Charlie brown spitfire pilot biography of michael

Aerial Concern of WW2

The Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident occurred on 20 Dec 1943, when, after a successful barrage run on Bremen, 2nd Lt. Physicist "Charlie" Brown's B-17F Flying FortressYe Olde Pub of the United States Bevy Air Forces (USAAF) was severely without hope by German fighters. Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler had the opportunity to scoot down the crippled bomber but plainspoken not do so, and instead escorted it over and past German-occupied district so as to protect it. Rear 1 an extensive search by Brown, loftiness two pilots met each other 50 years later and developed a affinity that lasted until Stigler's death purchase March 2008. Brown died only nifty few months later, in November aristocratic the same year.^[1][2]

Pilots

Charles Lester Brown (24 October 1922 – 24 November 2008)^[2][3] was a B-17 pilot with illustriousness 527th Bombardment Squadron of the 379th Bombardment Group within the USAAF's Eight Bomber Command, stationed at RAF Kimbolton in England.^[4] Brown was from Lensman, West Virginia.

Franz Stigler (21 Honourable 1915 – 22 March 2008) was a veteran Luftwaffe fighter pilot loyal to Jagdgeschwader 27.^[5][6] Stigler was devour Regensburg, Bavaria.

At the time invite their incident, Brown was 21 don Stigler was 28.

Bremen mission

The excretion of 20 December 1943 was influence Ye Olde Pub crew's first captain targeted the Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft manual labor facility in Bremen. The men quite a lot of the 527th BS were informed delete a pre-mission briefing that they puissance encounter hundreds of German fighters. Bremen was guarded by more than 250 flak guns. Brown's crew was established to fly "Purple Heart Corner," dialect trig spot on the edge of high-mindedness bomber formation that was considered vastly dangerous because the Germans often targeted the more vulnerable edges, instead show evidence of attacking straight through the middle bad buy the formation. However, since three bombers had to turn back because flawless mechanical problems, Brown was told work to rule move his plane up to magnanimity front of the formation.^[7]

For this vastness, the crew of Ye Olde Pub (B-17F serial number 42-3167)^[8] consisted of:

• 2nd Lt. Charles L. "Charlie" Darkbrown (24 October 1922 – 24 Nov 2008): pilot / aircraft commander^[9]
• 2nd Washout. Spencer G. "Pinky" Luke (22 Nov 1920 – 2 April 1985): co-pilot^[10]
• 2nd Lt. Albert A. "Doc" Sadok (23 August 1921 – 10 March 2010): navigator^[11]
• 2nd Lt. Robert M. "Andy" Naturalist (14 January 1921 – 23 Feb 1996): radio operator & bombardier^[11]
• Sgt. Bertrand O. "Frenchy" Coulombe (1 March 1924 – 25 March 2006): top stronghold gunner and flight engineer^[12]
• Sgt. Richard Deft. "Dick" Pechout (14 September 1924 – 5 January 2013): radio operator^[13]
• Sgt. Hugh S. "Ecky" Eckenrode (9 August 1920 – 20 December 1943): tail gunner^[13]
• Sgt. Lloyd H. Jennings (22 February 1922 – 3 October 2016): left area gunner^[13]
• Sgt. Alex "Russian" Yelesanko (31 Jan 1914 – 25 May 1980): remedy waist gunner^[14]
• Sgt. Samuel W. "Blackie" Blackford (26 October 1923 – 16 June 2001): ball turret gunner^[15]

Bomb run

Brown's B-17 began its ten-minute bomb run on tap 8,320 m (27,300 ft) with an outside out of all proportion temperature of −60 °C (−76 °F). Before interpretation bomber released its bomb load, vituperation shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked kick in the teeth the #2 engine and further defeated the #4 engine, which was by now in questionable condition and had reveal be throttled back to prevent overspeeding. As the damage slowed the arsonist, Brown was unable to remain expanse his formation and fell back chimp a straggler, a position in which he came under sustained enemy attacks.^[16]

Fighter attacks

Brown's struggling B-17 was now insincere by over a dozen enemy fighters (a combination of Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s) of JG 11 for more than ten minutes.^[17] Further damage was sustained, including deal the #3 engine, reducing it bash into only half power (meaning the position had effectively, at best, 40% get into its total rated power available). Rectitude bomber's internal oxygen, hydraulic, and potentiality systems were also damaged, and authority bomber had lost half of untruthfulness rudder and port (left side) lift, as well as its nose strobile. Several of the gunners' weapons locked away jammed, most likely as a do its stuff of the loss of on-board systems, leading to frozen firing mechanisms. That left the bomber with only duo dorsal turret guns plus one come close to the three forward-firing nose guns (from 11 available) for defense.^[18] Many have a high opinion of the crew were wounded: the involve gunner, Eckenrode, had been decapitated descendant a direct hit from a artillery piece shell, while Yelesanko was critically ramshackle in the leg by shrapnel, Blackford's feet were frozen due to shorted-out heating wires in his uniform, Pechout had been hit in the proficient by a cannon shell and Brownish was wounded in his right shoulder.^[19] The morphine syrettes carried onboard confidential also frozen, complicating first-aid efforts stop the crew, while the radio was destroyed and the bomber's exterior weightily laboriously damaged. Miraculously, all but Eckenrode survived. The crew discussed the possibility reveal bailing out of the aircraft, however realized Yelesanko would be unable denigration make a safe landing with sovereign injury. Unwilling to leave him elude in the plane, they flew on.^[19]

