Double leg amputee WW2 British ace Douglas Bader (for CPL on Hannity today) Double leg amputee WW2 British ace Douglas Bader (for CPL on Hannity today) ^ Posted on 12/16/2004 4:47:42 PM PST by tophat9000 Douglas Bader has become a household name in World War 2 because not only was he an exceptional pilot and leader, upholding the strongest of British Traditions, but he was also a double leg amputee. Douglas Robert Steuart Bader was born on February 10, 1910, in London, England, son of Frederick Roberts Bader and Jessie Bader. The young Douglas had been an adequate, rather than outstanding, scholar, concentrating on his attention rather less than was wise on his academic ability, and rather more enthusiastically in developing his sporting skills, an area in which he was to excel. In 1923 when he was 13, Douglas stayed with his aunt and uncle (who was the RAF College's Adjutant) and he quickly identified that the cadet's lifestyle was for him.

At the end of his stay he had made up his mind that he wanted to become a flight cadet, and five years later he won one of six King's Cadetships, taking his place on the course in 1928. Although sport still dominated Bader's life (he represented Cranwell College at boxing, cricket, hockey and rugby), his routine academic work had developed to the point that he was narrowly beaten into second place for the Sword of Honour when passing out of Cranwell in 1930. When he left, one of the first year students said 'To us Bader was a sort of God who played every conceivable game and was the best player in every team'. From here he was posted to Kenley where he honed bis flying skills. he quickly demonstrated a natural ability as an aviator and by early 1931 he had gained a place in 23 Squadron' aerobatics Paris team. After Bader and his partner won the pairs title at the 1931 Hendon Air Pageant, the Times reported their display as 'the event of the day'.

Later in the year, on 14th December, Douglas Bader was to suffer a fate that would change his whole way of life. Following an excursion to Woodley airfield near Reading, the ever exuberant bader was displaying his skills with a series of low rolls when his left wing brushed the ground. In that split second of misjudgement the life of the 21 year old was transformed form that of a young man standing on the threshold of international rugby honours and possibly country cricket, to one of facing life as a double amputee. The accident was to result in the amputation of Douglas's right leg above the knee and the left below the knee. Bader never tried to find an excuse for the accident. In his flying-log he later entered a simple account. X-country Reading. Crashed slow rolling near ground, bad show'. When quizzed in later life as to what had gone wrong, a philosophical Douglas, after a brief thought, merely stated 'Just made a b***s of it old boy. that's all there is to it.' All there was to it, perhaps, but this was just the beginning of another chapter in this remarkable man's life.

Having survived the accident and clinging to life by a thread, Douglas began to rebuild his life. First he had to overcome the problems that his new artificial limbs were to present. In his own words, Douglas held the view that 'having been of an athletic nature and knowing nothing about artificial legs, I thought that during my convalescence that once I got them I should wander around after a day or two quite normally, When I went for my first fitting of these legs and actually put them on and tried to stand up in them I never though I would move them. With a strong man on each side of me, having been levered to my feet, I stood there as far as I was concerned nailed to the ground with no conscious balance if I let go of my two supporters. After a certain amount of time, trouble, and a great deal of sweat, I began to get some inkling of how to operate the artificial knee of the right leg. After battling away for several days, during the course of which I spent a good deal of time on the ground, my mind and my reflexes gradually acquired the method of movement needed and then, as always, it suddenly came with a rush and did not seem so difficult'.

Having been informed by the doctors looking after him that he was doing remarkably well but should use 'sticks' as he would never walk without them, he retorted 'on the contrary, I will never b***dy well walk with them'. He never did! Douglas was discharged from the service and divorced from his first passion - flying - by got his thrills from his sports car, which he apparently drove in the same way as he flew. With the onset of WW2 he recognised the opportunity of getting back into the air and joining the action, It wasn't easy and he had to be persistent, calling in quite a few favours along the way. He was constantly being told 'there is nothing in King's Regulations allowing a man in his condition to fly' but, as he was quick to point out, 'there was nothing in Kings Regs to say a man in his condition couldn't fly!'. Eventually due to the nation's overwhelming need for experienced pilots, and with considerable support from those officers under whom Douglas had served in the early 30's, the way was cleared and soon Douglas was back where he considered he belonged. By April 1940 Douglas was promoted taking command of 'A' Flight of 222 Squadron.

