Baderâ€s Spitfire Wing

"Whether you have feelings about Bader or not, this is an excellent book to gain insight into the summer of 1941 when, ready or not, the RAF went on the offensive."―The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation On 30 August 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, the pilots of RAF Fighter Commandâ€s No.12 Group were requested to reinforce 11 Group and intercept a Luftwaffe raid on an aircraft factory at Hatfield. The events that day led the swashbuckling, legless, fighter pilot Douglas Bader to submit a report arguing that the more fighters he had at his disposal, the greater would be the execution of the enemy that could be achieved. It was a concept that received support from 12 Groupâ€s Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory. In Baderâ€s proposal, Leigh-Mallory saw an opportunity for 12 Group to play a greater part in what was clearly an historic battle. Leigh-Mallory authorised Bader to lead three, then five, squadrons – a controversial formation that came to be known as the ‘Duxford Wing†or ‘Big Wingâ€. For the rest of 1940, Bader and the ‘Big Wingâ€, then based at Duxford, played its part in the defence of Britainâ€s skies. Then, in March 1941, the role of ‘Wing Commander (Flying)†was created. This was the fighter pilotâ€s dream appointment because the Wing Leaderâ€s sole responsibility was leading his wing in action, unfettered by tedious administration and logistical matters. Needless to say, Douglas Bader was amongst the first wing leaders. He was even given the choice of which Wing he preferred. He chose to take command of that based at Tangmere on the South Coast – right at the fore of the RAFâ€s battle against the Luftwaffe. In Read more