1st Lt George Dewey Rawlings, bombardier 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. Dropping out of formation, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out at 1230, about 6 km NW of Spezet. Rawlings bailed out safely, but was captured by the Germans and imprisoned at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan-Silesia.

In January 1945, the POWs were forced to undertake a winter march to flee advancing Russian forces and eventually arrived at Stalag VIIA in Moosburg, Bavaria. On April 29, 1945, General George Patton rode a tank into the compound as the POWs were liberated by the 14th Armor Division. During George's captivity, Joan returned to college and graduated from OCW in May 1945, just in time to be reunited with her returning husband. After the war, George continued his Air Force service and attended pilot training at San Angelo, TX. Through the remainder of his 30-year Air Force career, he flew combat missions in Korea and Vietnam and commanded the 75th Air Transport Squadron, 458th Tactical Airlift Squadron, RAF Chelveston and RAF Alconbury. He retired in 1972 after serving three years as Inspector General, Kelly AFB.

George died on January 16, 2011 at the age of 88 and is now buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com