WWII Angel of Mercy Pilot Reunion-German Ace Let Badly Damaged B-17 Fly Home-Pilots Meet Years Later
Pictured is a drawing of the incident: The English B-17 “Ye Olde Pub” in front, and the German BF-109 in back as escort. Notice the damage on the B-17: the nose is gone, one propellor is not working, the back turret is gone, the tail section is shredded and missing, holes in the hull. Artist is Ernie Boyett.
Found this story at a blog called Strive2Be…
Charlie Brown (a 21-year old) was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called “Ye Olde Pub” and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters while on a mission to bomb a factory in Bremen, Germany. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
After flying over an enemy airfield, Charlie Brown stated that his heart sank. A pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he “had never seen a plane in such a bad state.” The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed, and there were holes everywhere.
BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler.
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
Brown stated that he noticed Stigler’s plane flying alongside him: It seemed amazing that the heavily damaged B-17 remained in the air. But it did, and Brown hoped to keep it flying until he reached the shores of England 250 miles away.
Drawing of the English B-17 “Ye Olde Pub” in front, and the German BF-109 in back as escort. Notice the damage on the B-17: the nose is gone, one propellor is not working, the back turret is gone, the tail section is shredded and missing, holes in the hull.
Still partially dazed, Lt. Brown began a slow climb with only one engine at full power. With three seriously injured aboard, he rejected bailing out or a crash landing. The alternative was a thin chance of reaching the UK. While nursing the battered bomber toward England, Brown looked out the right window and saw a BF-109 flying on his wing.
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to and slightly over the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe.
When Franz landed he told the commanding officer that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. Franz had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion in 1989, together with five people who are alive now—-all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
After the war, Brown remained in the Air Force, serving in many capacities until he retired in 1972 as a Lieutenant Colonel and settled in Miami as head of a combustion research company. But the episode of the German who refused to attack a beaten foe haunted him. He was determined to find the enemy pilot who spared him and his crew.
He wrote numerous letters of inquiry to German military sources, with little success. Finally, a notice in a newsletter for former Luftwaffe pilots elicited a response from Franz Stigler, a German fighter ace credited with destroying over two dozen Allied planes. He, it turned out, was the angel of mercy in the skies over Germany on that fateful day just before Christmas 1943.
It had taken 46 years, but in 1989 Brown found the mysterious man in the ME-109. Careful questioning of Stigler about details of the incident removed any doubt.
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
Stigler, now 80 years old, had emigrated to Canada and was living near Vancouver, British Columbia. After an exchange of letters, Brown flew there for a reunion. The two men have visited each other frequently since that time and have appeared jointly before Canadian and American military audiences. The most recent appearance was at the annual Air Force Ball in Miami in September (1995), where the former foes were honored.
In his first letter to Brown, Stigler had written: “All these years, I wondered what happened to the B-17, did she make it or not?”
She made it, just barely. But why did the German not destroy his virtually defenseless enemy?
“I didn’t have the heart to finish off those brave men,” Stigler later said. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do it. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”
Franz Stigler passed away on March 22, 2008.
(s2Be)
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The hand of God took over and save them all. He gave Stigler the courage to do the right thing at that moment.
The hand of God didn’t do anything. To claim otherwise (besides positing as fact the existence of God) implies that, on his own, Franz Stigler would not have had the honor to do what he did. You can’t steal a person’s accomplishments and attribute them to God unless you attribute also to God all the atrocities of which humans are capable.
One day, Franz Stigler did an honorable thing. It need be no more complicated than that.
Don`t think “God” had anything to do with it. A young inexperienced pilot would have shot him down, twas only the fact that he has high morals and had had plenty of kills already so didn`t need another Kill.
No, don’t take the credit from Stigler. He was a good man, he found the courage all on his own.
I was so touched by this and was feeling kinda good until i saw ur reply. Take credit from a man and give to god.
It was Mr Stigler’s decision, always has been and always will have been his decision. God had nothing to do with this decision, if god was this compassionate would he not have prevented the war ever occuring.
well done to the man.
