Such was the case on December 20, 1943 when a damaged B-17 Flying Fortress was spared from a German Luftwaffe fighter.
It is known now as the Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident. Ace pilot Franz Stigler was ordered to shoot down a crippled B-17 bomber, but instead refused orders due to humanitarian reasons.
The mission began with anti-aircraft flak shells shattering the Plexiglas nose of Charlie Brown's aircraft, taking out the number two engine, and further damaging the already sketchy number four engine.
The bomber fell behind as it lost speed and came under attack. The damaged plane and wounded crew barely made it out before being spotted by Stigler, who could see the carnage inside and decided to escort them back to the safety of the English Channel, departing with a salute.
Stigler gave up the coveted Knight's Cross award, which he would have earned with one more downed enemy aircraft.
The pilots met 40 years later due to an extensive search, and they remained close friends until their death in 2008.
