The Douglas Bader Enigma

[Big Les]

I hesitate to even post this afresh, as the guy in question is quite rabid about his pet CT and far less pleasant about it than the likes of Christophera or even Pdough, but compared to the 9/11 threads on here, this should be a breath of fresh air.

If you're not familiar with the famous RAF officer, Douglas Bader, this won't mean a lot to you, but it's textbook CT regardless of the subject matter. Bader, famous for overcoming the loss of both of his legs pre-war and becoming an ace fighter pilot and commanding officer, was a prisoner of the Nazis in 1942.

With that in mind, I present the main event; *drumroll*....
The Bader Enigma!

 

[Kiwiwriter]

Beyond nuts

Waded through that web page.

I got one word for it....WACKO.

Probably it was some other legless guy pulling this character's leg. Bader was a POW at the time, and it's well-documented.

At least this theory doesn't lead to people having shouting matches at the World Trade Center site in New York.

 

[gumboot]

I hesitate to even post this afresh, as the guy in question is quite rabid about his pet CT and far less pleasant about it than the likes of Christophera or even Pdough, but compared to the 9/11 threads on here, this should be a breath of fresh air.

If you're not familiar with the famous RAF officer, Douglas Bader, this won't mean a lot to you, but it's textbook CT regardless of the subject matter. Bader, famous for overcoming the loss of both of his legs pre-war and becoming an ace fighter pilot and commanding officer, was a prisoner of the Nazis in 1942.

With that in mind, I present the main event; *drumroll*....
The Bader Enigma!

The most obvious answer, in my mind, is the guy just has the dates completely wrong. I imagine the event took place some time shortly after he lost his legs, when he was not allowed to fly (making him surly and rude) and still struggling to walk with his fake legs (hence the sticks and again, the rudeness).

Given his own claim that he met a lot of celebrities, and given what was going on at the time, I'm not surprised someone is off by a year or so in their timeline.

-Gumboot

 

[Lord Muck oGentry]

I hesitate to even post this afresh, as the guy in question is quite rabid about his pet CT and far less pleasant about it than the likes of Christophera or even Pdough, but compared to the 9/11 threads on here, this should be a breath of fresh air.

If you're not familiar with the famous RAF officer, Douglas Bader, this won't mean a lot to you, but it's textbook CT regardless of the subject matter. Bader, famous for overcoming the loss of both of his legs pre-war and becoming an ace fighter pilot and commanding officer, was a prisoner of the Nazis in 1942.

With that in mind, I present the main event; *drumroll*....
The Bader Enigma!

"September 9th 2003



To day I obtained a library copy* of “REACH FOR THE SKY” by Paul Brickhill. It had been suggested to me that some parts of this book needed to be examined in the light of my account of Bader’s visit to Liverpool during 1942."

*shakes head in wonderment*


Many thanks, Big Les. Critical historiography is safe in this man's hands.

 

[ktesibios]

The most obvious answer, in my mind, is the guy just has the dates completely wrong. I imagine the event took place some time shortly after he lost his legs, when he was not allowed to fly (making him surly and rude) and still struggling to walk with his fake legs (hence the sticks and again, the rudeness).

Given his own claim that he met a lot of celebrities, and given what was going on at the time, I'm not surprised someone is off by a year or so in their timeline.

-Gumboot

From his site:

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.

The manager giving him a "we're going to have a celebrity here" heads-up is inconsistent with his meeting Bader either shortly after he lost his legs in the early '30s or any time before he became a well-known fighter pilot.

A mix-up of one year might work; that would place the incident before Bader was shot down and captured but after he had become well-known.

In the 17 years I've worked in the recording industry some very well-known artists have come through the studios where I worked; I can generally remember the people pretty well but would be hard put to pin down the year.

Kiwiwriter's post led me to go Googling for info about another legless RAF pilot I had read about. I could only remember his first name; searching on "tin legs" and "Colin" not only turned up the person I was looking for (colin Hodgkinson), but also indications that this CTer had made rather a spectacle of himself on an aviation forum.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63552

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62831&page=1&pp=30

 

[Zep]

Here's the most probably solution to this guy's "amazing" CT...a bad memory for names - "Hoppy" Hodgkinson.

 

[bob_kark]

When the project was completed and because of a “Parole” or prior gentleman’s agreement with the Germans, Douglas Bader was returned to EIRE and then transported by the Luftwaffe back to Germany where he spent the rest of his war at Colditz thus honouring his “parole” or gentleman’s’ agreement.

Pardon me Nazis, but would you terribly mind us borrowing a POW for a few months? We promise to send him back. Pwetty pweese?

Or

Bader, you've been such a model prisoner, we're going to let you go back home to be refitted for your prosthetic legs. However, you have to pinky swear that you'll come right back after you finish or else... we'll declare war... er... um... We'll ground you for a month! No telly and no dessert either!

 

[Big Les]

From his site:



The manager giving him a "we're going to have a celebrity here" heads-up is inconsistent with his meeting Bader either shortly after he lost his legs in the early '30s or any time before he became a well-known fighter pilot.

