Stigler, Ludwig Franz, born 21-08-1915 in Amberg, Bavaria, 
Germany,.Franz was known as Franz, the 2nd son of Franz Stigler and Anna, (maiden name unknown). “Franz” had one older brother, 
Gustel, known to everyone as August. His father Franz had been a pilot during World War 1, and now managed horses on a nearby estate. His mother was a deeply devoted Catholic and had hoped that one of her sons would become a priest. Franz senior, and a friend of the family, a Catholic priest named Father Josef, who during World war 1 had also been a pilot , encouraged the local boys into their love of flying by beginning a glider club. They did not have enough money to buy a glider, but by collecting and selling scrap metal, after a few months they had enough money to buy some blueprints, so under the supervision of the adults, they built a glider.
In the summer of 1927, at the age of 12, Franz was ready for his first flight, and crashed. The adults forgot that the glider was built for a heavier pilot. Both Franz and the glider could be fixed. On his second flight with a sandbag attached, Franz soared 100 feet over Bavaria. His brother advised him “The eagles know where the good air is-follow them.”
Anna, Franz’s mother, had decided that Franz would become a priest. Franz himself had a deep faith, and had no problems with his mother’s choice, except for one: by 1932, he had a girlfriend. Franz was caught out, and Father Josef asked Franz did he really wanted to become a priest, and what did he really want to do. Franz answered: I would love to fly every day. Then do it, Father Josef said: “Your mother will get over it”.
After High school, Franz, studied aeronautical engineering at the university in Wurzburg. 
There he had discovered an underground duelling club. While there were rules to minimise serious injuries, it was still dangerous. The club was found out, and, unknowingly to Franz the Catholic Church had outlawed duelling, and he was excommunicated (It was not until about 1957 that Franz would attend mass again). Franz reasoned that it was a part of church policy, and his faith remained intact, but he felt ashamed for his mother because for six weeks his name was read out during mass at the cathedral in Regensburg among the list of the excommunicated.
Franz still wanted to fly, so during the weekends he began flight training at the local airport. It was called Airline Pilot School, and its instructors taught Franz to fly planes at no cost, as the government (The National Socialist German Workers’ Party or Nazi) 
paid for the training because they wanted pilots. Franz dropped out of university and completed his flight training. Lufthansa 
offered him a job, and Franz jumped at the chance. Four years and 2000 flying hours later, Franz had flown all over Europe.
In the Luftwaffe, Stigler became an instructor pilot. One of his students was Gerhard “Gerd” Barkhorn,
who went on to down over 300 planes in combat. Stigler himself flew 487 combat missions, downing 28 planes while himself being shot down 17 times (he bailed out six times and landed in a damaged plane 11 times). His brother, August “Gustl”
age 29, who was also a pilot, was killed in the crash of a Junkers Ju 88 ion 22-10-1940. Feldwebel d.R. OA + pilot Kampfgruppe 806 1.Staffel, shot down near Caen France and buried at La Cambe cemetery, Normandy, Block 11 Grave 363.
As a member of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27) 
under command of Oberst Eduard “Edu” Neumann 
in North Africa as well as Europe, and of the Jagdverband (JV) 44 jet fighter squadron, 
under command of the later Generalleutnant Adolf “Dolfo” Joseph Ferdinand Galland
the aircraft Stigler flew in combat were the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Messerschmitt Me 262.
In North Africa, Stigler flew in the Schwarm made up of Oberleutnant Ferdinand Vögl, the commander of 4. Staffel, Oberfeldwebel Karl-Heinz Bendert, 
Oberfeldwebel Erwin Sawallisch and Stigler. At the time, most of the aerial victories claimed by II. Gruppe were allegedly achieved by pilots of 4. Staffel, of which 63 out 66 claims were attributed to these four pilots alone. In comparison, the claims filed by Vögl, Bendert, Sawallisch and Stigler far exceeded the number of aerial victories claimed by other units of JG 27 and raised significant doubt within the Luftwaffe. This Schwarm of JG 27 was prevented from flying together after 59-kill ace Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt 
reported that he saw them shooting into the dunes of the desert during a mission in which they claimed 12 aerial victories.
On 15-03-1943, Stigler was injured when his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15371—factory number) suffered engine failure and he was forced to bail out near the Milo Airfield, Sicily.
On 13 January 1944, Stigler was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 12. Staffel of JG 27. He succeeded Oberleutnant Werner Küffner who had been killed in action the day before. The Staffel was subordinated to IV. Gruppe of JG 27 under the command of Hauptmann Otto Meyer. On 13 May, Stigler was transferred and command of 12. Staffel was then given to Oberleutnant Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert. 
Reinert survived the war and died 05-09-2007, age 88, in (Bad Pyrmont/Nedersaksen, Stigler was then appointed Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel of JG 27. He succeeded Oberleutnant Kurt Hammel 
who was transferred. On 15 August, 8. Staffel (8th squadron) 
was renamed to 11. Staffel. When on 1 October, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 27, Major Ernst Düllberg, 
was transferred,
Ernst Düllberg survived the war and died on 27-07-1984 at the age of 71 in Essen, West Germany. Stigler temporarily assumed command of the Gruppe. On 27 October, Stigler was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1. 
Command of 11. Staffel was then passed to Oberleutnant Karl Kohl while command of the Gruppe/Squadron went to Oberleutnant Peter Werfft. 
The Austrian, also survived the war and died 23-07-1970 (aged 65) in Vienna, Austria
B-17 incident the: Charles Lester “Charlie” Brown 
and Franz Stigler incident 
On 20-12-1943, Stigler met a B-17 bomber nicknamed Ye Olde Pub and its American pilot Charles “Charlie” Brown for the first time. Stigler had shot down two B-17s earlier that day and he soon caught up to a wounded B-17 flown by Brown. Lining up to finish the bomber and shoot it down, he noticed the tail gunner never moved the guns. Upon further inspection of the airplane, he saw through large holes in the fuselage a frantic crew trying to save the lives of their fellow airmen, and decided not to fire. 
Stigler is quoted as saying “and for me it would have been the same as shooting at a parachute”, in reference to a statement by his commander and mentor Gustav Siegfried Rödel;
“If I hear of one of you shooting a man in a parachute, I’ll shoot you myself!”. Stigler motioned to Brown to land his airplane in neutral Sweden because of the extensive damage. However, Brown didn’t understand and decided to keep flying towards England. Stigler escorted the B-17 and its crew to the North Sea coast, protecting it from German anti-aircraft gunners (who recognized the silhouette of his Bf 109 and held fire). Once they were over water, Stigler saluted Brown, then left to return to base.
Death and burial ground of Stigler, Ludwig Franz.
Stigler never spoke of the incident as he could have been court-martialed and executed. Stigler moved to Canada in 1953 and became a successful businessman. Brown told his commanding officers, who chose to keep the incident secret. Years later, in 1990, Brown searched for the German pilot who let them live that day, and eventually the two pilots, along with the Pub crew, met face to face, half a century later. Between 1990 and 2008, Brown and Stigler became close friends and remained so until their deaths within several months of each other in 2008.
They died both in the same year 2008, 8 months after each other, Ludwig Franz Stigler died 22-03-2008 (aged 92) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is cremated. Brown, Charles Lester “Charlie” died 24-11- 2008, age 86, in Florida and is buried at Woodlawn Park Cemetery South, Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida. 11655 SW 117th Ave, Miami, FL 33186.
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