1954-05-29 — Page 13

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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1964.

TONY'S

FOR SUFFERERS FROM DIPLOMATIC RIGIDITY

MASSAGE PARLOUR

RELAX RELAX RELAX

CHINE

U.S.A.

USSA

PROFESSOR EDEN'S BUSY DAY

World Copyright by arrangement with the Manchester Guardian

ONE

BIG,

DIZZY

WHIRL IN THE This is

GAY METROPOLIS

DAN

By LES ARMOUR

London. Into a London park, the ANCING in the streets metropolis will be one big, may not be a traditional dizzy whirl from June until part of the English way of September. life-but the London County Hard - hearted,

Council seems determined

bowler.

hatted, umbrella - swinging

Ito ensure that London is cltizens whose memories are not out-danced or out-sung filled with iminges of a more by anybody.

austere capital will no doubt Sixteen bands, a

dozen look askance at the plan. concert parties, a ballet The London County Coun- company, and h team of cii, after all, didn't unbend high-powered

far organisers this

even for the

for open-air dances have Coronation. been engaged for the Aum-

mer,

season

But it is not unlikely that these same gentlemen. Hardly A park ог it stretch of common has been bowlers crammed well back left out of the plan and, on their balding heads, will since you can hardly walk be seen, before the for five minutes in any is out, slopping lemonado Idirection without running and shuffling pennies in the "pleasure gardens" while the bands play Strauss the background.

Beverley Baxter tells the story of a very remarkable man

DOUGLAS

BADER'S

FIGHT WITH DEATH

Fitting Touches

in

Should they persist n standing aloof, they may be able to take some

comfort from the L.C.C.'s exhibition of modern sculpture in Hol- land Park or from a gentle- nanly game of L.C.C. bowls on the nearby lawns.

In places, perhaps, the Council may have gone

skating R little far. Roller

on

to the music of an outd orchestra beside an exhibi- he tion of open-air boxing

"I shall never, never, never walk with n allek," snapped

Sport is an attractive mistress swift, uncompromising mind of bellion.

his was not yet ready bit a par wile.

render.

to sur

fa

T was of the Berkshire He knew that his master

Col Chris Hear

He Ascot was not as other men, that three of us were know that his master did not

He was at a pubile school (the looking for someone walk as other men walked. quant designation riven

-houts private boarding to make a foursome. At an If Bader would motor to adjoining table Douglas town for

official bys in England) and nearly all

of his crowd were going un His banquet, the dog would wait Sandhurst Bader was

*** Dartmouth t clark hair. his alert for hours in the Car qualify for regular cornumissluzea humorous eyes and his im- Douglas Bader wax then the Army or Navy

vitality always dog's

master, the dog's marked him out from other friend and the dog's

mense

Innching.

men. Dozing on the floor by ponsibility his feet was his golden re- triever, a beautiful dog, that WHX

Konie

res.

When General Critchley his unfailing com- went blind last year, the pation. Wherever Bader Arst to hurry to his side was went the dog went with him Douglas Bader. There they met and talked-the soldier who had lost his eyesight So we impounded Bader and the airman with only to make a fourth and even two stumps for leg tually arrived at the

even to lunch.

first

tee where two ether dogs joined us.

A Torch

tr

"What's your handicap, Bir?" asked Bader. Confound THERE that respectful and aging epithet! There

mere

times when reality leaves imagination far behind. Dumas created

But young Bader did not like the idea of regimentation. Even in the rugger games-he was an Individualist and had to be re-

minded that there were others

beside himself, who contat conry the bull,

At nine o'clock that night Bader was dying. Nurses who lad nothing to do with his cuse were weeping, and the doctors

sunt the Into other wards. Nothing more could be done for the mangled bay whose life was druning to its end.

Last Rally

DA

Weary Weeks

not a sight to inspire con- fidence in the future of ster- Ing.

D

Yet there ure some etting touches. A new park in Isling- ton

with replete

lemonade TAYS ani days of training

There were in rauseles of toe stalls and peanut roasters may recall little history, Islington or ankle to spring him forward.

