Great War truck Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I received this today. Done some checks and apparently it is true, although a little embelished. Tim (too) Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up. It was ready to fall out of the sky.. 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..... 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, ba ck 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longydagun Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 What an amaizing story those b17's really were sitting ducks without fighter support amaizing story thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8 bubba Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 i am shocked just to see the pic and an amazing story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Just goes to show that they were not all nazis and had some chivalry left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Amazing story, are there any more pics of theB17 after landing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I dont have any, but was wondering if any of our knowledgable USAAF enthusiasts might have some. Anybody? Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Nice one Tim! I have the picture in the office of the two pilots meeting - I will post it up tomorrow, Jim AF sent it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Wonderful story, shows there´s always some humanity lurking about on the battlefields! H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I thought this was a familiar story - check out a thread by a certain Mr. Artistsrifles back in Jan 2008, this gives the links to the aviation art website which tells the story. I used the HMVF Search facility, but "ye old pub" words are too short, so try "charlie brown" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 You are right.I wonder how i missed such an interesting story first time round. Ah well. Sorry. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Don't be sorry - a good reminder, I'd forgotten about it!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcspool Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I thought this was a familiar story - check out a thread by a certain Mr. Artistsrifles back in Jan 2008, this gives the links to the aviation art website which tells the story. I used the HMVF Search facility, but "ye old pub" words are too short, so try "charlie brown" Well then, let´s copy and paste the link to make it easy for the rest of us. http://www.hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=6962 H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Thanks, Hanno - I would have done it, but I can't work out what to click on to copy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?p=135330#post135330 OK, I have it now :n00b: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agripper Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 There is a simialr story about a british crew in shorts Sterling who found after a sorte with the aircraft on its own with 2 engines out finding a aircraft just off the wing , same air craft then dropped below them out of site with the crew thinking the next action was for it to attack to find that it was simply looking the aircraft over. following this same aircraft a ME 110 then return to fly off teh wing at a safe distance, until land fall back in England when he came closer waved at the crew and flew off. This was recounted by a Sterling Flight Engineer. Can anyone comfirm this ? I have heard of similar story from both sides where pilots did not take the final shot. The was one from a Spitfire pilot who attcked a german fighter but the aircraft did not go down. at teh point he could give the kill shot he chose not to, simply waving him off. The result was remorse for this pilot as the german pilot was known to go on and kill 3 British pilots. War is HELL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Wow very amazing stories, it's good to hear that such acts were possible during the war. Shows that Mankind isn't all together lost.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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