John Badger (RAF officer)

At the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, Badger was serving as an intelligence officer on the staff of No. 13 Group. In early 1940 he underwent refresher flying training and was then sent to Achicourt in France. There he was a staff officer at No. 14 Group. Returning to England after the Battle of France, on 21 June he was posted back to No. 43 Squadron as a supernumerary pilot.^[2]

At the time, No. 43 Squadron, which operated the Hawker Hurricane fighter, was being rested at Tangmere after experiencing some losses during its operations earlier in the month over Dunkirk providing aerial cover as the British Expeditionary Force was evacuated from the beaches there. When it returned to operations during the early stages of the Battle of Britain, the squadron was involved in the aerial fighting over the English Channel, intercepting incoming Luftwaffe bombers.^[3] On 9 July, the squadron's commander, Squadron Leader Charles Lott, was wounded and Badger took command of the unit.^[2] Three days later he shared in the destruction of a Heinkel He 111 medium bomber to the north of Fort Nelson and 21 July he shot down a pair of Dornier Do 17 medium bombers.^[5][6]

In the late afternoon of 8 August Badger claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter as probably destroyed over the English Channel.^[5][7] He damaged two Junkers Ju 88 medium bombers near Littlebourne on 13 August. The next day, he shot down a Ju 88 over The Needles. This was followed by his destruction of another Ju 88 over Thorney Island on 15 August. Badger shot down three Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers to the south of Selsey Bill the next day, part of a large raid mounted by the Luftwaffe on The Solent. On 26 August he destroyed one He 111 to the southwest of Selsey Bill and also shared in the shooting down of a second over Portsmouth.^[5][8]

On 30 August Badger's Hurricane was damaged in an engagement with some Bf 109s and he bailed out near Woodchurch. He landed in a tree but was severely injured due to being impaled on a branch. Initially hospitalised at Ashford he was later moved to the RAF Hospital at Halton.^[2][5] His successes over the preceding weeks saw Badger awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in early September.^[1] The citation, published in The London Gazette on 6 September, read:

This officer assumed command of a squadron in July 1940 and it is through his personal leadership that the squadron has achieved so many successes since the intensive air operations began. He has been instrumental in destroying six enemy aircraft. In spite of the fact that on three occasions he has returned with his aircraft very badly damaged through enemy cannon fire, he has immediately taken off again to lead his squadron on patrol. Squadron Leader Badger has displayed great courage and resolution.

Badger was Mentioned in Despatches in the 1941 New Year Honours.^[10] He never recovered from his injuries and died at Halton, still in hospital.^[2] He is buried at the churchyard of St. Michael and All Angels in Halton.^[11]

Badger is credited with having destroyed ten aircraft, two of which were shared with other pilots. He is believed to have also probably destroyed one aircraft and damaged two others.^[5]

• Cull, Brian (2017). Battle for the Channel: The First Month of the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 10 August 1940. Stroud: Fonthill. ISBN 978-1-78155-625-2.
• Rawlings, John (1976). Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: MacDonald & James. ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
• Saunders, Andy (2019) [2013]. Stuka Attack! The Dive-Bombing Assault on England During the Battle of Britain. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-911621-47-8.
• Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-8-9869-7000.
• Wynn, Kenneth G. (2015). Men of the Battle of Britain: A Biographical Directory of the Few. Barnsley: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-39901-465-6.