Bidspirit auction | WW2 Sir Douglas Bader DSO

WW2 Sir Douglas Bader DSO DFC signed on his own Historic Aviators cover. Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, CBE, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, DL, FRAeS (21 February 1910 - 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War, who achieved great success despite amputation of both his legs after a 1931 air crash. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. In August 1941, Bader bailed out over German-occupied France and was captured. Soon afterwards, 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 Arm