His skills s a pilot and his inspirational leadership qualities soon became well known throughout the service and when, in June 1940, the totally demoralised Canadian 242 Squadron were withdrawn after the fall of France, Bader was quickly identified as the ideal candidate to take charge. Within a very short period of time Bader's leadership had transformed the Squadron. Group Capt woodhall, CO Duxford said '242 Squadron soon became an enthusiastic team led by their single minded and swashbuckling CO Douglas Bader. Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley Milling, a young pilot officer at the time, remembered that 'Less than a month after he took command of the Squadron, morale was very high. Fear was ever present of course, but Bader was afraid of nothing and through both example and constant encouragement he helped us all conquer our own anxieties'. The catalogue of testaments reflecting similar sentiments to those of Sir Denis in respect of Douglas Bader throughout his active WW2 service is endless. However even the seemingly indestructible Douglas Bader's luck ran out on 9 August 1941, when his aircraft was brought down and Bader taken prisoner.

Despite the confinement of a POW camp (Douglas eventually ended up in Colditz) his positive attitude towards escape and returning to action continued to inspire his fellow POWs and it is clear from accounts of the time that his spirit never deserted him. Douglas saw it as his duty to escape and instilled a similar attitude among his comrades; if he couldn't get away then he certainly wasn't going to make life easy for his captors. In April 1945 liberation arrived. Douglas returned home but soon realised that there was now little place for him in the RAF. He rejoined the civilian ranks and carved himself a career as Managing Director of Shell Aircraft Operations as well as serving on the CAA. However it was in his civilian role that he soon realised that there were may people in a not dissimilar position to himself, recognising that most were in a less fortunate position than him and that something must be done to help. Douglas Bader appreciated that he enjoyed an elevated position throughout the UK. His story was legendary his direct attitude and forthright nature made people take note of what he said. He was much admired by the Nation as a whole and possess enormous energy.

Of all his attributes his ability to inspire people to take action and get on with this was probably his greatest gift. He dedicated himself to improving the plight of disabled people everywhere and over the years supported and raised funds for countless charities and projects. In 1976 he was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his inspirational work for and amongst the disabled community. To: tophat9000 Why did you use the word "ace" in the title? I thought that one had to have so many "kills" to be called an "ace." There is no mention made of any "kills" whatsoever in the article. Just curious. 8 posted on 12/16/2004 6:05:48 PM PST by El Gran Salseron (My wife just won the "Inmate of the Month Award!" :-)) To: El Gran Salseron Ever heard of a search engine? "..In the Battle of Britain .

Bader was in the thick of it, his first kill was in May, 1940, when he downed a German Messerschmitt 109 - altogether he had 22 kills within 12 months." 9 posted on 12/16/2004 6:09:01 PM PST by wolficatZ (All I want for Christmas is an Scooby-Doo Chia Pet...) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ] To: tophat9000 Thank you for this post. Bader was a childhood hero of mine. When he was in Colditz, I seem to recall that the Germans actually allowed a RAF bomber to fly by and drop an artificial leg for him. Their respect for him extended to allowing him to inspect a ME109...although they would not let him get into it!

Paul Brickhill, Royal Australian Air Force officer, also a POW at Colditz, wrote e gripping book about Bader called "Reach for the Sky".This was later made into a movie with Kenneth Moore.Among Brickhill's books were Coditz Castle, and the book that inspired The Great Escape. 10 posted on 12/16/2004 6:13:57 PM PST by madrastex [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] To: tophat9000 Thank you for this post. Bader was a childhood hero of mine. When he was in Colditz, I seem to recall that the Germans actually allowed a RAF bomber to fly by and drop an artificial leg for him. Their respect for him extended to allowing him to inspect a ME109...although they would not let him get into it! Paul Brickhill, Royal Australian Air Force officer, also a POW at Colditz, wrote e gripping book about Bader called "Reach for the Sky".This was later made into a movie with Kenneth Moore.Among Brickhill's books were Coditz Castle, and the book that inspired The Great Escape.

