During Britain’s ‘Darkest Hour’, legless RAF pilot Douglas Bader became a symbol of defiance. Despite losing both legs before the war, he re-joined the RAF and played a key role in the Battle of Britain. On 9 August 1941, Bader’s Spitfire collided mid-air, leading to his capture by the Germans—one prosthetic leg lost in the crash. In a bold move, the RAF refused a German offer of safe passage to deliver a replacement. Instead, on 19 August, six Blenheim's and a force of Spitfires launched a raid, with Blenheim R3843 dropping Bader’s new leg by parachute. Though bombs weren’t dropped due to cloud cover, eight escorting Spitfires were lost.