IA

dismai nowadays

and He had to learn to lean for-

But once It} ward so that the momentum of grimy near-slum.

was open country where his body would carry him past Henry

VIII's:

practised the right leg and then past the archery and, later, it was the left leg. At the end of the first centre of dairy farming where day his courage nearly falled

O tempting entrepreneurs et him.

tables under the trees pleasure of customers "This 1-awful," he said, he announced to his parents.

"shall jou the Air Ferrya," POR sixteen hours Bader fought

abic as Dr Johnson, with death. Nothing but

But they went on holding him Hot-dogs and candy-floss may was in the Spring of 1928 (just his courage and his heart kept by the arms because he would be a far cry from cheese-cakes after he had incume captain of him alive. But at last it seemed not stop. They

made udjust-and custard. But the cricket team at his school) that he could hang on no longer, ments and he advanced theories gress. that he was summoned by the and a nurse gave him a hypo- of his own. At the end of the RAF to London and submitted dermic. His heart made one day he shouted: "I'm going to

last rally and he fell asleep. walk alone!" Hours later in the morning, he opened his ryes and asked where he was.

to gruelling examination.

It

twenty years between us, the Three Musketeers plus ossible for the boy because he

the

Day Of Fate

"You have had an whe

dent," said the nurse.

in

Но thrust them aside and with his head down like a bull he advanced three compieta wol steps, "There you are," he said.

"You can keep your slicks."

"Have I?" saldi Bader. "That's a bloody silly thing to do."

The surgeon come

and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm afraid I had to take off your right leg, old chap."

The next morning he fell twenty times as he practised on the inwn, Later he determined that

he would not be at the mercy of his nrtificial limbs when he wanted to go from his bed room to the tollet. So he Invented a movement of his own with his seat and his hand as the propellers.

He come top with a score of 235 points outra possible 250. A fomare teacher of his, named Dingwall, gave him a motor cycle award. In fact, all through Bader's carly lite this self. cffactny friend made thes immortal D'Artagnan knes that in Bader there was and be need not behave as

the captured

a Fire of the Spirit, which could young if he were a midshipman and and I a rear-admiral. However, minds of his century. They not be quenched. suppressing these thoughts, were so brave, so during, so I fold what my handicap scornful of danger. Yet not even Dumas perc and Dumas ils together could have in- "Good!" he ejaculated. vented such a character as LIFE was good! Life was vivid, exciting, romantic. 11c

weeks. life

The Weary, weury "I'll give you nine shots and Douglas Bader. His

They had tried to save was a handsome youngster with

and the has just been that touch play you for a ball." So it story

the dressing days seemed endless of arroganes which left leg but when

It they saw the nights delayed the dawn. and was agreed that we should published

today he would suddenly melt into warm was unwrapped

of gangreno was in June 1932 that he sug- play all against all, and thus stands before the world as Tecton. He boxed, he fenced, terribic warnings

Could

his gested to the doctor in the con- he played rugger and cricket, he and septicaemia. the game began with four man whose courage and motor-cycled, he smoked at pipt heart stand a second operation? valescent hospital that it might be a good thing to take a spot players, four caddies and guy muducity will be a torch and above all, he flew,

of sick leave much

and make some three dogs.

that will light the ages to

contact with the outside world,

come.

BYIN.

hera had

"That's alright," said Batier, "I hope I wasn't too much of a

nuisance."

tho

How much strength was left in thai broken body, how courage in that vallant soul?

et

Chance To Live

Girls wont starry-eyed at the night of him, and he danced Into As the lowest handleap

the carly hours of the morning, The operation was performed man Bader took up his 1t is quite true that convincing each one of his part and the poor broken body, with stance and addressed the heroism

been the mere stumps and only one knee, has no special nors that

dance of the evening, His

was laid again on its bed ball. His dog lay flat on the shape. I knew weedy little vitality was as inexhaustible as agony. But the fight seemed to QIR Philip Soяsoon. the ground with his sad eyes chaps in that old-fashioned his charm.