A touching story but it brings forth one question. Like Americans and British, the Luftwaffe had gun cameras - mostly to keep pilots from claiming they’d shot down half of the opposing airforce singlehandedly. Stigler reported that he shot down the B17 over the water. The gun cameras wouldn’t have confirmed his story. Why wasn’t he arrested by the Gestapo for giving inaccurate information to a superior? I can’t imagine the Nazis condoning or ignoring something like this.
@ Barry
The germans were lacking everything, they simply did not habe the resources to put a camera into all fighter planes…
This made me cry with a smile…. wonderfull to hear the human stories behind the Great War of the 1940s!!! Being ex-military myself it touched my heart. It shows that humans are capable of “loving one another as you would yourself”. Thank you very much for this article!!!
Lessons to be learn
WOW !!!!
Even WAR cannot change a heart of gold!
What a moving story! Franz Stigler gives us the answer to the question: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’!!
On that day God no doubt smiled with approval and great joy - when His Crown Creation lived up to his intended position in the universe - to be ‘A little higher than the angels!’ - and to love his enemy unconditionally.
An inspiration to every one of us!
What a touching story. The courage of a man in that position to do the right thing is amazing.
What a fantastic story. It may just be one of many brave war stories, but this one is very very touching.
True Heros!
It would be good if someone but a book together of similar stories?
Unfortuneately there were thousands of air Crew that did not have such a lucky outcome.
I wish that your God, or no God if you prefer, would inspire all of you to stop fighting on this planet. We’re all wounded and trying to limp home.
The story touched me, but your last comment is what brought me to tears. You have touched something in my heart that has long been dead. I am wounded but until now I couldnt bring myself to admit to limping home as many years I have ran and proudly marched in the wrong direction, now the distance home is far far away. Limping towards home will be a long journey. thank you Angel. These tears now come with a full heart because of your touching wonderful words. You truely have been my Angel today.
I feel sorry for these lost ones in other responses that came with this story. I once knew God very well, I hope to again find his favor to help me limp home to him.
Thank you again
bsgmark
Duty, Honor and Integrity all came in play during that day in the skies over Europe.
I shall salute my enemy who has proven himself to be an honorable warrior.
Chivalry in not dead. Not then, not now.
My hand to my brow in a salute to Flight Officer Stigler.
Governments and policies of the leaders thereof many times foster hate and mistrust among people. This story proves that human to human, one to one, our true nature can often prevail.
I’ve actually met Charlie Brown and heard the whole story from him after enquiring about a print that my parents had depicting the event (same as the one on the top of the page).
He was a member of the same flying club as my step father.
super nice guy and such a great story.
I wonder if civilian victims of their bombs before and in particular after this episode would agree that Stigler did the right thing. He showed mercy for his enemies, which may seem noble now, but he at the same time condemned people he was supposed to protect. I don’t think people killing babies in their beds deserve mercy to be honest, especially not them.
War is bad, always, even through rose sunglasses. If you really want to feel good, fight against the war now and save both soldiers and their civilian victims. That is true honour.
[...] you know the bare facts of this incredible story, click here to read the entire account. :fighter pilot, [...]
Hand of God? Hardly. Just a man with a conscience in an aircraft. We have to give people credit instead of infusing the invisible hand of an unproven supreme being. If there was a God then you also have to blame it for the terrible, murderous war as well. We’re not puppets, just people. And some people (though it now seems like a rarer commodity) know how to be humane. While this man’s countrymen were murdering innocent men, women and children as part of the Nazi’s sweep, he was one who exercised his conscience. Hats off to Herr Stigler.
I’m curious about the airplane name “Charley Brown”. Where do you suppose it came from? The comic strip didn’t start until 1950.
Charlie Brown is the name of the pilot not the airplane
Who are we to judge a man’s action, as we are like grass in His eyes - today we are green, tomorrow we can be dead … To God be the Glory, now and forever!
such a wonderful story…only to be ruined by a bunch of morons who can not just simply “see good” in mankind
Man is capable of great good but is also capable of unspeakable evil.And all that God had to do with any of it (good or bad) was to give his creation FREE WILL.Which is why I roll my eyes when anyone attributes good to “god’s will” and evil to whoever they happen to be disagreeing with at the moment.Both the good AND the evil perpetrated on this earth are works of MAN using that free will God gave us.