Honour Amongst Airmen. When, who, why and where?

[MB_Avro_UK]

Hi all,

My first example.

Bob Doe. RAF Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot 1940.

He decided not to shoot down a damaged Me 109 into the Kanal.

The German pilot survived. His wife wrote to Bob Doe after WW2 thanking him for saving her husband's life.

Bob Doe said that he could not shoot the Me 109 down. He didn't have the heart in him so he said.

Bob is in this link at the end:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8530303.stm

I have a book autographed by him.


Best Regards,
MB_Avro.

[JG27-Gaidin]

Salute, Avro!

Excellent thread! Can't wait to read more!

Gaidin

[Stormrider]

There are more stories of Honour amongst airman.

[stevezz1]

Hi Bob.....!!

I think he used to run a petrol station in the Tonbridge area somewhere.
Whenever i saw him on TV he always seemed to be a very humble and nice (not really the right word) person.

There was quite a good documentary made a couple of years ago, unfortunately he decided not to take part in it and i believe he passed away soon after that.....

[ATAG_Lewis]

My tribute to him when he passed..

His grandson got in touch with me soon after this to thank me...

[SorcererDave]

Sadly there is far more fanfare made over those who did shoot down hundreds of planes than of those who chose to spare their foes. But that's war I suppose. I've always enjoyed reading the accounts of "ordinary" pilots rather than the big aces, usually because they tend to have a far more human outlook on things.

[7./JG26_SMOKEJUMPER]

This isn't air related but it's a personal favorite.


A young American officer was ordered to take a town held by German soldiers.

So he took an aid and knocked on a door. He got the German Officer out and politely told him they where surrounded and it makes no sense to fight and so they went around and did a formal parade surrender. Not a shot fired.


Another was in the Afrika campaign. The heir to the Players Cigarette empire was captured. He was ransomed for 1,000,000 smokes. The British countered with 500,000. The British officer refused to release as he said he was worth the 1,000,000..../... Always liked these two stories.

[ATAG_Lewis]

Sadly there is far more fanfare made over those who did shoot down hundreds of planes than of those who chose to spare their foes.

Tell me about it.....I'm half way through the book 'Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing and Dying'

[9./JG52 Ziegler]

Tell me about it.....I'm half way through the book 'Soldaten: On Fighting, Killing and Dying'

Lew, this one is quite interesting also.

On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and SocietyPaperback– June 22, 2009

by Dave Grossman