Is it true that the RAF had disabled pilots fighting in the Battle of Britain?
Yes. The most famous is Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader who had two artificial legs following a flying accident in 1931.
Douglas Bader DFC (right) with Sir Hugh Dowding (left)
During the Battle he commanded 242 Squadron and as the Battle progressed led larger fighter formations creating the Duxford Wing. By the end of 1940 242 Squadron had shot down 67 enemy aircraft for the loss of only five pilots killed in action. Bader survived the Battle but was shot down in August 1941 and became a Prisoner of War.
To find out more about his inspiring life story visit the Museum's on-line exhibition:
