By Mary Dodge Allen
On December 20, 1943, a few days before Christmas, the surviving American crewmen of a severely damaged B-17 bomber named "Ye Olde Pub" received an unexpected gift... their lives.
B-17 Bomber Pilot Charles Brown:
It was only the second bombing mission for pilot Charles Brown, age 21, who grew up on a poor West Virginia farm. But it was the first mission for the rest of his B-17 crew, and it was a grueling one.
The mission target: A Focke-Wulf 190 fighter aircraft plant near Bremen, Germany.
The aircraft plant was well-defended. Anti-aircraft guns filled the sky with exploding flak, while German fighter planes flew through the B-17 bomber formation, their machine guns firing.
Charles Brown's B-17, named "Ye Olde Pub," was hit several times on the bombing run. After releasing its bombs over the target, the B-17 sustained more damage from pursuing fighters. One engine was dead, causing the bomber's speed to drop. As it fell behind the formation, Charles Brown knew his B-17 was now a sitting duck.
Multiple fighters continued attacking, and Charles resorted to the daring move of flying directly at them to make his B-17 less of a target. One attack damaged the cockpit's oxygen system. Since they were flying at twenty-two thousand feet, an altitude with scarce oxygen, Charles and his co-pilot passed out. The bomber's wings tilted to the side as it went into a steep dive.
When the B-17 reached the oxygen-rich air at ten thousand feet, the pilots came to and took action. The damaged bomber shook violently as they pulled back on the controls with all their strength to stop the dive. Miraculously, the bomber's plunge gradually slowed. It finally leveled out close to the ground; so close it blew leaves from trees and roof shingles from houses.
The B-17 was now flying with only one good engine and two rough engines. They were 35 miles from the English Channel and would soon be flying over the heavily-defended German coastline. Because two of his crewmen were too badly injured to bail out, Charles decided to stay with the plane and try to make it back to England. He told the rest of his crew to bail out, but they all agreed to stay on the bomber with Charles.
German Fighter Pilot, Franz Stigler:
But as he focused through his gun sight, he realized something was wrong. He flew closer to the shot up B-17 and was amazed it was still flying, with the entire left half of its horizontal stabilizer gone, part of its nose blown away, and huge holes in the fuselage.
When he looked through the gaping holes, he saw the dead tail gunner and wounded crew members tending each other. At that moment, something happened inside him. Franz lifted his finger off the trigger and decided, "This will be no victory for me. I will not have this on my conscience for the rest of my life."
Franz knew, up ahead, the German coastal anti-aircraft gunners would be getting ready to shoot the wounded bomber down. He could be court-martialed for sparing the lives of the B-17's crew, but he was committed. He flew alongside and slightly above the bomber, gambling that the flak crews below would recognize the familiar shape of a Messerschmitt fighter plane and hold their fire. They did.
Charles Brown saw the English Channel up ahead, but then his heart sank when he saw the German fighter plane flying just above his right wingtip. It stayed in that position as they began flying over the Channel. Charles couldn't believe the fighter pilot hadn't shot his B-17 down.
The B-17 continued losing altitude as it flew over the English Channel, but somehow Charles Brown managed to keep it flying until it landed safely at an American airfield close to the English coastline.
Charles Brown couldn't shake the image of the enemy fighter pilot saluting him. He wondered who the pilot was, and why he had spared their lives.
After the War - Charles Brown:
In the late 1980's Charles was retired and living in Miami with his wife, Jackie. He had always remained curious about the German pilot, so he decided to search for him, realizing his chances of finding him were slim. Even if the German pilot had survived the war, he might not still be alive.
In 1989, Charles wrote a letter to the editor of the Jagerblatt (Fighter Journal), the official newsletter of the Association of German Fighter Pilots. He described his encounter with the German fighter plane, the date, and that he'd like to make contact with the German pilot. He included his Miami mailing address. (Charles left out specific details about the encounter, as a verification test for whoever might respond to his letter.)
After the War - Franz Stigler:
Franz moved to Vancouver, BC, Canada, where his first wife had family. He quickly learned English and worked as a diesel mechanic for logging companies until his retirement. He was now living a quiet life in Canada with his second wife. Over the years, Franz had also remained curious about the fate of the damaged B-17. He wondered if the pilot and crew had made it safely back to England.
In January 1990, his issue of Jagerblatt arrived. Franz was stunned when he read the letter Charles Brown had written. He immediately wrote a letter in response and mailed it to the Miami address.
The Phone Call:
Charles was excited to read Franz's letter. He dialed information, obtained Franz's Vancouver phone number and called him. At first, the phone call was awkward. Then Franz began accurately describing the details of the encounter.
"My God, it is you!" Charles said, as tears filled his eyes. After the call, he wrote Franz a letter. Here is a short excerpt:
"I have the distinct feeling that some power greater than that of our respective governments was looking out for most of us on Dec. 20, 1943. To say THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU on behalf of my surviving crew members and their families appears totally inadequate."
The Two Pilots Meet:
Charles and Franz first met in person in Seattle on June 21, 1990. The two former enemies hugged each other and cried. They spent the next few days touring Seattle and getting to know each other.
On September 13, 1990, they met again in Massachusetts, at a reunion of the 379th Bomb Group, where CBS News filmed a show about them. Two other surviving B-17 crew members were also there: Sam "Blackie" Blackford and Dick Pechout. Through hugs and tears, they thanked Franz for allowing them to live full lives, filled with children and grandchildren.
But Franz also felt grateful. He never received the Knight's Cross, but he felt he got something better. He wrote this note to Charles:
"In 1940, I lost my only brother as a night fighter. On the 20th of December (1943), four days before Christmas, I had the chance to save a B-17 from destruction, a plane so badly damaged it was a wonder that she was still flying. The pilot, Charlie Brown, is for me, as precious as my brother was.
"Thanks Charlie.
"Your Brother,
Franz"
Franz Stigler passed away in March 2008, and Charles Brown passed away a few months later, in November 2008.
You can read the detailed story of their lives and their fateful encounter in the excellent book, A Higher Call, written by Adam Makos.
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Mary Dodge Allen is currently finishing her sequel to Hunt for a Hometown Killer. She's won a Christian Indie Award, an Angel Book Award, and two Royal Palm Literary Awards (Florida Writer's Association). She and her husband live in Central Florida. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith Hope and Love Christian Writers.
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