Douglas Bader
Blossy,
Unfortunately, even Uncle Bill had accusations made against him when he was Governor General of Australia.
However, he was a remarkable general. My Dad was in the XIVth Army and wouldn’t hear a bad word said about him.
A favourite anecdote from Slim’s biography, paraphrased from memory, is that after he had given a rousing informal chat to a group of troops in the jungle, one of them shouted:
”We’re right behind you, Sir!”
Slim responded: “ No, actually I’ll be behind you!”
As far as Dogsbody is concerned, after having read of his treatment of his Batman, while a POW and his subsequent behaviour, including his rudeness to female staff at WLAC, I’m firmly in the camp that his behaviour was unacceptable. His achievements as a fighter pilot are immaterial.
Unfortunately, even Uncle Bill had accusations made against him when he was Governor General of Australia.
However, he was a remarkable general. My Dad was in the XIVth Army and wouldn’t hear a bad word said about him.
A favourite anecdote from Slim’s biography, paraphrased from memory, is that after he had given a rousing informal chat to a group of troops in the jungle, one of them shouted:
”We’re right behind you, Sir!”
Slim responded: “ No, actually I’ll be behind you!”
As far as Dogsbody is concerned, after having read of his treatment of his Batman, while a POW and his subsequent behaviour, including his rudeness to female staff at WLAC, I’m firmly in the camp that his behaviour was unacceptable. His achievements as a fighter pilot are immaterial.
Whereas a friend who met Mr Bader was disappointed and unimpressed by his rude brusqueness. A shame.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
We had a presentation by a POW held in South Vietnam. Much of his captivity was confined in a bamboo cage and immersed in the swamp. Then B52 bombed his area. He said he became the instant B52 expert even though he had been captured even before B52 were considered. In the confused aftermath he escaped.
