THE GUARDIAN - Framed Collectors Piece

This extraordinarily evocative piece depicts Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler in his Messerschmitt Bf109 G-6 of JG27 alongside a badly damaged American B-17 Flying Fortress of the 379th BG.

The German fighter pilot saw the faces of the injured crewmen and decided to take a huge risk. Not only did he spare the damaged B-17, but he also escorted the wounded bomber out of Germany. If anyone on the ground, either a civilian or soldier, had reported him then the fighter pilot would’ve faced a firing squad. In the eyes of his country during war he was a traitor, but to the defenceless American bomber crew, he was their guardian.Now the crew had hopes of reaching England again and it was all thanks to the mysterious German pilot who held his fire.

Many years later they would know his name – Franz Stigler. In 1990 the surviving members of the 379th BG even invited Franz to their reunion and introduced him to their families and explained how he’d given them the greatest of all gifts – the chance to live.

Includes a total of EIGHT original autographs of Luftwaffe pilots and B-17 aircrew who all flew in combat over Europe during WWII: