DOUGLAS BADER ### ww2 British charismatic fighter ace signed fdc in display
Hand signed 4.30 x 6.50 fdc. Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, DL, FRAeS [1910 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. 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. It consists of the 4.30" x 6.50" mounted FDC personally signed by him in black ink pen, glossy photographs and full size.
This unique 12.00" x 16.00" padded ruby cloth display was put into the 13.15" x 17.15" black frame case. The full size decorations/medals/badges are profesionally made of resin. All awards were copied from originals with all details, hand painted and mounted in the display, permanently, apart from the FDC with his signature. The autograph is authentic, hand signed and is a desirable trophy for all military enthusiasts as a fantastic addition to the collection. Additionally the display set is ready to hang. Is my true passion since 1990, I have one of the biggest collection in Poland and now I sell my doubles and triplets. All items come from my private collection, I know the provenance of every signature so I assure my certificate of authenticity for all signed items. Which means a lifetime guarantee of authenticity to the purchaser. Depending on the weight of the bought items. The item "DOUGLAS BADER ### ww2 British charismatic fighter ace signed fdc in display" is in sale since Saturday, February 16, 2019. This item is in the category "Collectables\Autographs\Certified Original Autographs\Military". The seller is "autographrush" and is located in POLAND. This item can be shipped worldwide.