of work, anymore and id never walk again
I’ve personally met and had many conversations with one of the last surviving SeaBees from WWII. I even installed their garbage disposal 😂. This man even at 86? Years old (at the time) then… what a spitfire. He was the first elderly person I met that i not only looked up to, but I wanted to be him some day (and this was after being in the Marine Corps). Lets just say the only person I ever heard talk shit about the Seabees got schooled by me and almost received an ass whoopin for good measure. Kids nowadays need REAL lessons in what being a badass really is!
I understand if you may not want to repeat it, but I'm curious as to what anyone could say about the Seabees that was negative or what exactly people say to ridicule or criticize them? I just couldn't really fathom what that could be? Thank you in advance, and it is fine if you don't want to repeat whatever someone said, but maybe a general idea of what people could possibly say or what they come up with to criticize or be disrespectful towards the Seabees or any similar groups?
Respect for sharing the story of a British wartime hero, we learnt about him at school (I'm British and from the London area) Here is a quote that has stuck with me for years; Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men- Sir Douglas Bader.
I absolutely love that you're so open and unabashed by the fact that you, like everyone else, have biases. Nobody on earth is immune to it- we all tell our own versions of stories. You, however, seem willing to embrace that vulnerability and keep on trucking. That's admirable! It's also informative to your audience that there's more to learn. You do good work! I hope to see more long-form videos because that's where you really shine in my opinion
Having read the biography my grandparents had on this legend, I could not click faster on this video. Two things I liked from the book was that the Germans found his crashed aircraft and the broken prosthetic leg, and fixed it, so in addition to the one the British dropped, he had three of them. The second was he demanded that he be able to go on walks through the German countryside (let that sink in for a minute), and when he was granted them, he would load his legs with food that he'd bring back into camp.
You’re aware that you can get your vehicle modified with hand-controls for the brake and gas pedal right?! And get a legal spinner knob for the steering wheel 🤦🏼♂️ no need to be unsafe/nervous behind the wheel, geez! I’m a paraplegic, no use of legs (wheelchair 🦽 user) and my SUV is modified with those, it’s only 2500$ or so…
My dad, a National Guard fighter pilot, gave me this book about Bader, Reach for the Sky, when I was 10. I've read it at least a dozen times over the last 50 years. The author, Paul Brickhill, also wrote The Great Escape. The irony of his lack of a leg keeping him alive when he bailed out has always been one of my favorite parts of his story.
I recently bought a Pulaski from Warwood tools, (after your ad) and remembered the story behind the tool itself. Ed Pulaski was a U.S. Forest Service Ranger / Wildland Firefighter who gained his fame by holding a group of 20-or-so firefighters at gunpoint in a mine shaft while a fire raged just feet outside. By doing so, he saved many of them from an untimely and grim death-by-fire. He was there during the early years of the National Forests and was a key player in the events of the 1910 fire fittingly named "The Big Burn". There were many other brave men (such as Gifford Pinchot and Elers Koch) who battled this fire and were equally involved in the events. Now, I know this isn't military history, but seeing as how you often times talk about badasses in history, I thought I would give it a shot.
@@deanfirnatine7814 As I am just beginning my firefighting history journey, I am not currently aware of Storm King, although I will be sure to check it out when I have time. As to the death toll, I am also shamefully ignorant, but I’ll fix that. Thank you for all you do as a firefighter, I hope to become one myself someday.
I was at primary (elementary) school in the late 1960's, and we were given his autobiography Reach For The Sky to read as an English language project. When we'd completed the book, Douglas Bader came to the school to tell us in person his remarkable story. I can remember sitting next to him on a bench during lunch break, and knocking on his prosthetics to make sure they really were false legs! He was a absolute legend 🙂
I was about to post the same, except it was the mid 70's. Honestly though, it was a little bit of a waste, I would have loved to have sat down and talked to the man when I was a teenager, heck now would be great.
In one of your other videos, someone said "If this guy was a history Teacher, no one would miss a class" I agree. You make it real. And I am a Military Historian. I would have finished High School if you were my History Teacher... I'm an old man now. Talk about the Wind Talker. Thanks bro
A great story about Bader was that he heard about metal ailerons for the Spitfire, which did not balloon and cause slowdown in a dive. So he flew to the engineering site, got them fitted and the next combat flight he outdived both the target ME109 AND HIS own Wingman! Needless to say his report was less than truthful. An absolute legend!
13:24 “…a legless man in the biggest ass kicking contest the world has ever seen.” 😂😂😂 my brother in Christ that is definitely one of your best one liners.
His abilities with the primitive artificial legs of the time were truly amazing. They were basically one step above peglegs, but the man made them act like his natural, quite athletic limbs. THAT is the achievement.