11 posted on 12/16/2004 6:13:59 PM PST by madrastex [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] To: wolficatZ Actually he had 23 kills. The last one was the Bf-109 he collided with that put him down behind enemy lines. 12 posted on 12/16/2004 6:18:33 PM PST by Stonewall Jackson (Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. - John Adams) You deserve a famous top hat for this post. Eddie Rickenbacker's 94th Aero Squadron Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours! (Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic!

Now and Forever!) LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican) 14 posted on 12/16/2004 6:34:43 PM PST by LonePalm (Commander and Chef) To: Stonewall Jackson You are quite right.Thanks for the clarificaation.. 15 posted on 12/16/2004 6:43:07 PM PST by wolficatZ (All I want for Christmas is an Scooby-Doo Chia Pet...) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies ] To: madrastex I seem to recall that the Germans actually allowed a RAF bomber to fly by and drop an artificial leg for him I believe his prosthetics were damaged when he was shot down. I also seem to recall that they ended up taking them away from him because he soon made his first escape attempt soon after receiving the new legs.

16 posted on 12/16/2004 6:53:16 PM PST by yhwhsman ("Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small..." -Sir Winston Churchill) To: Nightshift; cyn; floriduh voter poing [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies ] To: tophat9000 Being and amputee is not the end of the world... but dealing with the crap in other people heads about it I'm glad you spoke out about this. I'm sorry you have to deal with sorry attitudes from other people. There's one pro-death lawyer who actually used the hypothetical situation of having both legs amputated as a basis for whether one woman's life would be worth living. Those types who think like that will get theirs one day. Every life has a purpose, we don't understand why we go through some things but noone should try to tell any of us what our quality of life is! God bless all our heroes who fought and still fight for freedom!!!

19 posted on 12/16/2004 7:33:50 PM PST by tutstar ( <{{--->< Violations of Florida Statutes ongoing!) [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ] To: yhwhsman I also recall a Bader story about his prosthetics being damaged when he was shot down. Colditz was in the Reich and Goering would never let a bomber fly there, but the local Luftwaffe in France radioed his request across the Channel and let the RAF drop his spare leg. Another Bader story that was told if not true. After the crash that cost him his legs he had a lengthy operation. On coming to after the operation he began to groan. Coming further into consciousness he realized that he was in a hospital and overheard one orderly admonish another to be quiet and not disturb the dying man. Bader immediately stopped groaning because he didn't want to disturb the poor dying chap either. Of course he was the "dying" chap, at least as far as the orderly was concerned.

20 posted on 12/16/2004 7:51:18 PM PST by Pilsner [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies ] To: madrastex I remember seeing a picture of Bader sitting in the cockpit of a Bf-109 with a German officer pointing a Luger at him just in case he had thoughts of flying home. Bader said he never knew aout the Luger until he saw the picture, but escape had never occured to him anyway. I also remember reading that one of his legs got caught in the cockpit after the collision that brought him down. He pulled free minus the leg and bailed out, which probably unnerved one German pilot intent on shooting Bader in his chute who saw him floating down minus a leg. The replacement leg was dropped by a British bomber, but some German flak units weren't informed of the nature of the object parachuting down and began shooting at it.

22 posted on 12/16/2004 9:35:03 PM PST by yawningotter [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies ] Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works. WW2 Militaria WW2 Militaria World War 2 militaria and collectibles - Sales, discoveries and auctions. Submarine war relic bought at car boot sale for ï¿½90 now worth ï¿½10,000 An amateur antiques collector was shocked to discover a WWII relic he snapped up for ï¿½90 at a car boot sale is worth at least ï¿½10,000. Philip McKeiver couldn`t believe his luck after stumbling across the name plate from a submarine at a village fair near Knutsford. The HMS Tally Ho was named by Winston Churchill in 1942 and became famous for sinking scores of Japanese and German battleships. Philip said: "I normally collect medals.

