Douglas Bader was one of the most famous British fighter pilots in World War II, not only because he was an excellent pilot but more so because he had no legs.

In 1928, at the age of 18, Bader joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) and soon became known as a natural pilot and an effective leader. After two years he was commissioned as an officer. Never one to follow the rules, Bader ignored his squadron commander’s orders not to perform tricks under an altitude of 2,000 ft, and in 1931, while he was performing slow rolls at a very low altitude, his left wing hit the ground, and he crashed his airplane. Incredibly, he was not killed, but both of his legs had to be amputated, one above the knee and the other below.

Despite his terrible injury, Bader was unwilling to quit the RAF, and after recovering from his operation, he retook flight training and passed all the flight tests. The RAF, however, did not accept him back, and he was retired on medical grounds. Then in 1939, World War II broke out. Bader once again approached the RAF, requesting that they take him back. In need of experienced pilots to fight in the war, the RAF allowed him to fly again.

During World War II, he became an ace pilot, shooting down 22 German aircraft before his airplane was shot down in France. He was captured by the Germans and imprisoned for the rest of the war. His flying abilities, however, had earned him great respect among his captors, and they even allowed a new artificial leg to be dropped by a British bomber to replace the one damaged in the crash. With his tin legs, Bader attempted again and again to escape, seeing it as his duty to defy his captors and return home at all costs.

After the war, Bader became a campaigner for the rights of disabled people and dedicated the rest of his life to helping them. He was knighted for his work in 1976 and died of a heart attack on September 5, 1982.

道格拉斯．貝德是第二次世界大戰中最負盛名的英國戰機飛行員之一，不僅因為他是傑出的飛行員，更因為他沒有雙腿。

1928年，18歲的貝德加入了英國皇家空軍（RAF）。他是天生的飛行好手，也是戰力十足的領袖，因此名氣很快傳開，兩年後就被任命為軍官。貝德向來不是乖乖牌，也無視空軍中隊指揮官「在2000英尺的高度之下不准表演特技」的命令，1931年時，他在極低的飛行高度表演了「低速翻滾」，導致左翼擊地而墜機。他奇蹟似地保住性命，卻必須接受雙腿截肢，一腿膝蓋以上，另一腿膝蓋以下。

即便傷勢很重，貝德仍不願意自英國皇家空軍退役。手術恢復之後，他又展開飛行訓練，並且通過所有的飛行考試。但是英國皇家空軍拒絕讓他歸隊，並以醫療因素為由讓他退役。而後在1939年，第二次世界大戰爆發，貝德再次聯繫英國皇家空軍，請求歸隊效命。當時的作戰需求十分缺乏飛行老手，英國皇家空軍便讓他再次披掛上陣。

他成了二次大戰期間的王牌飛行員，一共擊落了22架德國戰機，最後在法國遭擊落。他被德國士兵俘虜，並囚禁到戰爭結束為止。不過高超的飛行技巧卻讓他備受敵方尊重，甚至允許英國轟炸機空投一隻新的義肢，讓他替換被擊落時受損的義肢。貝德用他的義肢不斷嘗試逃脫，他認為不計一切反抗敵人逃回祖國是他的責任。

貝德在戰後為殘障人士的權利奔走，奉獻餘生為他們謀福利，也因此於1976年受封爵位，而後於1982年9月5日心臟病發辭世。