[SovietCommissar]

It's long-winded, but I hope you enjoy, or at least find interesting, this little tale I found while surfing the internet.

All typos [sic].

From "Military.com Remembers D-Day"

The original article, with photos, can be found here.

"Charles Brown and Franz Stigler are friends; so close that they call themselves brothers. They met for the first time fifty-seven plus years ago on December 20, 1943. Brown was a 2nd Lieutenant pilot assigned to the 379th Bomb group. It was on this date that Lt. Brown flew his first mission as an aircraft commander.

He was to bomb targets in the Bremen Germany complex. Everything had gone well until the bomb run, according to Brown.

[danimalhanke]

Great Story thanks for posting!

[aviatorsneah]

great story! thanks for sharing. hock:

[{HVY}A10inbound]

Ya guys see? That's all I ask is people fly with a little dignity. When the sh!t hits the fan honor, respect, and all that other crap go right out the window, but have a little dignity dammit.

[Guest]

Should have shot it down.


Good story though.

[3rd-BG_Dreadpilot]

Amazing. It's incredible the German Pilot could see wounded men in the airplane. These are truly hororable men and I'm pretty sad I've missed most of their generation.

[rossmum]

I always love stories like this. I got a huge book compiled from various wartime personal diaries a few years ago for either Christmas or my birthday (can't remember now), and in it was an account from a soldier inside an RAF Dakota carrying critically wounded men out from North Africa. They were attacked by an Italian fighter (though the plane held up) - when suddenly a 109 came out of nowhere and shot the Italian down! He then drew up alongside the Dakota's cockpit, gave a quick salute and a dip of the wings, and headed off for home. I'd heard of a fair few German and Allied pilots alike giving a brief escort to badly shot-up planes, but that was the first time I'd heard of them going that far to protect a wounded adversary.

[RichardH]

I always love stories like this. I got a huge book compiled from various wartime personal diaries a few years ago for either Christmas or my birthday (can't remember now), and in it was an account from a soldier inside an RAF Dakota carrying critically wounded men out from North Africa. They were attacked by an Italian fighter (though the plane held up) - when suddenly a 109 came out of nowhere and shot the Italian down! He then drew up alongside the Dakota's cockpit, gave a quick salute and a dip of the wings, and headed off for home. I'd heard of a fair few German and Allied pilots alike giving a brief escort to badly shot-up planes, but that was the first time I'd heard of them going that far to protect a wounded adversary.

I've heard a similar story from the pacific when Saburo Sakai once bounced a dakota (i think it was a civilian) in the Philippines i think. He (and the other pilots of his air group) were under the orders to attack all air traffic in the area, but when Sakai flew closer he saw that the planes were evacuating wounded people, so he flew in front of the dakota and escorted it to safety before he flew back to his base.

[78thFG_Doodle]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[TH0R]

Nice story, thanks for sharing.

Ya guys see? That's all I ask is people fly with a little dignity. When the sh!t hits the fan honor, respect, and all that other crap go right out the window, but have a little dignity dammit.

Comment after yours shows exactly what you mean.

[patrick james brian]

painting?
l'm curious about the painting is there a pic. from.

[I./KG51_Hara]

Nice Story!
The Picture is "The galland Foe" by Michael W. Wooten

unfortunately very small.

That's all I ask is people fly with a little dignity.

+1

[={TTU}=Kiwibird]

That was a Great story. It shows that people still had honour, dignity and respect even
in times of great hardship,Dificulty and violence

[Fusek]

http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/index1024.htm

Interview with Franz Stigler, form 109lair.hobbyvista.com.

[jak24610]

Very great story!