But just in the last 12 months I`ve started collecting antiques as well. ... I was at a stall and this woman said I`ve not got any medals but I`ve got this old submarine badge. Instinct just told me to buy it." (menmedia.co.uk) WWII memorabilia of pilot James Ginger Lacey - like flying helmet and goggles - fetched ï¿½1,600 at auction WWII flying gear ï¿½ including a leather flying helmet, oxygen mask and goggles ï¿½ once used by a North Yorkshire fighter pilot who shot down a German bomber which had attacked Buckingham Palace has been sold at auction for ï¿½1,600. Financial circumstances forced the owner of the items, which belonged to the second highest scoring British RAF fighter pilot of the Battle of Britain James "Ginger" Lacey, to put them up for auction. They formed part of a webcast collectables auction at Arthur Johnson & Sons in Nottingham.

(yorkpress.co.uk) `A book of heroes`: Volume of 107 Battle of Britain pilot signatures sold for 33,000ï¿½ A book of signatures of RAF pilots who fought in Battle of Britain fetched ï¿½33,000 at an auction. The book - described by Winston Churchill as "a book of heroes" - contains 107 signatures which were collected by Norman Phillips, Mess Steward at RAF Marklesham Heath in 1941. (dailymail.co.uk) Conflict-Series: A highly rated strategy game series for Android If you love classic PC war games and legendary strategy board games make sure to check out the highly rated Conflict-series for Android. Some of the WWII Campaigns include D-Day 1944, Operation Barbarossa, Invasion of Poland 1939, France 1940, Kursk 1943, Market Garden, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Rommel's North African campaign, the Battle of Bulge, and the Battle of Berlin 1945. In addition there are American Civil War, First World War and American Revolutionary War scenarios available.

(available on Google Play & Amazon App Store) WWII memorabilia up for auction: SS officer`s sword, Flying Tigers flying jacket, Japanese flag A leather flying jacket, a Third Reich enamel street sign entitled "Adolf-Hitler Platz" with 2 bullet holes, an SS officer`s sword inscribed "Heinrich Himmler", and a signed WWII Japanese silk flag are among the militaria that is up for auction at Dominic Winter auction house. (bbc.co.uk) PM Neville Chamberlain`s 1938 air ticket to Hitler summit for sale It was the document the PM held as he headed for the 1938 talks he hoped would avert war in Europe. Now the plane ticket on which Neville Chamberlain travelled to Munich for his "Peace for our time" meeting with Adolf Hitler is for sale. The British Airways document shows he flew from West London`s Heston aerodrome on Sept 29. The price box is marked "Special Flight". Auctioneer Richard Westwood-Brookes stated: "It`s an iconic item, one of the few mementoes from this period on the open market." Chamberlain travelled back to Heston on Sept 30 waving a peace accord.

World War II began a year later. (mirror.co.uk) Polish World War II ace Jozef Jeka`s memorabilia to be auctioned Jozef Jeka, a Polish airman who fled to UK after Third Reich invaded Poland, was a WW2 pilot who won the Distinguished Flying. He was twice shot down and credited with 8 kills and 1 V1 flying bomb. After the war he tied the knot with a British woman and they had a daughter who he never met as he died in a Cold War CIA operation in 1958. After his death his logbook, photos, military uniform, and medals were packed into a suitcase. Only recently opened, it also contains pictures of the French resistance family who Jeka stayed with after one of his crashes and 2 silk US cold war escape maps. His daughter has decided to sell the collection. (telegraph.co.uk) Italian historic preservation group find an US Army canteen and tracked down it`s owner Memories of a fierce WWII battle have come back to a veteran as Italian historic preservation group have found his Army canteen on the site of the battle. "That`s quite a deal. It`s hard to believe," said Raymond W.

Buchholz - a member of the First Special Service Force, a unit of Canadian and American soldiers known as "The Devil`s Brigade," a forerunner of the modern U.S. Army and Canadian special forces. On Dec. 3-9, 1943, they were engaged in a battle for Monte La Defensa, a German-fortified position that needed to be taken to open up the Allied Forces` march to Cassino and Rome. The force endured 77% casualties taking the hill. (wcfcourier.com) A dummy parachutist dropped over Normandy before D-Day to confuse the enemy for sale A dummy parachutist - one of 500 dropped over Normandy before D-Day to confuse the enemy - will be auctioned off by German auction house Hermann Historica. The "paradummies" (nicknamed Ruperts, 1/3 scale model of human) exploded and burst into flames when they hit the ground to hide their purpose. They were dropped in 4 locations over Normandy at the same time thousands of Allied airmen landed on the night of June 5, 1944.

