Oberleutnant Franz Stiegler

Kit: Revell 1:32, Decals Kits World War Birds 1:32

Franz Stigler was born on August 21, 1915 and comes from a Family of Pilots. His father was also a Pilot and observer in the First World War. He began gliding at the Age of 12, became a professional Pilot with Deutsche Luft Hansa and joined the Luftwaffe as an instructor in 1940.

One of his Student was Gerhard Barkhorn, who later passed over

Shot down 300 Aircraft in combat. After the death of his Brother August, who died in the Crash of a Ju 88 in August 1940, Stigler was transferred to a fighter unit and became part of Jagdgeschwader 27, in which he served in North Africa and Europe alongside Hans-Joachim, among others Marseille and Gustav Rödel served.

Shortly before the end of the war, Stigler was transferred to Jagdverband 44 under Adolf Galland,

where he was one of the very few Pilots to fly the Messerschmitt 262.

In total, Stigler flew 487 combat Missions and Shot down 28 aircraft, while being Shot down 17 Times, ejecting six Times, and landing his damaged Messerschmitt eleven Times. From July 10, 1942 to August 16, 1942, Stigler reported at least 14 kills, which had little or no confirmation in British records.

Encounter with the B-17 “Charlie” Browns

Stigler became known for an incident in December 1943 in the skies over northern Germany, which was kept secret by the German and British sides: Stigler met an American Bomber with his fully fueled and ammunitioned Messerschmitt Bf 109 on the return flight to England after a Mission.

The B-17 had been Shot down by German Fighters making it almost incapable of flying, the Crew was injured and the rear gunner was dead. Stigler did not shoot down the Machine, but rather accompanied it to secure it over the German anti-aircraft positions on the North Sea coast and across the North Sea.

It was not until 1990 that the two Pilots Stigler and Charles “Charlie” Brown and the Crew of the American Bomber came together. From then on, the men and their wives shared a close friendship.

Franz Stiegler died on March 22, 2008 in Vancouver

USAF Bomber Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown graduated as a 2nd Lt. in April 1943. the US Army Air Forces. He arrived in England in early November 1943 as a B-17 Pilot/aircraft Commander and was wounded twice,

when he completed 29 Bomber combat Mission in 31 attempts (24 over Germany itself) with the famous 379th Bomb Group. He then delivered Fighters and Bombers and flew Transports from Northern Irland to Great Britain until he became a B-17 flight instructor in the USA. Charlie, itching to return to Service overseas, flew in the Theater until the end of the war.

After retiring from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel, Charlie accepted an appointment as a Senior Foreign Service Reserve Officer and served for six years in Laos and Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

After thirty years in Gouvernement Service, he retired in 1972 and founded a combustion research Company.

In 1992, he was awarded the "Distinguished West Virginia Award" by the governor of West Virginia (Charlie's home state), both for his Gouvernement Service and his research Career.

In October 2001, he was awarded the symbolic "Governor's Medal" by Governor Jeb Bush.

Charlie's most prestigious Honor was belatedly awarded by the USAF in February 2008 when he was awarded the

Air Force Cross (after the Medal of Honor) for bringing his badly damaged B-17 to England during his Mission on December 20, 1943.

Charlie Brown died on November 24, 2008 at the Age of 86.

https://www.flieger-hanspeter.ch/Oberleutnant-Franz-Stiegler.htm

12 additional images. Click to enlarge.