SSgt William C. Martin, waist 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. Martin bluffed it off by moving the turret back and forth. 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. Dropping out of formation, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out at 1230, about 6 km NW of Spezet. He was helped by Roy Martin, as his arm had been hit, preventing him from attaching his parachute. But the plane went into a steep dive, pinning them to the floor. Then the tail section broke off and they were swept out the rear of the aircraft. Struggling to adjust his parachute before opening it, he suddenly found himself on the ground. He paid an approaching French lady for her bicycle and rode off. He was stopped by a farmer who gave him civilian clothes and shelter. Later, Lt Haltom and Sgts Loundenslager, Wells, Marshall, and Roy Martin came to the house he was in. Martin then escaped through the Bourblanc/Bourgogne/Pyrenees route. He returned to the UK on August 21st, 1943. His full E&E report can be read at http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-78.pdf.