6 SAS soldiers were dropped with the puppets to play recordings of loud battle noises to divert the Nazi troops from the real invasion. The deception - "Operation Titanic" - was a success, inï¿½spiteï¿½of the fact that 4 SAS men were captured. (telegraph.co.uk) A collection of Nazi daggers for sale at auction in Clevedon An interesting collection of World War II militaria will be auctioned off at Clevedon Salerooms on September 10th. "A particularly interesting militaria section has created global interest and includes what has been described by Collectors as one of the finest private collections of German daggers to come on the market in the last decade. Online bidders are expected to secure many of the finest pieces bidding from the comfort of their home, bunker or perhaps tanks," joked auctioneer Toby Pinn. Other noteworthy WW2 militaria collectibles include an RAF uniform and a cockpit clock from a Lancaster believed to have taken part in the Dam Busting Raids.

(thisissomerset.co.uk) "90 Years of Military Counter-Intelligence" -exhibit showcases WWII memorabilia (Article no longer available from the original source) Adolf Hitler`s military jacket, Josef Stalin`s order that founded SMERSH and secret plans to destroy the Moscow landmarks if the Nazis occupied the city are on display in the "90 Years of Military Counter-Intelligence" -exhibit at Moscow`s Central Armed Forces Museum. The highlights include documents on the "Moscow Plan" from 1941, when Nazi forces came within 30km of the Soviet capital: Hundreds of agents (Detachment 3R) were told to stay behind in Moscow to attack Nazi officers, and 1,100 targets were rigged with explosives. One visiting WWII veteran, Leonid Ivanov, recalled how, in 1945, he got a note that said: "Send a car. We have found Goebbels` body." (france24.com) For Sale: Military uniform of Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets One key piece of American military history, the uniform of Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets, is for sale.

Slightly worn and adorned with his Distinguished Service Cross, the uniform he wore when bombing Hiroshima could fetch a $250,000. The uniform comes with the provenance it was Tibbets`s, says Alexander Autographs President Bill Panagopulos, adding that even in hard economic times, historical relics sell: "There is real money in autographs and historical memorabilia." Mark Schmidt-Fellner adds: "Investors are taking a serious look at autographs, manuscripts and other memorabilia... We are starting to see new types of bidders come to our market." (cbsnews.com) Collector pays $72,500 for rare 1943 bronze penny made in error Steve Contursi, owner of Dana Point-based Rare Coin Wholesalers, has acquired the 1943 penny that was mistakenly cast out of a bronze planchet. The coin was originally discovered in 1944 by Kenneth S Wing Jr. while collecting Lincoln pennies. Wing died and his heirs took the coin to Contursi`s rare-currency company to be appraised. When he determined it was authentic, he purchased it. The coin was part of an error by the U.S.

Mint in 1943 when the mint switched from copper to steel. At the time copper was needed to make bullets for World War II, and the few pennies struck in copper were possibly an employee mistake. (ocregister.com) British World War II veteran returns the German banner he `nicked` Larry Southgate is returning to Germany to hand back a school banner he looted. "Like all young men of my age at the time I was interested in finding something that I could keep as a souvenir... I eventually came across a banner with the school name written on it, but what was more interesting was the fact that the backing to the banner was made of green baise. Our cap badge at this time was a small welsh dragon which required a small piece of green baise behind it." Larry kept the banner with him throughout his time in the army, but recently decided to give it back. After contacting the school he was invited to present the banner back to the school - all expenses paid. (stockportexpress.co.uk) Returning World War II Japanese swords and flags to their owners A relic from World War II belonging to a Japanese family may find its way back home thanks to Ken Buckingham.

He has had a Japanese flag with messages on it for 60 years, but recently he sent it to Yasuhiko Kaji, who has amassed a huge collection of Japanese militaria from the war to return them to the original owners or their families. Among the items Kaji already has returned are 5 swords, 20 notebooks and 30 flags. He still has over 100 swords and other artifacts that he hopes to return. The flags commonly are signed by family members with messages like "Please take care of yourself. Come back alive." (monroenews.com) D-Day collectors` cards makers seek D-Day faces Makers of a new line of D-Day collectors` cards are hoping to enlist some war heroes to immortalize. Graphic Communications Group is commemorating Canada`s role in the June 6, 1944, Normandy landings with a set of 112 cards ranging from the units to weapons to uniforms and events of D-Day. It also features the pics of 7 Canadian veterans who`ve autographed a bunch of the cards. The cards even focus on Canada`s German foes, one of them showing Waffen-SS Panzer officer Kurt Meyer.

Colin MacDonald explained cards are just chronicling the history of a violent time by including the commanders of both armies. (calsun) Queen Mary`s World War II id card goes up for auction An id card issued to Queen Mary in World War II is to be sold at auction, with the estimated value of ï¿½500. The National Registration card, numbered ODPH/180/1 and issued on May 22, 1940, is signed "Mary, Her Majesty Queen". The Queen, the widow of George V, would have had several of the documents, requiring a new one each time she moved, and this one shows she had just moved from Badminton House, Gloucestershire, to Marlborough House, London. The 3-page document exists because an Army officer ordered to shred cards kept it as a WWII memento. (timesonline) ï¿½115,000 for collection of memorabilia of Spitfire fighter ace Douglas Bader An admirer of the legless fighter ace Douglas Bader had to reach for the sky to get a keepsake of his hero.

The anonymous buyer paid ï¿½115,000 for an artificial leg and 40 other memorabilia and militaria artefacts belonging to the legendary WW2 Spitfire pilot. As well as the leg, he also got Bader`s tunics, coats and flasks, plus parts of aircraft which he flew. The heroic pilot lost both his legs in a flying mishap in 1931 and was discharged from the RAF. He rejoined after the outbreak of war in August 1941. After shooting down 22 Luftwaffe aircrafts, he came down in flames and was taken prisoner and sent to the Colditz castle. (express) ï¿½1200 for album with signatures like Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain A woman has spoke of her joy after an autograph album brought in ï¿½1,200 at auction. Joyce Thompsett and her sister Chris gave their father, captain William Baker, the autograph book in the 1930s and he kept it onboard the ferries he captained.

Over time he filled it with 38 famous signatures, like Winston Churchill, Neville Chamberlain, Rudyard Kipling, Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bownes-Lyon, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Joyce only expected the VIP book to get ï¿½100, but with much interest from overseas, it sold for ï¿½1,200. "I am sad to see it go though. It has a lot of sentimental value." (littlehamptongazette) Who is the owner of a collection of World War II memorabilia Lost property officers are hoping to find the owner of a World War Two memorabilia collection found behind garages in Prince Charles Avenue, Sittingbourne. The collection includes long-service medals dated 1939-1941, photographs and letters and an article from the East Kent Gazette dated 1941. The items include a soldier`s release book in the name of Frank Spice and the article relates to Able Seaman Johnson, who died in action with the Royal Navy. The collection was due to be destroyed because it remained unclaimed after 3 months.

"It seemed such a shame, so I decided to find their rightful owners," said Claire Fenn. (bbc) WWII relics of Japanese generals at Raleigh County Veterans Museum 62 years ago, Japan surrendered on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Several members of the Japanese military were tried. Two of the most infamous were General Tomoyuki Yamashita and Lt. Gen. Masahuru Homma. Japanese troops under Yamashitaï¿½s command had slaughtered civilians, and troops under Homma were responsible for the Baatan Death March. At the end of WWII, the two were arrested and taken to Luzon for trial. During their imprisonment, the men were guarded by U.S. Army soldiers. The young soldier who had befriended the 2 generals brought with him collection of relics like Hommaï¿½s letter and his fountain pen, Yamashitaï¿½s eye glasses. (register-herald) The mystery of World War II memorabilia found in hidden room solved The mystery of World War II sailor Vernon Peyron has been solved.