@@arkhaan7066I was just thinking of that guy! Renascence-Era Prosthetic with a spring-locked grip, was actually able to both fence with swords and pole arms up to zweihandler with it…rumoured to have cold cocked someone in the jaw his literal iron fist a few times, but even more in line with Sir Douglas Bader, would be the attitude and anti-hero status…the absolute irreverence for authority and social mores at the time. Dude told the goddamn Pope off multiple times, sided both with and against peasant uprisings depending on what he felt like that day, and was willing to throw hands (er…hand) with anyone who said he couldn’t fight on the frontlines anymore. Also, the first verifiable source for a well known “colourful metaphor” that made it’s way not just into Deutsch, but also English, French, and many other languages: “Lich meine arsch!” indeed!
This guy had no one to give him a leg up, he was basically told to give up. At that point I would have been stumped how to get back onto my feet, but he did not stand for it. What a legend
" That may be ma'am, but these fockers were meserschimts. " LOL! A quote from a hero that absolutely doesn't give a shit what other people think about him ! 😂
My father retired from the Marines in 1964, went to work at NSA. We moved to England to Menwith Hill station. I met Mr Bader and he signed my book. Great man and was a inspiration to me. I did a career in the Corps following my father's footsteps.
I'm impressed how QUICKLY he adapted to having double prosthetics. Especially older ones! But to learn to dance, that takes dedication. Honestly, an inspiring story.
I seriously love that I don't really need to teach history anymore. My kiddo, who is very interested in WWII and knows quite a bit, has now fallen in love with "the chubby war story guy", and always wants to watch the stories. She has autism but this holds her attention like crazy. I'm not even going to feel upset when she's says "those fuckers were Messerschmits".
They don't teach these in school and learning has never been so much fun! 😊 I would bet that the reason they don't want kids learning about these heroes is that they don't want people to have ambition anymore! 😢
There are some awesome stories about Bader in “The Latter Days of Colditz”. He gained a parole from the Castle Commandant to go on walks around the surrounding countryside, and so he’d go out on these walks with a fellow inmate, their secret pockets filled full of Red Cross and black market food, and basically seek to destroy the morale of the German civilians whilst gaining intelligence on the area at the same time.
@@hccarder yep they created a false wall in an attic and built a workshop in the dead space. The glider was created out of bed boards and mattress covers and anything else they could steal\scrounge. The launching system was going to be a catapult system based around a bathtub full of concrete, descending at speed down the old clock tower shutes.
Fun fact, there is a platform used by the RAF air cadets, which barely works called 'Bader' and the joke goes 'The name is quite appropriate, because both don't have legs'
That man was very strong minded and determined,dedicated. A man with great willpower and a willingness to serve his country to the best of his abilities. A REAL MAN. Great history lessons for me. Thank you very much for your time and hard work getting the information like this out.
To note, the Big Wing did have some very, very serious problems - although the base idea of "have a shitload of planes in the air" wasn't a bad idea, there were a lot of issues with implementation, and a lot of issues with Britain just not having the greatest planes for such a strategy in terms of fuel efficiency, being able to maneuver while in formation, and being protected enough from, say... someone flanking them, and the reason the strategy was only used five times is that it tended to just not be able to get off the ground and wasted a ton of RAF pilots in the process. It's considered fairly widely that the entire strategy was more for propaganda purposes than actual effectiveness, as Mallory was a thoroughly incompetent commander (who also fucked up Britain's air campaigns in several of its colonies, which eventually led to his death in an ironic fashion when he got sent to one of them) and most people were more focused on the people in command who had actual flight experience and were doing a lot more with a lot less, so he wanted more attention. This doesn't reflect poorly on Douglas, mind you, but it's important context for why a lot of people would have been mad that he was sticking up for Mallory - because Mallory's position in the RAF was already a very polarizing one, and the strategy Douglas was propping up by supporting him was failing everywhere except in Britain itself, where it was a lesser priority than their main strategies.
You said it, Bader himself was a very brave man, a skilled pilot and obviously a beloved leader, but some of his theories on air defense, taken up by Lee Mallory cost alot of people their lives. And caused havoc for the two men who actually won the battle of britian, Sir's Dowding and Park. I respect the man, doesnt mean i have to like him.
@@shaunpatterson9148 "Their strategies cost a lot of men their lives" Like what strategies has ever prevented death of the combatants on a mission? I'll wait. While I'm waiting, how many pilots died in the small formation groups. Was that strategy better?
@@rcstl8815 i never said men, i said people. Significant portions of the east side were heavily bombed when 11 group were fully engaged and called on 12 group who faffed about forming up the big wing. That or they didnt follow orders and went off on their own, allowing 11 group airfeilds to get smashed, like hornchurch on the 12th of September
@@rcstl8815 As i said, i think he is a very brave man, and i do definitely respect the man. but that doesnt mean i have to like him. I dont have to like his politics.
In 1976 my Grandfather went to a Commonwealth aircrew reunion. One of the programs he kept from the reunion has the signatures of Sir Douglas Bader, Gen Jimmy Doolittle and a few others. Its one of the more interesting random things I inherited.
