Venatore
05-27-08, 05:28 AM
"Ye Olde Pub"
An amazing story
Charlie Brown was an American B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His aircraft was named "Ye Olde Pub." After a bombing raid over Germany, Brown's badly shot-up B-17 was in dire trouble, having been hit by flak and fighters. Because of severe damage and with all compasses destroyed they were flying in the wrong direction, going deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After the crippled Ye Olde Pub flew over an enemy airfield, a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down Brown's B-17. When he got near the B-17, Steigler could not believe his eyes. In his own words, he "had never seen a plane in such a bad state still flying." The tail and rear section was severely damaged. The tail gunner was severely wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Franz flew alongside of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, who knew exactly what was coming. Now facing impossible odds, Brown ignored the German plane sent to kill him and struggled to control his crippled and blood-stained aircraft.
Amazed at Brown's determination to get his crew safely home despite what appeared to be his imminent certain death, Steigler decided he could not shoot down the helpless surviving American crewmen.
Aware Brown had no idea where they were going, Franz Steigler waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees, to make a U-turn and follow him. The German pilot escorted and guided the stricken American B-17 to and out over the North Sea towards England.
Franz Steigler then saluted Charlie Brown. He turned away, back toward Europe.
When Steigler landed he told his commanding officer that he had shot down Ye Olde Pub over the North Sea. He never told the truth to anybody. Of course, Charlie Brown and the surviving members of his crew told all at their post-flight debriefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Steigler was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now--all because Franz Steigler never fired his guns that day.
Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had moved to Vancouver, B.C., after the war. When they finally met, they discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub1.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub2.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub3.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub4.jpg
An amazing story
Charlie Brown was an American B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His aircraft was named "Ye Olde Pub." After a bombing raid over Germany, Brown's badly shot-up B-17 was in dire trouble, having been hit by flak and fighters. Because of severe damage and with all compasses destroyed they were flying in the wrong direction, going deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After the crippled Ye Olde Pub flew over an enemy airfield, a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down Brown's B-17. When he got near the B-17, Steigler could not believe his eyes. In his own words, he "had never seen a plane in such a bad state still flying." The tail and rear section was severely damaged. The tail gunner was severely wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Franz flew alongside of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, who knew exactly what was coming. Now facing impossible odds, Brown ignored the German plane sent to kill him and struggled to control his crippled and blood-stained aircraft.
Amazed at Brown's determination to get his crew safely home despite what appeared to be his imminent certain death, Steigler decided he could not shoot down the helpless surviving American crewmen.
Aware Brown had no idea where they were going, Franz Steigler waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees, to make a U-turn and follow him. The German pilot escorted and guided the stricken American B-17 to and out over the North Sea towards England.
Franz Steigler then saluted Charlie Brown. He turned away, back toward Europe.
When Steigler landed he told his commanding officer that he had shot down Ye Olde Pub over the North Sea. He never told the truth to anybody. Of course, Charlie Brown and the surviving members of his crew told all at their post-flight debriefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Steigler was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now--all because Franz Steigler never fired his guns that day.
Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had moved to Vancouver, B.C., after the war. When they finally met, they discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub1.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub2.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub3.jpg
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/Venatore/Alternate/YeOldPub4.jpg