It doesn't matter what they did, they all played their part. Mostly their destiny was chosen for them by the powers way above them.
I am very proud of my Dad who was born on 19 January 1923. I have his RAF pilot's flying log book which shows that he went into the RAF and on 22 February 1943, aged 20, he had his first flight in a Tiger Moth. He ended up in Tiger Squadron after the war flying Meteor jet fighters. He spent most of his war in the Med, Middle East and Africa and flew many types including Spitfires, Hurricanes, Kittyhawk, Hudson, Maurauder, Anson, Wellington, Ventura, Baltimore, Martinet, Albacore, Harvard, Corsair, Expediter, Beaufighter, Oxford and Meteors to finish.
Dad was lucky and wasn't front line during the war but his boss in later year's who was a mate of my grandfather had 3 sons in the RAF who were all killed during the war within weeks of each other. How devastating must that have been for their parents!
As to Douglas Bader, he is a national hero and Battle of Britain pilot. Most youngsters have a never say die attitude to life be they pilots, racing drivers or just ordinary young people. He more than made up for any young foolishness and championed the cause of disabled people during his life after the war for which he was knighted!