A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II

As Ye Olde Pub limps away from Germany, engine 4 repeatedly surges and the riddled B-17 keeps losing altitude. Charlie Brown orders every loose item—including guns—jettisoned to lighten the aircraft, yet the bomber still sinks toward the frigid North Sea. Half-way across, the altimeter drops below a 1,000 feet; the crew braces for ditching. Suddenly two P-47 “Razorbacks” appear, form up on the wing, and guide the Fortress toward England, even circling over an emergency runway at RAF Seething. With hydraulics shot, the crew manages a dangerous landing. Medics evacuate the injured and remove Ecky’s body. Base commander Colonel Thompson pledges to recommend decorations, but visiting intelligence officer, Bob Harper, relays orders from 8th Air Force: The mission’s details, especially the mercy shown by a German pilot, must remain secret; no medals will be approved. That night, a replacement B-17 sent to return the crew to Kimbolton blows an engine and wrecks on take-off, underlining the day’s relentless peril and leaving Brown questioning why he volunteered.

Returning to Kimbolton on December 22, Charlie Brown and his exhausted crew discover that base clerks had already emptied their foot-lockers, assuming them dead. A replacement navigator even claims Charlie’s bunk; the worn-out pilot forces the newcomer out at gun-point before collapsing into sleep.