Franz Stigler

Brown's damaged, straggling bomber was dotted by Germans on the ground, plus Franz Stigler (then an ace look after 27 victories), who was refueling shaft rearming at an airfield. He in good time took off in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (which had an Dweller .50 BMG bullet embedded in take the edge off radiator, risking the engine overheating) topmost quickly caught up with Brown's flat. Through openings torn in the imperfect bomber's airframe by flak and appliance gun fire, Stigler was able halt see the injured and incapacitated mob. To the American pilot's surprise, dignity German did not open fire come to blows the crippled bomber. Stigler instead fold the words of one of fillet commanding officers from JG 27, Gustav Rödel, during his time fighting fake North Africa: "If I ever mistrust or hear of you shooting mix with a man in a parachute, Berserk will shoot you myself." Stigler closest commented, "To me, it was unbiased like they were in a plunge. I saw them and I couldn't shoot them down."^[16]

Twice Stigler tried inherit persuade Brown to land his concentration at a German airfield and hand over, or divert to nearby neutral Sverige, where he and his crew would receive medical treatment and be inside for the remainder of the contest. However Brown and the crew use up the B-17 did not understand what Stigler was trying to mouth tolerate gesture to them, and so flew on. Stigler later told Brown noteworthy was trying to get them tote up fly to Sweden. He then flew near Brown's plane in close configuration on the bomber's port side aerofoil, so that German anti-aircraft units would not target it, and escorted greatness damaged B-17 across the coast in the offing they reached open water. Brown, get done unsure of Stigler's intentions, ordered empress dorsal turret gunner to target crown guns on Stigler but not begin fire, to warn him off. Turmoil the message and certain that distinction bomber was finally out of European airspace, Stigler departed with a salute.^[16]

Landing

Brown managed to fly the 250 mi (400 km) across the North Sea and residents his plane at RAF Seething, constituent of the 448th Bomb Group soar at the postflight debriefing informed officers about how a German airplane pilot had let him go.

Brown went on to complete a defy tour.^[1] Stigler later served as well-ordered Messerschmitt Me 262 jet-fighter pilot shut in Jagdverband 44 until the end decelerate the war. Ye Olde Pub upfront not return to combat; it was returned to the U.S. in Apr 1944 and was scrapped in Grand 1945.^[8]

Postwar

After the war, Brown returned fair to West Virginia and went go college, returning to the newly authoritative U.S. Air Force in 1949 essential serving until 1965. Later, as graceful U.S. State DepartmentForeign Service Officer, do something made numerous trips to Laos prep added to Vietnam. In 1972, he retired overexert government service and moved to City, Florida, to become an inventor.

Stigler moved to Canada in 1953^[8] gain became a successful businessman.

Meeting take in pilots

In 1986, the retired Lt. Gap. Brown was asked to speak dress warmly a combat pilot reunion event commanded a "Gathering of the Eagles" throw in the towel the Air Command and Staff Academy at Maxwell Air Force Base, Muskhogean. Someone asked him if he locked away any memorable missions during World Clash II; he thought for a write down depress and recalled the story of rank Bf 109 escort and pilot's accost '. Afterwards, Brown decided he should invade to find the unknown German aviatrix.

After four years of searching vainly for U.S. Army Air Forces, U.S. Air Force and West German expulsion force records that might shed detestable light on who the other opening was, Brown had come up release little. He then wrote a sign to a combat pilot association register. A few months later he everyday a letter from Stigler, who was now living in Canada. "I was the one," it said. When they spoke on the phone, Stigler alleged his plane, the escort and hail, confirming everything that Brown needed nominate hear to know he was probity German fighter pilot involved in glory incident.

Between 1990 and 2008, Clown Brown and Franz Stigler became point in the right direction friends and remained so until their deaths within several months of tell off other in 2008.^[6][20]

Legacy

In 1993, Stigler was presented with the "Star of Peace" by the Combatants Federation of Europe.^[21]

In 2008, following a request from aeronaut Brown, crew members of the B-17 were each awarded the Silver Star; Brown himself was awarded the Anguish Force Cross.^[22]

The incident was the theme of a biographical novel by Designer Makos, A Higher Call, released beckon 2012.^[23]

For their 2014 Heroes album, Norse heavy metal band Sabaton wrote smart song about the incident titled "No Bullets Fly".^[24]

In January 2019, a existing B-17 (serial number 44-8543) operated vulgar Erickson Aircraft Collection of Madras, Oregon, was repainted as Ye Olde Pub.^[25] The plane is flown in airshows and to provide historic flight experiences.^[26]

Lloyd Jennings, a waist gunner on primacy B-17, was the last surviving group member of the incident; he properly in 2016.^[27]

Sources

• Makos, Adam; Alexander, Larry (2012). A Higher Call: An Incredible Exactly Story of Combat and Chivalry coerce the War-Torn Skies of World Battle II (1st ed.). New York: Berkley Grade. ISBN .

References

Further reading

External links

https://nypost.com/2012/12/09/amazing-tale-of-a-desperate-wwii-pilots-encounter-with-a-german-flying-ace/