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One morning before breakfast, Mr.Giles the manager, came and asked me if I knew of Douglas Bader. I looked at him and asked him was there anybody who didn’t know of Douglas “Tin Legs” Bader. He then told me that Bader was going to be a guest in the hotel for a couple of weeks whilst he was working on some project. Giles then looked at me apprehensively and said “Ken, how would you feel about, like, going up to his room every morning before breakfast to give him some help to put his legs on?” I looked at him and said “You must be kidding, you want me to put Douglas Bader’s legs on every morning?” “Yes, Ken,” he replied, “he finds it very difficult to cope on his own and I would appreciate it if you could help him each morning.”
That is indeed a very good a start to what may turn into a lively
discussion!
You have not made any mistakes or posted any misinformation and have given a
good outline of the Enigma.
Where is a good place to start?
Originally posted by waynosNow legend has it that the RAF dropped legs to Bader and he used them for the rest of the war, how can this be? He must have been measured up.
The idea that Bader might return to the UK to be fitted with new legs and then voluntarily return to Germany to see out his time in a PoW camp seems preposterous, yet that seems to be the only realistic explanation. So what was the deal? And why is it so secret that pressure has been brought to bear from official departments in the UK government?
[edit on 17-7-2007 by waynos]
1. Why was a man who lost his legs in the front lines of a war?
2. Who would go back to a WW2 German POW camp willingly?
3. Was he sent there for some other reason? perhaps to spy?
Alex Ross was indeed acting as Bader's batman whilst in Colditz and yes,
Alex was advised by the Germans that he was eligible for repatriation, being
a medic and a non-combatant. It is also true that Bader refused to allow
Alex to come home and told him in no uncertain terms that he (Alex) was his
"Lackey" and he would be staying in Colditz to look after him.
I was hoping to speak to Alex Ross through a very good contact very early in
my investigations but he died before this happened and his story is now
silent for ever. It is well documented however, that whilst in Colditz and
when the war was over, Bader treated him very shabbily.
The story of my meeting with Bader in Liverpool in 1942 does not
automatically assume that he had been "Repatriated." The whole thrust of my
story is based rightly or wrongly on MY reasoning that he made this short
visit for some purpose that I am not au faix with, but have put forward my
theory that he came back to have new legs organized and then, according to
the generally accepted story, was later liberated by the Americans when his
war ended as a prisoner in Colditz.
If Bader had been "repatriated" in 1942 (as Hodgkinson was in 1944) as your
forum member apparently assumes, then there would not be any reason for the
whole drama of The Bader Enigma! His repatriation would have been widely
publicized and Alex Ross would have in my view, not automatically have been
included as part and parcel of any Bader repatriation to England.
Bader's Liverpool excursion was in MY view very obviously an arrangement
made between those in very high places as an expedient and I just happened
to be on the spot at that time.
Your members should fully understand that that whilst there is no question
whatsoever that Bader DID come to Liverpool in 1942 as I proclaim, but why
he came is just as big a mystery to me as it might be to them to fully
understand why these remarkable events took place.
Best Wishes
Originally posted by timeless test
...but why would Bader return to Germany. Would he take his determination not to be treated as an invalid to such extremes as to return as a matter of honour?
Originally posted by waynos
but the fact that selected papers pertaining to Douglas Bader are classified to this day under the 100 year rule, which is a rare occurance suggesting the utmost secrecy, does keep me wondering.