I’m halfway through a full back tattoo of Battle of Britain featuring his squadron. My grandfather knew him personally and bragged for as long as the man was alive that his famous pilot friend could probably run a marathon with no legs and win. R.I.P. to the greatest generation.
Well it wasn’t really he thought it, as much as he knew he had no other choice then to try! What else is there? Not like someone is going to be coming to just pick you up in a few minutes.
A quote that is attributed to Sir Douglas Bader is one of my favorites: "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." My LT didn't like that quote very much... A more inspirational one from him being: "Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Make up your mind you’ll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything… never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible."
Don't hate the player, hate the game! I don't understand why so many people react like that to someone overcoming adversity and becoming among the best at whatever the job may be. Don't be a jealous crybaby, instead learn from them and study what made them so damn good at it and use that intel to elevate your own game! Thanks for another great story bro. As long as you keep pumpin em out you have a huge fan in me! 💯
I was told, about two hours ago, that overcoming adversity and achieving something difficult, is only anecdotal to my own life. I replied that I am not the only one who thinks and acts that way, these people called MEN do it and perhaps the commenter should try being one.
We learnt about Douglas bader in junior school as an inspirational figure. Hearing his story again reminded me of an amputee i met once at a country pub where he was prusiking up a tree. He'd lost his leg after a paragliding accident when he landed in a green house. He had various legs for different activities: His climbing leg, his swimming leg, his running leg and his leg-over leg!😉🤣🤣🤣 I also knew another amputee who was a member of Cave Rescue and was still going down caves performing rescues in his 60s!
I've written this 3 times already, but you have to look into Leo Major, the one eyed Canadian Rambo who liberated a city by himself. I would love to see a video on him!
Lt. Michael P. Murphy who was a MOH recipient in Afghanistan award posthumously for his sacrifice in Operation Red Wings. His story stands out from how his peers remember him throughout his early life before and his career during the military as a SEAL. The man absolutely laid it all down for his men and was the inspiration for the book and movie 'Lone Survivor'. I think he'd be a great fallen hero to cover.
My grandfather flew with 242 RAF (Canadian) from end BoB, through Africa, and into Italy (Spitfires and Hurricanes, MkIIB a2g in Africa). I wish I didn't lose him so young and grieve never getting to hear about his experiences and stories from his life.
I read his biography Reach for the sky, back in the day... you literally left off the best part... After he lost his legs and he took up golfing he had a terrible issue with standing when teeing off and also had a heck of a slice.. So he had one of his legs shortened. After doing that he could drive the ball straight as an arrow.
@@ronjones-6977 lol.. I don't remember in the book how much he had taken off. but I believe it was the right leg. I also know that since he was a squadron leader his two initials DB were in front of the roundel (the RAF sign on the side of the plane) and his squadmates called him Dogs Body in a very twisted humor type of way. Its a really good book.. better than the movie actually.
I actually heard the story about Sir Douglas before but never knew all the details. The only thing I heard was about the incident where the German flying ace had dinner with him and requested the prosthetic legs. Btw the Germans actually protested about the bombing the RAF did after dropping the legs. The ARF official response was something like: "This is a war, not a football game"
This dude is the equivalent of "This man climbed the mount Everest without any legs." ; _"Yeah well his legs can't hurt."_ Am i saying we should turn modern fighter pilots full on double amputees?... _Not specifically. _*_I'm just saying we need to look at our options because this man rocked._*
If you didn't know the Germans got so upset at his repeated escape attempts they took away his legs. Him and his fellow POWs made such a fuss they were forced to give them back. Legend
You did a great job with the time you had! I would recommend to anyone the book "Reach for the Sky" to fill in the missing details. A few of them of note are that a luftwaffe mechanic built him a replacement leg from aircraft aluminum using the first jointed foot on a prosthetic before the airdrop. he further developed this and other prosthetic technology after the war. He had his legs taken away several times. He was taken to a base and allowed to sit in a fully fueled and armed German fighter. He was head of the escape committee at Colditz. He escaped once by posing as a German officer with a homemade uniform and inspected their troops on the way out! He was physically abused as a child. In the book, he said he passed out, still stuck in the spitfire, and woke up in his parachute missing his leg Etc. Etc.
I met Sir Douglas Bader briefly as a USAF SP working as an Honor Guard at a big Anglo-American soiree at RAF Welford in 1981. It was 40 yrs after the war, but he was wearing his RAF dress uniform and came "clanking" somewhat down the entrance ! Very serious looking and talking guy !
Bader has been a absolute legend my entire life, man was unstoppable. As a Brit, he was one of the best of us. Truly a Top Gun before that was even a thing. They used his tunnel dirt disposal method in the classic movie "The Great Escape".
I'm slowly working my way through your collection, and I love seeing things about other countries badasses. The things people are capable of is astounding. Never underestimate the power of the human spirit