A mix-up of one year might work; that would place the incident before Bader was shot down and captured but after he had become well-known.

In the 17 years I've worked in the recording industry some very well-known artists have come through the studios where I worked; I can generally remember the people pretty well but would be hard put to pin down the year.

Kiwiwriter's post led me to go Googling for info about another legless RAF pilot I had read about. I could only remember his first name; searching on "tin legs" and "Colin" not only turned up the person I was looking for (colin Hodgkinson), but also indications that this CTer had made rather a spectacle of himself on an aviation forum.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63552

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62831&page=1&pp=30

Ah yes; I'm a member there, and the Stork Hotel is a running gag. He pops up every now and again, insults people, posts a bit on his site, and sods off. I got an earful of abuse for telling him that he could not expect anyone to believe him when he has no evidence, just an anecdote. He later admitted that he had no evidence, but still expects people to believe him. I feel sorry for the guy, but he just doesn't know what's good for him.

 

[Kiwiwriter]

Hazarding a guess at this jerk's MO...

Ah yes; I'm a member there, and the Stork Hotel is a running gag. He pops up every now and again, insults people, posts a bit on his site, and sods off. I got an earful of abuse for telling him that he could not expect anyone to believe him when he has no evidence, just an anecdote. He later admitted that he had no evidence, but still expects people to believe him. I feel sorry for the guy, but he just doesn't know what's good for him.

Sounds like he's just a guy who desperately needs attention paid to him. He lives a dull, boring life, and sporadically needs to liven it up. This Bader Enigma nonsense is the perfect way to get attention and puff up his own sense of self-importance, without causing any serious harm.

At least he isn't standing in front of a synagogue in a brownshirt uniform, yelling "Sieg Heil" or at the World Trade Center site, saying that George Bush and the Bilderbergers flew a hologram into the buildings to cover up the internal explosions.

 

[Kiwiwriter]

Well, the Bader man wrote to me...

And here's the word from an aggrieved author, verbatim:

Dear Mr. Lippman,

I found your most uninformed and unprofessional comments on the RANDI Forum as follows:-

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“Sounds like he's just a guy who desperately needs attention paid to him. He lives a dull, boring life, and sporadically needs to liven it up. This Bader Enigma nonsense is the perfect way to get attention and puff up his own sense of self-importance, without causing any serious harm.

At least he isn't standing in front of a synagogue in a brownshirt uniform, yelling "Sieg Heil" or at the World Trade Center site, saying that George Bush and the Bilderbergers flew a hologram into the buildings to cover up the internal explosions.”

I note with a great deal of amazement that in your CV that you claim to be something of an expert on conspiracy theories, all things historical, political, controversial and I am now assuming, the life and times of the late Douglas Bader plus, remarkably, the sad events of September 11th in New York a few years ago and not to forget Nazis and their brown shirts, etc. With regard to “George Bush flying holograms into the WTC.” Surely someone with your widely publicized self professed intelligence would know that George Bush is himself a hologram?

You remind me a great deal of those strange creatures that live in certain parts of the USA isolated from not only the rest of the world but, as it seems, also the states adjoining the ones they inhabit. I had some fun a while back with some these specimens of the “American Way” and was astounded by their naivety and complete ignorance of what is happening in the rest of the world, that is of course if they even know of it’s existence. Believe me; these guys actually believed that the Chinese would one day set out to invade the USA paddling giant rafts loaded up with rice patties and fortune cookies.

From the way you, without the slightest attempt to read or research my story, have dismissed it totally shows that your style of thinking, journalism and investigation makes you a worthy recipient of one of those Nazi brown shirts you mention. But I suppose this attitude is to be expected in your great country where the suppression of truth has been totally replaced by the slogan, “Nuke the bastards first and ask questions later!”

May I suggest that before you make any further clever remarks about me in a public forum, or my style of living and reputation as a whole, go and READ ALL of my Trilogy then sit down in a comfy rocking chair with a mint julep and reflect upon what a boring little specimen you are turning out to be who spends his time messing around on children’s type forums insulting those with something unusual and truthful to relate. I did not come to your silly Forum blathering on about you or it’s members, a bunch of uninformed morons attacked me. I don’t give a damn if you do not believe my story, but don’t make personal attacks on me or my reputation to shore up your obvious lack of knowledge of the circumstances my story or it’s background.

Instead of denigrating try investigating it can be a fulfilling experience.

I suggest that you also go have a look at part 2 of my Bader Enigma and see how I have handled another specimen similar to you, DILIP SARKAR MBE writer of historical books on the Royal Air force – have a look and see what I have to put up with and how I can, and will respond.

Kenneth Williams (age 83 - WWII Veteran)

My Website has moved to www.royalnavymedic1945.com



My message to Mr. Williams: I am sitting in the smallest room in my house, with your note in front of me. In a couple of minutes, it will be behind me.

So will the mint julep.