5. Douglas Bader escaped from several German PoW camps despite having lost his legs
Douglas Bader was a somewhat reckless Royal Air Force pilot between the World Wars, known for undertaking aerobatic maneuvers which were both dangerous and forbidden. In 1931, during one such maneuver, Bader crashed, and the injuries he sustained were severe enough to cause the surgeons to remove both of his legs, one above the knee and one below. After he recovered, Bader lobbied to be returned to flying status, arguing that his near-death experience gave him insights which would be invaluable to younger pilots. He was denied until the outbreak of World War II created a new demand for pilots. Accepted, he became an ace flying over France, during which time he destroyed one airplane due to pilot error when attempting a take-off. Despite suffering a head wound he continued to fly.
Bader fought in the Battle of Britain, rose to the rank of Wing Commander, and became one of the RAF’s most successful pilots before being shot down and captured by the Germans. Despite the handicap of two artificial legs, his numerous escape attempts (including using a rope of sheets through a hospital window) so annoyed the Germans that he was sent to the allegedly escape proof Colditz Castle. After the war and his liberation by the American Army he returned to the RAF until retirement, considered politics, and eventually worked as an executive in the British aircraft industry. It took a heart attack to eventually kill the improbably intrepid Bader in 1982.