A Christmas Tale

Hugo Caldas

Due to the fact that I virtually lived from 7 to 12 years of age, aboard a small Piper Cub flown by my father, stories about airmen and aircrafts are particularly fascinating to me. Below, is the report of a Christmas Tale the way I was told. Please note that until WW2 we knew perfectly well who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. Nowadays, unfortunately ... H.C.

That morning of December 24, 1943, Charles Brown, 21 years, was the pilot of the Flying Fortress, Boeing B-17 with the 379th Bomber Group based at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called "Ye Olde Pub" and was in terrible and very poor condition, after being repeatedly hit by flak and fighters during a difficult task of bombing a factory in Bremen, Germany. The compass, and the radio, were damaged and the plane completely disoriented, was flying dangerously deeper over the German territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton. Of the ten crew members seven were seriously injured, himself bleeding, a splinter stuck in his left shoulder.

After flying over an enemy air base, Charlie Brown was trying to bring his agonizing bomber back to base. He felt his heart freeze when he looked through the right window and saw a Messerschmitt 109 fighter, armed to the teeth, flying dangerously close to what remained of his Flying Fortress.

The pilot of the German fighter, Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down what was left of the B-17. When approaching the four-engine, the German pilot could not believe his eyes. He had never seen an aircraft in such a bad state. The tail of the aircraft and the rear section were severely damaged, there was almost nothing left. He could see that the tail gunner was wounded. The striker had his remains scattered all over the fuselage. The nose of the aircraft was crushed, and there were holes everywhere. A complete destruction.

Well armed, Franz flew to the side of the Flying Fortress and stared at Charlie Brown's eyes that terrified fought to keep in the air his destroyed and blood-stained plane. It seemed incredible that so shattered the B-17 remained flying. Brown did everything to reach the coasts of England some 250 miles away.

Realizing that the Americans had not the slightest idea of where they were going, the German pilot began swaying his wings indicating that he, Charlie Brown, should turn 180 degrees. This was done and Franz flew to the side, and escorted the bomber to the North Sea, towards the base in England. Then suddenly he saluted Charlie Brown and returned to the continent.

When Franz landed, he filled in the forms of practice stating there he had overthrown the B-17 at sea. He never told the truth to anyone. On arrival at the Base, Charlie Brown and his crew brought the truth in the report, but received orders not to comment on the incident.

Over 40 years have passed and Charlie Brown could not forget the incident and wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who had saved his crew. The episode of the German pilot who refused to attack the opponent injured, still chasing him. Brown remained on the firm intention of finding the pilot that had helped him to reach the remote base. Franz, in turn, never talked about the adventure, even in the post-war meetings.

Fate made them to meet themselves on a gathering of Group 379th in the U.S. in 1989, along with five other crew members of the B-17. Brown wrote numerous letters to German military sources, but had little or no success. Finally, a small note in the journal of the Luftwaffe veterans exhibited a response from Franz Stigler, the 28 air victories ace. He was finally discovered. He was that merciful angel in Germany that fateful December 24, Christmas Eve of 1943.

46 years of waiting, but Charles Brown in 1989, after an exchanging of letters, found the mysterious man of the Me 109. Stigler spoke about details common to the two airmen and left not the slightest doubt about his identity. In his first letter to Brown, Stigler writes:

- "After all these years, I still imagine what happened to the B-17."

- "We all survived by little, said Brown. But why didn't you destroy your helpless prey?"

- "I had no heart to destroy those brave men, Stigler said. I flew alongside them for a long time. They desperately tried to return to base, and I would allow them to do so. I could not have thrown them. "

The war ends and Stigler emigrated to Canada and lived near Vancouver, British Columbia.

- "He almost broke my ribs, so strong was the hug, said Brown."

Thenceforward the two visited each other frequently and appeared together on military events in the United States and Canada. In the Air Force Ball in Miami in 1995, the two received several honors.

Our heroes are weary:

Franz Stigler passed away on March 22, 2008, with 92 years of age. Cel Charles Brown died last November 23rd at the age of 86.

The above story had happened because Franz Stigler declined to fire his weapons that day on December 24, 1943. It was a memorable act of gallantry in wartimes.

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