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How To/Drawing The Stigler & Brown Incident

3,453 views · Published 22 December 2018 · 2:19 · Indexed 29 October 2026

Channel: Big Sai45 Productions · 2018 · Travel & Events

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Today we commemorate the anniversary of the Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown incident that had occurred on December 20, 1943. On December 20, 1943, the Allied 379th Bomb Group had orders to fly, in formation, and bomb a town in Bremen, Germany. The reason behind this mission was because the German Luftwaffe had factories in Bremen that were constructing some Focke-Wulf 190’s and ME/BF 109’s that were some of the most feared enemy aircraft that the Allies had to deal with. Once the 379th Bomb Group were over Bremen, one of the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress”, named “Ye Olde Pub”, had a rookie pilot by the name of Charles “Charlie” Brown. This was, in fact, Browns first mission and what was his first taste in combat. However, once Brown’s B-17 has released their bombs, it was time for the Luftwaffe to give some payback. Multiple enemy aircraft and enemy artillery fired at Brown’s B-17 and the B-17 had sustained heavy damage. Brown was forced to break off and return back home, but he ended up being lost over German territory. That is when Oberleutnant Franz Stigler, part of the Luftwaffe’s Jagdeschwader 27 wing force, had Brown’s plane in his sights. Stigler was an Ace fighter pilot with over 28 kills and had no fear. Once Stigler, in his BF-109 G-6, had caught up with Brown, he wondered why the plane wasn’t firing at him. Usually he would wait for a bomber’s tail gunner to shoot at him allowing Stigler to retaliate back. But no shot was fired. That is, until he saw the dead tail gunner with blood all over his body. Once Stigler has seen this, he couldn’t fire. After noticing, for the first time, how much sorrow he felt for that dead tail gunner. He decided to make an extraordinary act, punishable by death. Stigler himself was going to help the bomber and its crew. He first attempted to ask Brown to land the plane in Germany, then asked him to land in Sweden, but no matter how hard he tried, Brown wouldn’t land. Therefore, Stigler did the extraordinary act and escorted the wounded bomber all the way to the English Channel for them to limp back to England. After what Brown had seen, Stigler giving him a salute and returning back to Germany, Brown would never forget that moment. Once Stigler had returned to Germany, he told his commanding officer that he had shot the bomber down, when he didn’t, and his commander believed him. After that, both Stigler and Brown would survive the war and immigrate to Canada. 50 years later, both pilots had met again, and became good friends. Former enemies, now best friends. After the beginning of a friendship bewteen the two former combatants, Brown and the rest of the sruviving 379th bomb group, had awarded Stigler the “Medal of Peace” for committing his act of honor on that day of December 20th. Surprisingly, Stigler could have earned the German “Knight’s Cross” for shooting down Brown, but Stigler himself said that he had earned something much better. A good friend. Sadly, Stigler and Brown died in 2008 just months apart. I made this drawing in respect for both Frnaz Stigler and Charlie Brown for what had happened on the 20th. Thank you Franz, and thank you Charlie! 

Sorry for not uploading for a while! Had some errands to run. Next video is coming up! If we can hit 100 subscribers, I’ll make a Q&A Special for that next video! Thanks!

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