Aerial Chivalry -The Story of Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler

[vanmust]

great story.......Franz had probably German pilots like Von Richthoffen as raw model..........

[marubatuqoo]

Please tell me ! What is this song?

[pontiacfirebird88]

That is amazing what humans can do in the mist of war

[patsku23]

We all should be as him: humans who fight for the humanity, no matter off commands or politics. God Bless Franz Stiegler, Charlie Brown&crew and all those who were or are like them.

[Austinscool12]

If only everyone could be like Franz Stigler

[maurirossi]

A real heroe is never a killer. Great story

[bobandbally1]

@maurirossi  thank you

[5uspended4nimation]

Salut~

[bobandbally1]

@5uspended4nimation Muito obrigado por destacamento este tipo e ponderado comentar

[OHBISX]

Isso demonstra a grandeza de um homem. Ao contrário da vontade dos homens que os comandam, que querem todo o poder para si.

[brent07]

God Bless you Franz Stigler.

[culchie2]

Great story, and please forgive one small correction, the error about the 180 degree turn. I have long interviews with both men on tape. Someone, it seems, misunderstood the part where Stigler tries to get Charlie to land in Germany, or at least turn north (roughly 90 degrees) and land in neutral Sweden, as many a shot-up B-17 did. Charlie, almost certainly in shock, continued to fly west.

Such a great story, though, and thanks for the video version!

[monzinator]

Thanks for posting !!!

That clip shows - stay human despite the hardest times, after all, that makes the difference between a real fighter (no matter for what idea) and a mindless killer.

[bobandbally1]

@monzinator thank you for your comment. A wonderful human story. Should be a book or movie, but not in the conventional sense. The early lives, war and subsequent meeting of these two fine men is more worthy than a shoot them up thriller. Bob W

[klesmer]

May God bless Herr Stigler.

[youjib]

RIP brave men

[323sparky]

This is the most noble act from Mr. Franz in WW2, a lot of soldiers do not do that, they kill his enemy without mercy, I salute you Mr. Fanz for do such noble act for freedom and democracy.

[taganrok]

And how many lives of innocent German women and children had not the "Ye Old Pub" extinguished during its mission? He should have shot it down and betrayed his country by not doing so!

[freakyflow]

@taganrok That must be the dummest comment ever made..Each man carries his own fate. When you take another mans life Then you can talk. To know what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat because for the last 50 years of your life you keep seeing the same horrors of the mens lives you took. Country be dammed who you fought for. Both men killed others. Both men had friends lost. Both men now sleep with honor. It's someone like you could not begin to understand why

[taganrok]

@freakyflow The people who's lives the bombers extinguished haven't had the luxury of waking up every night with horror the past 50 years. Nor have the would-have-been generations who's lives were extinguished along with their parents and grandparents. A lost generation I myself might have joined if it the bomb that missed my grandparents house with 10 meters would have hit right on with my grandma and her children inside. You're just an arrogant American, and the German pilot remains a traitor.

[freakyflow]

@taganrok First off I'm not American so the arrogants is yours for saying i am without knowing ..Let me guess to you all Americans are Arrogant as you sit there typing on a American website wearing blue jeans drinking coke watching a movie clip about americans and ww2 ..Fine I'll take arrogant over 2 FACED 3rd world whore anyday I hate America i just love every thing it has to offer ..zzz You join? LOL!! the first shot they would find you under a rock. what if german never attacked? what then?

[klesmer]

@taganrok You fuckers started WWII, don't ever forget that. And if you look behind you, you will see the faces of Nazi's just waiting to take over Germany once again. Don't laugh, if the Greens ever come to power you are fucked.

[taganrok]

@klesmer Your behavior speaks for itself. Oh and I'm Finnish, you know from the country that got invaded by Soviet hordes and truly fought for freedom unlike the Allies who were making deals with Stalin giving him half of Europe to place behind his iron curtain.

[klesmer]

@taganrok That means you fought with the Nazi's.

[taganrok]

@klesmer If you choose to see, what commonly is regarded as a heroic struggle of Finnish men and women for the freedom of their native land from an invading Communist giant, as a mere question of "fighting with nazis" then that says more about your honesty and wit than anything else. I've lived in Russia and most Russians have a good opinion of Finland respect Finns since we both know how it is to defend our homelands from foreign invaders. Something which arrogant Americans don't.

