Original illustration of Hawker Hurricane V7467, one of three Hawker Hurricanes used by fighter ace Douglas Bader during the Battle of Britain.
Douglas Bader is one of the most famous fighter pilots in RAF history, notable for having lost his lower legs in a crash in 1931, and spent most of his career wearing prosthetics. Some historians have speculated that having no lower legs made him better able to withstand intense g-force aerial combat manoeuvres. During the Battle of Britain, Bader was acting Squadron Leader of No. 242 Squadron, a mostly Canadian fighter squadron. Bader soon won their respect and forged them into one of the RAF's most effective squadrons. He personally scored eleven aerial victories during the Battle of Britain, four of which came while flying V7467, contributing to the squadron's total of sixty-two.
Bader's wartime piloting would come to an end in August 1941, when his Spitfire was downed over France. As a prisoner of war, Bader was treated with great respect by Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland, who arranged for the RAF to parachute in a prosthetic leg for him to replace one lost in the crash; the two would later become lifelong friends. After a series of escape attempts, he was moved to Colditz Castle in August 1942, where he would remain until liberation in April 1945.
This Hurricane illustration by Rob Wisdom is a high quality Giclée art print on cotton-rich fine art paper.
12x16" art print shown. Cropping and title position (if applicable) may differ slightly on 'A' size art prints.