After homeowners Sarah and Nicholoas Hofeldt in Pocatello began a remodeling project, they discovered a sealed off-space that contained World War II memorabilia -- photographs, certificates, letters, books -- centered around Peyron. But the trail went cold until the Idaho State Journal did a story, which was noticed by one of Peyron`s brothers, Bob Peyron. (casperstartribune) Thriving market for World War II collectibles and German militaria Some say veterans and historic battlefields form a national treasure, that has ignited a boom in WWII collectibles and German militaria. "Renewed interest for WWII memorabilia stems from the fact that 14-year-olds today see WW2 the way my generation viewed the Civil War... We used to collect everything from the Civil War, and now this new generation is determined to own as much WWII stuff as they can find." But some militaria collectors credit the movie industry for creating the demand for vintage WWII memorabilia. Two new WW2 films are firing up the market for memorabilia, from dusty old military medals, helmets and bomber jackets, to vintage aircraft.

(pittsburghlive) Military collection to get its own roof - memorabilia and uniforms (Article no longer available from the original source) Did you ever collect so much stuff you thought it might just be easier to build a museum around it? If so, consider Nat Holzer, who amasses military memorabilia. "I`ll just show you a couple of things here," is the way Holzer begins a 2-hour tour of just a fraction of the incredible collection, housed near Santa Fe. A German submarine captain`s hat. A Russian machine gun. A good luck flag signed by fellow villagers for a Japanese soldier. Maps of the campaign the Germans fought in Russia. Swords. Porcelain beer mugs that belonged to top Nazi officers. More than 100 uniforms. (sltrib) Antique weapons of historical value will likely be destroyed (Article no longer available from the original source) Scott Conley was just doing what his mother told him when he brought two rusty old rifles to the Police Department`s gun exchange program. One of the guns was a Japanese rifle used during World War II, replete with the emperor`s flowery seal and a stamp from the Tokyo Arsenal. Conley`s rifle was one of the several antique guns received during the buyback program.

The oldest firearm officers received dated back to 1884. The Springfield model was probably made during the westward expansion. Despite concerns expressed by officers about the historical value of the antique weapons, Bradenton Police Chief said the guns will likely be destroyed. (bradenton) Auction for medals of Colditz hero who kept escaping from WWII prison camps | Daily Mail Online Extraordinary story revealed as Lt-Col 'Ronnie' Littledale's medals are put up for auction His was one of 32 successful escapes out of 316 attempts One-legged RAF ace Douglas Bader paused while conducting Colditz orchestra to signal to prisoners when coast was clear for escape Betrayed by Bulgarian police and sold to the Gestapo who tortured him Lieutenant-Colonel 'Ronnie' Littledale escaped from several WWII prison camps, including Colditz Castle. His wartime medals are to be auctioned The medals of a British prisoner of war who escaped from Colditz by squeezing naked through a tiny gap - as one-legged RAF legend Douglas Bader distracted the Germans by conducting an orchestra - are to be sold.

The incredible 'home run' - (making it all the way back to Britain) of Lieutenant-Colonel 'Ronnie' Littledale during World War Two is an extraordinary tale of perseverance. He made the dash for freedom alongside Pat Reid, whose recollections were made into the film 'The Colditz Story' but died in the final year of the war. His Distinguished Service Order group is now expected to sell for £12,000 when it goes under the hammer at auction. Littledale, of the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was a persistent escaper who refused to be intimidated and suffered torture for his efforts. He was captured in Calais in late May 1940 as British forces retreated to the French coastline and, after a forced march, found himself incarcerated in Oflag VII C at Laufen. He immediately began digging a tunnel with other inmates, but the Germans were tipped off and the tunnel was shut down. In March 1941, he was transferred to Stalag XXI D at Posen and managed to escape with two others by hiding in the rubbish dump.

They made it to Warsaw where they were put up in an English lady's flat and were entertained at formal dinners by a succession of hosts. Finally in January 1942 they made it to Sofia, but were sold to the Gestapo by the Bulgarian police. Annoyed at his recapture, Littledale promptly escaped again from a train and was at large for almost six months. He was eventually re-captured in Prague in May 1942, in the wake of Reinhard Heydrich's assassination, and endured the full force of the SS and then the Gestapo interrogation. Daring escape: The dash for freedom by Littledale and others inspired the film The Colditz Story One-legged ace Douglas Bader, who lost both his legs in a flying accident in 1931, helped the escape from Colditz by pausing as he conducting the orchestra to indicated the coast was clear HOME RUNS - THE VERY LUCKY FEW The odds of making a 'home run' were not high - out of 10,000 RAF prisoners, only 32 successfully escaped out of the 316 who attempted it.

