So I was delighted, visiting a local bookstore on Saturday, to find a new history of the Colditz war years by Ben Macintyre. Only 60 pages in, but so far having a jolly good time.

Looking forward to Bader’s arrival.

———-

* He’d lost both legs, and nearly his life, in a training accident. Nevertheless he became a hero of the RAF, until the Germans managed to shoot him down. Then he became a thorn in their side until the War ended.

A bit of good luck, I found a copy of the book at a second hand store in NYC, and after I’d bought it discovered it was autographed.

In those days Harry Hays, one of the city’s big wigs, would hold a “Stampede Breakfast” on his farm in Haysboro, the district where my family lived. Since my Dad was highly placed at City Hall we were invited to the breakfast. Easy enough to attend, since the gates to Hays Farm were literally facing the end of 89th Ave, where we lived.*

My parents were introduced to Bader, who threw an arm around my mother’s waist and declared to the crowd “We’ve been secretly in love for years.” My Uncle Ivan, her brother, was thoroughly unimpressed when Mom told him of this encounter. RAF himself, he was more familiar with the caustic side of Bader’s personality.

Overwhelmed to even be breathing the same air, I hung back and denied myself the opportunity to meet my hero.

————

* Hays Farm was eventually developed into condominiums, one of which was occupied by Gary Cody’s mother. Because, you know, there are only 800 people in the world.