1st Lt Robert W. Gillies, navigator and bombardier of the B-24H Liberator “Patsy Jack”, took off from Casteluccio, Italy on a bombing mission over the Pontet oil refinery. But one of the plane’s engines caught fire before even crossing the French coastline. The crew decided to press on, successfully dropping their bombs over the target despite heavy 155mm AA fire that further damages the plane. Due to the aggravated state of the engine, they aimed for Corsica, but had to turn towards the Massif Central 30km from the coast as the plane was not going to make it. Hoping to hide in the dense forests of central France the crew bailed out once they reached the Vivarais Mountains. However, the pilot stayed at the controls and rigged them before bailing out so as to not have the plane crash down into one of the isolated villages in their path. Before last out of the plane and worried as he did not know any of the crew, Gillies landed near the town of Besset, by a dirt trail where a father and daughter were walking. Luckily, they took him in and the crew found refuge on the top floor of the Vanosc boys’ school with the 13 US parachutists of the “Betsy” command before escaping back to the UK.