Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader is one of the Royal Air Force's most famous pilots and his story has inspired countless people. [1] The book "Reach for the Sky" by Paul Brickhill then the film starring Kenneth More brought the story to generations of people. [2] Bader, a fighter ace during the Battle of Britain lost both his legs during a stunt. He managed to "get back onto the horse" so to speak; got back into the air, was shot down and captured. He managed to escape several times and they finally took his legs away.