Living in Belgium during WW II, Maurice was 17 years old when he witnessed the incredible skills of 3 German fighter pilots.
It was the end of the war. The sky was the battlefield.
In an attempt to protect their country, the Germans were fighting without mercy as the Allies were bombing and flattening beautiful cities – causing incredible harm to the German population.
One day returning home in Ollignies through the fields, Maurice could hear German Messerschmitts engines screaming. It sounded like they were dragging or carrying something heavy.
Maurice instinctively stood against a tree, knowing he would not been noticed as long as he stayed motionless.
Scouting the sky, the planes suddenly appeared.
Maurice was in awe.
Coming from the North-East, two Messerschmitts were performing an intense maneuver. Like famous St. Bernard from heaven, they were carrying a third plane whose pilot was severely hurt. The third plane engines sounded fine, and no leaks were seen – yet they were in a dangerous situation, their planes barely flying above the tips of the poplar trees.
It looked like the two pilots seeing their comrade’s Messerschmitt about to crash – performed an astounding rescue by catching his plane in mid-air, carrying, and guiding him.
As the 3 planes flew in front of Maurice, the two savers each had one of their own wings under their comrade’s plane wings. It was as if they had a hand under the distressed plane, as they changed course toward Chièvre – a small nearby military airport taken by the Germans.
To turn the distressed plane, the left pilot slowly lifted the nearest distressed Messerschmitt’s wing, and the pilot on the right slowly brought the other wing down.
The three planes were moving as one.
It is during this maneuver that Maurice could clearly see the face of the pilot on the left screaming orders. The wounded middle pilot twice raised his head, which immediately fell back on his chest.
Maurice was in admiration as he observed the amazing skill of these fighter pilots and for a moment, forgot they were his enemies.
Even with his father still in a German Concentration Camp, overwhelmed by the display of Chivalry he witnessed, he would have been the first one to run and save the pilot – should the plane have crashed.
Excerpt from the book in the writing: Maurice’s Teens in World War II
Anny Slegten
780-448-0817
Please note:
Living in Belgium during WW II, Maurice was 17 years old when he witnessed the incredible skills of these 3 German fighter pilots.
Living in Ollignies, ‘Au Gazon’ was a 3-hectare property alongside the Dendre river in the Hainaut.
Used by the Germans, Chièvre was a small military airport close to their property. Maurice had told me many times what he had witnessed during his teens – all in French of course. Maurice, a gifted writer, had also written many stories in French. The reason I decided to publish a book in English about the trials, hardships, and tribulations of civilians during World War II, is because these stories are seldom shared.
On behalf of Maurice, thank you for reading this story.
Anny
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