I just happened on this story....It really is amazing to me- gives me hope for humanity....Check it out;
On 20 December 1943, Franz met the B-17 bomber named "Ye Olde Pub" and its pilot Charles "Charlie" Brown for the first time. Franz had shot down two B-17s earlier that day and he soon caught up to a wounded B-17 flown by Charles Brown. Lining up to finish the bomber and shoot it down, he noticed the tail gunner never moved the guns. Upon further inspection of the airplane, he saw through large holes in the fuselage a frantic crew trying to save the lives of their fellow airmen. Franz is quoted as saying "and for me it would have been the same as shooting at a parachute", in reference to a statement by his commander; "If I hear of one of you shooting a man in a parachute, I'll shoot you myself!". Stigler motioned to Brown to land his airplane in neutral Sweden because of the extensive damage. However, Brown decided to keep flying towards England. Stigler escorted the B-17 and its crew to the North Sea coast, protecting it from German anti-aircraft gunners (who recognized the silhouette of his BF-109 and held fire). Once they were over water, Stigler saluted Brown and broke formation to return to base.
Stigler never spoke of this incident as he could have been court-martialed. Charles Brown told his commanding officers, who chose to keep the incident secret. Years later, in 1990, Charles Brown searched for the German pilot who let them live that day, and eventually the two pilots, along with the Pub crew, met face to face, half a century later.[1]
Between 1990 and 2008, Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler became close friends and remained so until their deaths within several months of each other in 2008.[2]
During various wars and conflicts, this type behavior happened a LOT more than is generally known about, especially on smaller unit and individual levels. When it 'stops' happening, is when we as a species have lost all semblance of humanity.
During various wars and conflicts, this type behavior happened a LOT more than is generally known about, especially on smaller unit and individual levels. When it 'stops' happening, is when we as a species have lost all semblance of humanity.
When drones are used and a kid on the other end using an XBOX controller to hit a target there wont be any "human" intervention. It will be follow orders, win the game and go out drinking after.
When drones are used and a kid on the other end using an XBOX controller to hit a target there wont be any "human" intervention. It will be follow orders, win the game and go out drinking after.
During various wars and conflicts, this type behavior happened a LOT more than is generally known about, especially on smaller unit and individual levels. When it 'stops' happening, is when we as a species have lost all semblance of humanity.
Sometimes I feel that, like the Geneva convention against mistreating prisoners and the laws against chemical weapons, we should have a law REQUIRING people actually be IN the war zone...actually the ones killing in person, so that they feel some "Human" cost......
The story is obviously an old one and is very well known to WWII aviation buffs and amateur military historians like myself.
Acts of mercy have happened in all wars but this one stood out from WWII as it carried over from WWI and the "Knights of the Sky" code. In the early stages of aerial warfare pilots were loath to intentionally kill one another if they didn't need to. WWI pilots on all sides were even known to honor killed enemy pilots by air-dropping flowers or a wreath for their funerals or having same sent via land.
I have a copy of the book in my library about the incident and the years after:
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 04-17-2021).]
Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.
At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. Some Germans lit Christmas trees around their trenches, and there was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.
German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch recalled: “How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”
Some soldiers used this short-lived ceasefire for a more somber task: the retrieval of the bodies of fellow combatants who had fallen within the no-man’s land between the lines.
Originally posted by randye: ... I have a copy of the book in my library about the incident and the years after:
I bought this book b/c of this post. It is very well done, going deep into the backgrounds of both pilots and charts the fortunes and reverses of the Axis and Allied air war. Very well done.
