2nd Lt Walter L. Wright was the bombardier of the B-26 Marauder 42-96199 when it took off from station 162 Chipping Ongar, Essex UK on a mission to bomb Chartres’ airfield. Around 1755, just as the plane, part of the first bombing group, was starting its run, a flak barrage scored a direct hit on the No.2 engine. The latter plummeted free of the aircraft and landed near the town church. The plane itself went into a slow dive. The pilot dropped both 900 kg bombs in order to free the bay door for a potential bail out. The rest of the group thought it to be the attack signal and dropped theirs as well. The damage caused was enormous, killing about 50 civilians and setting the town library on fire. However, only half the crew had time to don their parachutes before the aircraft plummeted to the ground. Lt Wright was the first to bail out of the aircraft, and with the help of the locals was on the verge of meeting up with a RAF plane that would evacuate him to the UK on July 6th 1944. But on his way through Paris a German soldier recognized his lack of French for what it was. His words were: “American aviator, ja? For you the war is over.” He was brought to Stalag Luft III where he met up with the pilot, Lt Smith.