WATCH The German Pilot Who Guided His Enemy to Safety

There’s a post on Facebook that’s going viral… with a story so amazing that it’s hard to believe it’s true… but for once, this story is!

Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler were on opposite sides during the Second World War.

Their paths crossed on 20 December 1943 and one of them should have been killed… but instead, years later, they became good friends.

Novice pilot, 2nd Lt Charlie Brown had just completed a bomb run on Bremen in his B-17 Flying Fortress (nicknamed “Ye Olde Pub”)… but it was hectically damaged by German fighters. His own fellow pilots took off without him. In his plane, one of his crew had died, one had his leg blown off, and others were injured.

German Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler had the opportunity to shoot Charlie Brown’s plane down… but he caught site of one of the badly injured crew, and he just couldn’t do it. It didn’t feel right. So instead he flew beside Brown and helped navigate the enemy plane to safety. He told his leaders he had shot the enemy down over the Channel, and never told anybody the truth of how he had saved their lives.

The two pilots finally met 40 years later… and reunited annually, developing a friendship that lasted until Stigler passed away in 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRKQvmT3Xhs

On Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SAPeople/posts/10155626955611949/