Post by JG26_Blackheart on Mar 31, 2009 18:11:19 GMT -5
Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group
at Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a
terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was
damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading
home to Kimbolton.
After flying over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler 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.
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.
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 CO 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. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never
talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people
who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had
moved to Vancouver , BC after the war. When they finally met, they
discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years!
at Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a
terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was
damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading
home to Kimbolton.
After flying over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler 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.
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.
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 CO 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. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never
talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people
who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had
moved to Vancouver , BC after the war. When they finally met, they
discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years!