Douglas Bader's Spitfire

[Dan Jones]

Back in the mid-late '90's somebody thought that they might have found Douglas Bader's Spitfire Mk VA, W3185 in a field (in a field, not on a field) in France. Did anything ever become of that? I've never heard anything about it being discovered since.

[Spitty]

Think they found a Spit but it wasnt his...

[Paul Stroud]

According to Spitfire Survivors Vol 1, a 2006 Channel 4 (UK) documentary on the search for Bader's Spit covered an excavation which subsequently proved to be a Mk IX, MA764. It was reported to be under rebuild in the UK. I believe the search continues... perhaps TIGHAR might be interested

Edit - found more info, it's at Biggin Hill https://flyaspitfire.com/another-restor ... e-ix-ma764

[Dan Jones]

Thanks, guys. I expect that W3185 (whatever was left of it) probably got picked up, melted down, and turned into saucepans years ago.

[Spitty]

Thanks, guys. I expect that W3185 (whatever was left of it) probably got picked up, melted down, and turned into saucepans years ago.

Depending on how it landed..If it pancaked in or did it lawndart?

[Paul Stroud]

Didn't it lose the tail and rear fuselage during the final flight? I would have thought a vertical descent most likely, also any surface wreckage would have been a good propoganda coup to exhibit for the Germans so guessing a deep hole in the ground was the outcome..

[Spitty]

According to Bader the fuselage was separated behind the cockpit buuuuut depends on who you listen to it was either a collision or he got shot down mistakenly by his wingman..

[Dan Jones]

In Brickhill's book, Bader had one leg caught in the airplane when he got shot down or collided with somebody, but he eventually broke the harness on his leg and was able to get free. The Germans supposedly recovered (and repaired) his leg for him, so that doesn't sound like the airplane dug a hole. At that time (mid 1941) the Germans were pretty efficient at salvaging aircraft wrecks in their territory and recycling the metal, so I imagine they picked it up within a week or so of it's crash and eventually smelted it. It likely became parts of a -109! lol

[bdk]

In Brickhill's book, Bader had one leg caught in the airplane when he got shot down or collided with somebody, but he eventually broke the harness on his leg and was able to get free. The Germans supposedly recovered (and repaired) his leg for him...

Imagine getting kicked in the head from a prosthetic leg falling from altitude!

[Firebird]

According to Bader the fuselage was separated behind the cockpit buuuuut depends on who you listen to it was either a collision or he got shot down mistakenly by his wingman..

Or shot down intentionally by his wingman......given his obnoxious attitude to most other people

[Dan Jones]

Or shot down intentionally by his wingman......given his obnoxious attitude to most other people

Yes, but like the old questions asks: "Do you want to go into battle being led by a guy who thinks he's God, or behind a guy with an inferiority complex?" Myself, I'll go with God. I think most of Bader's men actually liked him - feared him, certainly - but genuinely liked him. But I don't disagree with your assessment of his character. Different times.

[Steve Atkin]

Thanks, guys. I expect that W3185 (whatever was left of it) probably got picked up, melted down, and turned into saucepans years ago.

Depending on how it landed..If it pancaked in or did it lawndart?

Indeed - for comparison, consider Spitfire IX PT879 ('The Russian Spitfire') which also had its tail chopped off in flight - but all the wreckage was found on the surface, the presumption being that it came down like a Sycamore leaf rather then spearing vertically in to the ground.