Historian Henry Chancellor said among the escapees was 1 Belgian, 11 British, 7 Dutch, 12 French and 1 Polish. In principle there were only three ways out of Colditz - under the wire or wall, over them or through them. Tunnels were the main way under - but there was little hope of this. Hiding in carts or wagons brought into the camp and dressing up to pretend to be someone with a legitimate reason for leaving were other options. Some officers faked illnesses and mental problems to be repatriated on medical grounds. In one ambitious escape plan two pilot officers Jack Best and Bill Goldfinch, came up with the idea of building a two-man glider to launch off the castle roof across the river Mulde 200 feet below the take-off point. The runway was to be made from tables and the glider launched using a pulley system based on a bath full of concrete falling down the castle wall. Despite the glider being built it was never put to the test as the end of the war was approaching. He was then moved to Colditz castle where he met Lieutenant-Commander W. L.

'Billie' Stephens, who had been captured in the St Nazaire raid. Littledale proposed the idea for the escape and while Stephens thought it 'wild', his fellow PoW's enthusiasm persuaded him to go along with it. They decided to make a break for it through the kitchen and into the Kommandantur garden, a route that was fully floodlit and busy with sentries. During the break-out one-legged flying ace Douglas Bader was conducting an orchestra and as he had full view of the sentry he would pause the music when the route was clear. Although this signal didn't work, Littledale, Reid, Stephens and Lieutenant H. D. 'Hank' Wardle made it to a cellar. By stripping naked and bending a bar they managed to squeeze a narrow air vent through to the edge of the castle moat. Their escape prompted the Germans to put up wanted posters of them and they raced as quickly as they could to Switzerland. From there they were sent to Spain where they were horribly tortured before they were handed to the British. They returned to home shores in May 1943. Littledale's debrief by MI9 resulted in his being awarded the DSO having returned to regimental duty.

He was killed in action at Airaines on 1 September 1944 after taking a direct hit from an anti-tank gun. David Erskine-Hill from Dix Noonan Webb auction house, which is selling the medals on May 18, said the medals were hugely desirable for collectors. He said: 'No name evinces a better image of the harsh realities of life as a prisoner of war than Colditz, the haunting castle that failed to hold a number of British officers within its walls, among them Pat Reid, whose books inspired a film and television series. Enjoying their new found freedom in Switzerland, left to right: Lieutenant-Commander 'Billie' Stephens, Captain Pat Reid, Flight Lieutenant 'Hank' Wardle, and Lt-Col 'Ronnie' Littledale.

From there they went to Spain and eventually made it back to England in 1943 Wanted: The Gestapo poster seeking Littledale, Reid, Wardle and Stephens after their escape from Colditz 'So the opportunity to acquire the DSO awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel 'Ronnie' Littledale for his part in Reid's successful bid for freedom in October 1942 is a very special one - as so vividly described by Pat Reid, he, Littledale and two others broke out via the kitchens before escaping the castle's grounds after squeezing naked through a narrow air vent 'like toothpaste out of a tube'. 'And all four of them, with Gestapo "wanted posters" decorating many a railway station, managed to make it to Switzerland in double-quick time, thereby achieving the best British team effort in Colditz's grim history. Mr Erskine-Hill said only one other army officer received a DSO for such activities at Colditz - Lieutenant Mike Sinclair, who was nicknamed the ‘Red Fox’ by his captors – but he failed to make a home run like Littledale, Reid, Stephens and Wardle.

The medals are being sold by collector Brigadier Bill Strong and his wife. Littledale's medals which will be auctioned off in two weeks' time

Question: Which ace nicknamed ‘Dogsbody’ was a prisoner in Colditz as WW2 came to an end?
Answer: Douglas Bader