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To: DollyCali

We veterans will appreciate this true story. Enjoy, Bill(FReeper Wheelbarrow)

Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters.

The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After flying over an enemy airfield, a pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane
.
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to and slightly over the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe.

When Franz landed he told the c/o that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, 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, Franz 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 never fired his guns that day.

Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had moved to Vancouver, BC after the war. When they finally met, they discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years!!?


115 posted on 02/06/2007 7:29:56 PM PST by DollyCali (Don't tell GOD how big your storm is -- Tell the storm how B-I-G your God is!)
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To: hoosierpearl; All
Hoosierpearl’s ‘ Dad

B April 24, 1921
D March 10, 2006

Dad was in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He lived in Canada as an American citizen when the war began.

He worked on the airplanes that bombed Germany, and his base was often bombed by German planes.

It was difficult working under those conditions. Often they had no food as the kitchen and the food supplies were bombed. Sometimes there was no place to sleep as the barracks were bombed. Often had trouble working on the planes as the hangars were bombed.






Hoosierpearl’s Father in Law




The transcription of the newspaper article is :

Indianapolis Star; page 3, Tuesday January 4, 1944 [second paragraph]

Corporal Arnold F ______________., 538 North Sheffield avenue, member of a signal air warning battalion attached to a fighter wing, has been personally commended by the wing commanding officer for his actions during the battle of Gela, Sicily, last July.

The commendation stated in part that "in the face of enemy counterattacks, you were called upon to enter uncleared mine fields and to aid in the defense of Gela in addition to the performance of your regular duties under extremely difficult conditions. The courage and devotion to duty which you displayed not only reflected great credit upon yourself, but contributed in large measure to the success of our air operations."

My father in law was a radio operator in the First Division. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and European operations including the invasion on Omaha Beach and the Battle of the Bulge. He often went behind enemy lines to scout troop movements because he was a radio operator using Morse code.

He married, had one daughter and two sons. He was forty years old when this action at Gela occurred.






117 posted on 02/06/2007 8:57:15 PM PST by DollyCali (Don't tell GOD how big your storm is -- Tell the storm how B-I-G your God is!)
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