TSgt Herman L. Marshall, top gunner of the B-17 42-29767 “Boothill”, took off from Bristol, UK at 0830 on a bombing mission to the prisoner transit point at the Lorient train station. However, their ball turret went out of commission on the way over due to its oxygen valve freezing open after refilling the oxygen bottle. While the bombing results were good, the plane was hit during its bombing run by flak at 1205. No 3 engine was hit, then No 2. It poured smoke and oil onto the fuselage. Then the stabilizers were hit and they fell out of formation. Joining the following Bomb Group, they flew back over Brest, slowing to 150mph in order to stay together. But Fw-190 fighters came out and harassed them, poking more holes in the fuselage and killing their tail gunner. Loudenslager got hit in the leg. Dropping out of formation, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out at 1230, about 6 km NW of Spezet. Marshall jumped at 19000 feet, landing in a field where Frenchmen urged him away due to the German presence. He encountered a family that gave him clothes and sheltered him in a farmhouse, where he linked up with Sgt Wells. Later that night, they linked up with Lt Haltom and Sgts Loudenslager and Roy Martin. Marshall then escaped through the Bourblanc/Bourgogne/Pyrenees route. He returned to the UK on August 17th, 1943. His full E&E report can be read at http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-74.pdf.