have gone from him. He was so millionaire Under-Secretary focussed on his master's 1914 war who looked death Then aame the day of fate, still, so weak, that the nurse of State for Air, asked him for a

to said, "Eish! There's a boy dying week-end

his beautiful face. The owners of the in the face without a tremor. Monday, December 14 in the

in here,"

country house, Bader's heart other dogs held them by the And i have known great year 1931. A fortnight before

leaped with excitement. Now collar until the drives werd husky fellows who were he had broken his nose in

ho might find out what his completed.

terrified in battle.

rugby game, but refused

future would be in the RAF, icave the Geld. The next Satur- day he played again but his eyes were troubling him

Grim Point BADER hit

Good Looking

On

that Monday

to

and

Six Months

He and his host sat on the

his nose gave him great pain. BUT the boy who was dying lawn watching the aeroplanes card It Like Cyrano do from a nearby RAF Squadron morning Bergerac drawing his sword to flying over the tree tops and beautiful

other meet the advancing spectre of tiling with the clouds. "I wish DOUGLAS, Bader was not only Bader was to join two

sald Bader. I were up there," 250 sports mad, but he was pilots in a cross-country flight, death, Douglas Bader

colled ap am quite Bure I could fly ball brilliant at all games, In fact, but some of the younger pilots upon the last remnant of his perfectly well now. It's castor chosen to play wanted Bader first to do some spirit. "So that's it!" he half than driving a con-not so much long he had beer.

ruger for England just before

whispered to Somo

himself. "I'm footwork"

shot of nearly yards, but just reached the

the

Ho had done

grass on the left side of the the acciderit which deprived him astonisht tricks in the air at dying. The hell I am!"

7 with

for

So off we went up the fairway. Bador was in high spirits, and his lurching walk from side to side gave a curious, grimi point to his

aran

was

fairway. The rest of us were of his legs. Up to then life had a recent flying show, but the

Sassoon looked at him and in machine this day was not of the Six months later he stood on fairly good but not in his stretched before him as

glorious, colourful adventure, some typo. Then one of the two artificial limbs and swayed smiled. That night at dinner he class.

to Bader: "I've Bald casually win and the younger pilots uttered the fatal unsteadily. Two surgeons took had a word with the Squadron cups to immortality of having played words. He suggested that Bader an

ho stumbled C.O. A plane will be ready for England against

horribly, grotesquely. What is you in the morning." Wales, was "windy." Scotland, France and such other

more, his list stump lesser breedal

Angered by the taunt, he hurting flendiably,

Strong men sometimes weep, went into the air and threw his -

brut Bader bad · passod: the "I thought," sald Bader rim frontier of tears. He was dight- There was only one trouble, mount about the sky. Then

Loo Intensely allver" As. was getting out of control. With put of here at once and start morrow morning he would plat raced into the woods to someone wrote of him at that his brain like cold stoel, he playing games,” search for adventure, but me: "He has a hint of pleased tried everything, but the plane

had become the

master. Bader's dog had no interest yot deflant pride."

jokes, Two of the dogs, had Young Bader, was too good took- things went wrong he Plano ly; "that I'd be able to walk ing for the chance, to live. To-

And,

Volca "You'll

a planè into thonë suhó sking that had hugled him to horror and midiation..

The souler murjjnon's

i wha kindly but firm. in them or in 'to. His eyek And after the applause of thể As in nows best into the have to face ik,” he said. “You were always on His master. crowds and the cups on the ground the Kensino tore out, will never walls again without Hot in supplication, not in mantelpiece, what is there left bameing in cloud of flying s fear, and not in sloppy senti. for the outstanding bele but det Bader, plined by HOMEROY

Beverley BanGOT WIN à meat on the side linow Where-afrate, felt the shook and fisked'·.

For a morb

•face“ mentality. It was deeper ho cars watch new players big or GRE TELAGT want white) Teller kan finde the story of DoRNAs than that.

comb the kiola, of the mob? : did not loès consciousness, That up and his nymacram

Bader on Monday

for the as not-

that is pro-

GORDONS