[klesmer]

@taganrok Keep drinking the COOL -AID, Arno. OH,Finland must be a wonderful place to live,I understand it has the highest suicide rate in the world. SIG-HIEL.

[taganrok]

@klesmer You're just embarrassing yourself with your vulgarity and obvious lack of education. Hopefully you're just a teenager so that you may eventually grow out of it and one day learn to behave like a grown man.

[klesmer]

@taganrok I am not a teenager dickless, I have lived longer than you probably ever will. I was in Berlin when the wall went up, fugure it out. I want to make something clear. I think we fucked up big time by letting Stalin off the hook. We should have listend to Patton and taken the commies out but everyone was deafened by war fatigue and couldn't hear the truth. The same in Korea. But to piss you off even more, I know alot of Russian's, they all say Finland is Russian land, so watch your back.

[Jomokb76]

This shows the war does not remove the sense of humanity...

Salute for both

[smalljj]

Salute

[bobandbally1]

@smalljj

thank you for posting

[bobandbally1]

@smalljj thanks for posting

[bleyland629]

Rest in piece :) god be with you !!!

[gfreakj]

Amazing Story. Made me emotional. Thanks for posting it.

[bobandbally1]

@gfreakj Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[gfreakj]

@bobandbally1 You're welcome. I'm spreading it around. These are the kinds of stories that restore my faith in humanity.

[routhoula]

is this the same story about an b17 pilot who took a real beating lost hydraulics but still managed to return to base and land?

[bobandbally1]

@routhoula This plane was attacked at about 25,000 feet on a mission to destroy a fighter factory near Bremen. The mission was late in 1943. The 17 fought off many fighters. The crew lost consciousness [oxygen line issue possibly] and fell to about just over 1,000 feet off the deck.

I don't know if this is the same plane you mention but observers [including the German pilot] said it was the most badly damaged B17 that they saw still flying.

[MrZync]

I've been captivated by this story for years. Awesome!!

[Aku666Torres]

what an Honorable Man to do such a thing. I never knew of this event until a friend to me of it, and all because I had asked wonderingly, if WW2 pilots from both sides ever met under more friendly circumstances. This is incredible.

[freakyflow]

Franz also flew the Me-262 and knew Gen,Galland well. I heard a story of the first ME-262's were one of the first ones Franz seen crashed on the runway way Galland told him don't worry my friend if it happens to you You'll never have time to think about

[alan982004johnny8929]

real hero in world war 2

[jjmac0y]

An interesting story, Hollywood should make a movie about this.

[FHLeghorn]

Another fun one was while flying through fog he nearly ran into a mountain. After bailing out, he ran into a girl, on that mountain, he new from school. She gave him a place to stay that night (nudge nudge, wink wink) that day. Word has it, that never before had a plane made it home so damaged.

[FHLeghorn]

Franz was an amazing man to talk to. I was fortunate enough to spend a few hours with him. He held the record for most 4-engine bombers downed. His best stories, however, were about the numerous times he had to bail out. He had also been grazed in the forehead, by a .50cal round.

[FHLeghorn]

It was Charlie's first mission and half his crew was dead and he only had one working engine. The 21 year old was panicked, to say the least. All he could think of were his orders and his buddies, get there in formation and the way home was every man for himself.

[FHLeghorn]

Charlie's B17 had been attacked by four BF109's and two FW190's. Falling from around 20,000 feet and having rolled over, Charlie had briefly passed out due to the rapid loss of altitude. Charlie said he came to at treetop level, literally brushing into the trees.

[FHLeghorn]

Franz found him some time later trying to limp home to England. Franz attempted to nudge him north towards Switerland which would have saved him several hours of an extremely difficult flight. With a salute, Franz bid him good luck and proceeded to RTB.

[FHLeghorn]

Bob, your tale is close, but not completely accurate, so if I may... Tail gunner died. Franz said when he approached he did not fire because the tail guns never rose. He would not shoot a plane that could not defend itself. As he approached he could see the turret was shot up and the gunner was laying in pool of his own blood.

[scoutman549]

This is the Greatest generation on both sides of the war !

[davidsbacon]

Great tribute to these heroes. Men like Franz remind us that even in time of war, there exist opportunities to be human.

[theo1307tog]

@davidsbacon you said it man !