One engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot
Up.. It was
ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting
Done by an artist from the
description of both pilots many
Years later.) Then realize that there is a
German ME-109
Fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think
You'll be surprised.....
[align=center][img]aoladp://MA21708101-0001/IMAGE.jpeg[/img]][/font]
] 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 the B-17 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.[/b]]aoladp://MA21708101-0002/file000.jpg[/img]]
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.
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett,
and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
]aoladp://MA21708101-0003/file001.jpg[/img]
]When
asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, "I didn't have the]
heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time.
They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do
that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as
shooting at a man in a parachute." Both men died in
2008.]
This
is a true story[/b]]http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp][/b]<http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp>]
[/b]
MOSQUE, OR BEHIND WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOR DID THEY USE MENTALLY RETARDED
WOMEN AS SUICIDE BOMBERS TO TARGET AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS...HOW TIMES HAVE
CHANGED
[/align]
[align=center][/align]
Martin.
Comment