Every once in a while, I come across a "feel good" story, and it just seems like I should pass it on. With all of the turmoil going on in the world, it's great to hear of people who do something extraordinarily good. I recently learned about one such example that involved an incident during World War II.
United States Air Force 2nd lieutenant Charles "Charlie" Brown was flying a B-17 Flying Fortress (nicknamed "Ye Olde Pub") on a bombing mission in Bremen, Germany on December 20, 1943. It was actually their first mission with the 527th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. They were to bomb the Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft production facility in Bremen, which was heavily guarded by over 250 anti-aircraft guns. Brown and his crew were told that they would encounter hundreds of German fighter planes during the mission and that they would be assigned a spot on the edge of the formation commonly known as "Purple Heart Corner" (due to the fact that the Germans targeted the planes at the edges of the formation). However, during the flight to Bremen, three bombers had to turn back due to mechanical problems, so "Ye Olde Pub" moved up to the front of the formation.
Shortly after commencing their 10-minute bombing run over Bremen, "Ye Olde Pub" was hit several times by anti-aircraft fire, knocking out at least one engine and heavily damaging a second one. Brown and his crew were unable to remain in formation, falling behind their colleagues where they were at incredible risk of further attack. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. Over the next 10 minutes or so, Brown's B-17 was attacked by over a dozen German Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter planes, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft's oxygen, hydraulic, and electrical systems as well as the loss of a third engine. Several crew members were wounded, including the tail gunner, who was killed by a direct hit from a cannon shell.
The crew discussed bailing out of the plane, but they worried that their wounded comrades would not survive the parachute landing. They pressed on with a B-17 that could barely fly. At that point, a German fighter ace with 27 total victories named Franz Stigler took off in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 and quickly caught up with Brown's crippled airplane.
Stigler could easily see the injured and incapacitated crew through the holes in the side of the B-17. However, he did not open fire. Stigler remembered the words of one of his commanding officers, who said, "If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself." Stigler rationalized that a struggling aircraft was the same as a man in a parachute and refused to shoot. He later said, "To me, it was just like they were in a parachute. I saw them and I couldn't shoot them down."
Stigler twice tried to convince Brown to land his plane in a German airfield and surrender. Brown refused both times. He next tried to convince the American to fly to neutral Sweden, but Brown later stated that he could not understand Stigler, who was mouthing his words.
Beyond belief, Stigler moved his Bf 109 in close formation near the B-17's left wing, so that German anti-aircraft guns wouldn't shoot at them. He escorted the B-17 until they reached the coast, and Stigler departed with a salute.
Brown eventually managed to cross the North Sea and land his plane at RAF Seething Air Force Base in England. During the postflight debrief, Brown informed his commanding officer what had happened. His commanding officer told him not to repeat the story to the rest of the squadron, as they were afraid that it would build a positive sentiment about the German fighter pilots, potentially placing them at risk if they falsely expected similar help provided by Stigler. Brown said, "Someone decided you can't be human and be flying in a German cockpit." Stigler was too afraid of relaying the incident to his commanding officer. Remarkably, everyone in Brown's crew survived their injuries, with the exception of the tail gunner.
Both Stigler and Brown would serve until the end of the war. Brown returned to his home in West Virginia and served in the Air Force until 1965, at which point he became a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State. Stigler would later move to Canada and become a successful businessman.
Brown spoke at a combat pilot reunion in 1986. He told the story about Stigler's escort and salute, and then decided that he would like to find the unknown German pilot. After four years of searching without success, Stigler responded to Brown's story in a combat pilot association newsletter. They spoke over the telephone and later met in person. They became close friends, staying in contact from 1990 to 2008, when both died within several months of each other.
What an incredible story! Just when you begin to doubt human nature, a story comes along of incredible kindness and compassion. The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler story was later recorded in a 2012 biographical novel by Adam Makos called A Higher Call.
No comments:
Post a Comment