World War 2 - Peugeot plant attack
Seven wonders of the ancient world
Australian history
Karin
Leitner - Titanic
This blog is about the entrants in the year 1960, to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ceylon, Colombo. The email address for communications is, 1960batch@gmail.com. Please BOOKMARK this page for easier access later.Photo is the entrance porch of the old General Hospital, Colombo, still in existence. Please use the search box below to look for your requirement.
Showing posts with label World War 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World War 2. Show all posts
Monday, May 13, 2019
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
World War 2 story - email jksw
WW II true story ...........
Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England .
BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
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. (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.
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 having been hit by flak and fighters was in a terrible state.
The compass was damaged, and they were flying deeper over enemy territory, instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After the B-17 was discovered as it flew over an enemy airfield, a German pilot, Franz Steigler, was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17.
When Steigler got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes.
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 pilot Brown.
Brown was struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown
Realising that the pilot had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees.
And 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.
When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea.
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.
Franz had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
Both met
in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who
were alive - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)