Its a very moving story and shows considerable compassion not something the Axis forces were generally know for or I guess anyone else who went through that experience, however not sure there is room for sentiment in a war time fighter Pilot, I wonder how many bombs the B17 Pilot went on to drop on the enemy, quite a few I would imagine as he survived the war.
Reminds me of the story about Stanford Tuck who shot down a German aircraft that through a million to one chance crashed and killed his Brother in law, He reconciled that horrific turn of fate by thinking of the people he saved from being blown up.