'Badersfield' tribute to fighter ace

Looks as if things are begining to move at Coltishall.
EDP24

Sir Douglas Bader.
ED FOSS

15 April 2008 09:19

The widow of world war two fighter ace Sir Douglas Bader has given her blessing to plans that will see her late husband’s name immortalised in a new community emerging close to where he flew some of his daring missions.

Lady Bader is said to be “delighted” that the community around RAF Coltishall has picked the name Badersfield as their first choice of what to call their growing neighbour-hood.

The name would help teach young people who Sir Douglas was, provide a modern link with his famous exploits in the second world war and serve as a reminder of the charity work he and the foundation which bears his name have carried out with disabled people.

As reported in the EDP last month, the name Badersfield was chosen after a public meeting in Scottow church and yesterday it was given the support of North Norfolk District Council’s cabinet.

But in addition to that, Keith Delderfield, director of operations at the Douglas Bader Foundation, said that more than 25 years on from Sir Douglas’ death, his widow was very happy with the idea.

Mr Delderfield said Lady Bader had been made “very welcome” when she came to RAF Coltishall in both 2000 and 2006 to visit the base’s primary school, now a pupil referral unit, which also bears the Bader name.

“I had a quick word with her the other day about the idea of using the Bader name for the new community and she was so delighted the name would continue,” said Mr Delderfield.

“Over the years fewer and fewer people know who Bader is and the more we can see his name used the better.

“Even if only a couple of children living there ask about him, it helps to maintain the history.”

Mr Delderfield added that despite the fact Lady Bader celebrated her 90th birthday recently, she was still very active and he felt she would be keen to come to Norfolk if asked to when the name change was made official with new signs.

Spencer Whalley, North Norfolk councillor for Scottow ward, into which a large part of the new community falls, has been a key part of the consultation behind the name choosing, alongside the local vicar, the Rev Elizabeth Bailey.

“We will need to inform the Post Office and then it is really a case of getting people to use the name,” said Mr Whalley.

“Once it comes into terminology more and more people will use it and it will get on the map both literally and in everyday use.”

Mr Whalley said there was a local desire to distinguish between the two parishes into which Badersfield would fall, with an additional breakdown of Badersfield, Scottow and Badersfield, Lamas.

A number of schools, roads, pubs and public gardens across the world have taken the name Bader in one form or another over the years, including the Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate School in Auckland, New Zealand.