SSgt Stanley J Dymek was the belly gunner of the B-17G-1-BO 42-31110 QE-M "Pacific’s Dream" when it took off from Station 468 Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK, on December 31st, 1943 during Mission VIII BC171 in order to bomb the Cognac-Châteaubernard area. At 1221, just after they had dropped their bombs, the plane was hit by flak. Two engines caught fire and one was rendered inoperable. Unable to maintain formation, the pilot lowered the plane and ordered the crew to jump. After gliding a bit, the plane meandered to what is now the D144 and crashed. Upon reaching the ground, Dymek hid in the same wood as others from his plane until the farmer’s children came to get him. He hid in a nearby barn for the night, and got a note saying Hoyes was ok. The farmers took him to a nearby farmhouse to get new clothes and link up with the mayor of Bouneau who came to collect him with Fier and McLaughlin. They moved on to Limoges with Maurice Lacherez, a Frenchman. They were then evacuated to the UK by the Francoise/Pyrenees Mars 44 escape route. As proof of his successful escape, Jean Pichon, one of those who helped him escape, wanted a message played over the BBC at the noon program. It was “All right Jean.”His full escape report, #580, can be found at http://arcweb.archives.gov.