In December 1943, a severely damaged B-17 bomber, nicknamed Ye Olde Pub, limped away from a bombing run over Germany. Its crew was wounded, the aircraft barely holding together. Then, out of the clouds, a German Bf 109 appeared—flown by ace pilot Franz Stigler. But instead of finishing the kill, Stigler did something unthinkable. This is the incredible true story of honor and humanity in the middle of war.
Join us as we explore the heroic choices made that day, the journey of the B-17’s crew, and how fate later reunited the two pilots decades later.
Photos & Videos Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Kogo, and Adam Makos
Video/Photo Courtesy *The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
🎵 Music by
Join this channel to get access to perks:
Copyright © 2025 Duty & Valor. All rights reserved.
source
❤❤
Honor doesn't have a uniform. It has a body and a mind choosing to do the right thing. I love hearing stories of German soldiers who chose honor. You don't hear a lot of those.
2:09
did they make any movie
about this amazing true story?
I'd love to see the modern day equivalent of this. Can anyone point to an IDF soldier showing mercy like this?
This is what makes this German ace a real man of honor
Sounds like a man of God.
Makes you wonder
My favorite B-17 story, what a legend
That was quite a story
When war and men were honourable
I just watchedyarnhub's animation of this! Pretty cool!
Not all Germans were that bad at least he spared them from a fate worse than death and they met years later and that's a good thing
Yes, this story is true and has always been one of my favorite war stories. It's one of humanity, respect and ultimately friendship.
May God bless them both. 🙏
No disrespect. They were child heroes and some were trained better than others. I salute them and thank them for their example of humanity
B-17 doesn't have hydraulics.
There is an oil painting of this signed by both at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Odessa Texas
God Bless that generation.
My dad’s plan was shot down, and he spent a year in a German prison camp. War does terrible things to people.
What a wonderful story! 😍
Epic story …love it 🤠👍
Amazing
This is what true men are made of.
I dont trust anything i read now. But if true it gives me hope ❤
Gab es solche Storys auch umgekehrt?
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉
My Papa was in the army air corps i pumped him for stories he because of my age kept them light , i asked did you shoot sny planes (waste gunner) He said i shot them but they wereike a blink and gone so didnt shoog any Germans he said I hope not
SALUTE WITH HONOR
Was upon a time a world with gentlemen …
Such is Honor amongst warriors! God bless them!
Heroes comes in many forms
The Swedish metal group Sabaton paid homage to these men in their song "No bullets fly". It's worth checking out.
There are many stories like this, when humanity shows the best from men in the middle of the most atrocious war in human history…These events should be more publicized and known as well as the war crimes…Rest in peace, Mr. Stingler!
That German pilot did a very good job in bringing the wounded men & their bomber (B-17) back to their base I think 😅. Soldiers think alike when their not in the war. I was in the Air Force for many years & knew what their mission or Job was all about 😅.