Moving Barkhorn story . . .

[harrison987]

mmmmmm...but people change...

The camaraderie of the German Pilots was higher than any other air force. For most of the aces, htey were simply aircraft pilots first and foremost.

Having met quite a few of them, situations like that noted above were more common than you think.

Franz Stigler was an amazing man, and joined the war as an instructor. He switch to a fighter pilot to avenge his brother's death...but then saved a B-17 crew later in the war...and subsequently stopped placing victory marks on his tail. He realized that were are human beings...doing inhumane things to each other...and it needed to stop.

German pilot's would also try to count parachutes after downing a bomber to make sure everyone got out okay.

There are also numerous stories (factual), of captured US and British pilots who they would sit with and share combat stories with.

Finnish pilots were also similar.

I am fairly sure these type of situations were much more common with the long-timers, as opposed to the last ditch efforts of the newbies.

Mike