tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404036170106001374.post6134867879504677250..comments2024-03-18T04:40:38.214-05:00Comments on Murderous Musings: Angel FlightChester Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07155257451021065218noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404036170106001374.post-90694663634338814342012-09-14T09:07:37.519-05:002012-09-14T09:07:37.519-05:00Sometimes war, or at least defined wars, bring out...Sometimes war, or at least defined wars, bring out extraordinary acts of kindness and mercy.Mark W. Danielsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05127689413680147200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404036170106001374.post-4836450131028717852012-09-14T08:41:54.317-05:002012-09-14T08:41:54.317-05:00What a great, heartwarming story, Mark! There must...What a great, heartwarming story, Mark! There must have been other such incidents that we'll never know about.Jean Henry Meadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146960738692672013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404036170106001374.post-56086061590999330872012-09-13T22:05:29.511-05:002012-09-13T22:05:29.511-05:00Thanks, Jean. Here's another amazing B-17 sto...Thanks, Jean. Here's another amazing B-17 story. Charlie Brown [real name] 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. Its compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton. When they inadvertently flew over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot it down. When Steigler got airborne and closed on the B-17, 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 dead, with his remains spread all over the top of the fuselage. The nose of the plane was smashed and there were holes everywhere. Despite having ammunition, Franz flew along side the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, its pilot. Brown was scared, as he struggling to control his damaged and bloodstained plane. Aware that Brown had no idea where he was headed, Franz signaled for him to turn 180 degrees. Franz then escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea toward England. He then saluted Charlie Brown, banked his fighter, and returned to his base.<br /><br /> When Franz landed, he reported that the B-17 had been shot down over the sea, but Charlie Brown and his surviving crew members on the other hand, told all at their debriefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.<br /> <br /> More than 40 years later, Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was located. Remarkably, Franz had never discussed the incident even at post-war reunions.<br /> <br /> The two pilots met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion along with 25 people who were alive and subsequently born because Franz never fired his guns that day.<br /><br /> When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Steigler 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."<br /> <br /> Both men died in 2008.<br />Mark W. Danielsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05127689413680147200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404036170106001374.post-87284919848921594702012-09-13T17:31:01.031-05:002012-09-13T17:31:01.031-05:00Wow! What a miraculous story, Mark. Thanks for sha...Wow! What a miraculous story, Mark. Thanks for sharing it.Jean Henry Meadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146960738692672013noreply@blogger.com