On October 20, 1943, the B-17F 42-30372 "Shack Rabbit III" with a crew of ten for a bombing mission to Duren, Germany. Over Belgium, their formation was attacked by Luftwaffe fighters and "Shack Rabbit III" was damaged and fell out of formation. Two of the crew had been killed/wounded during these attacks, Radio Operator Frederick William McManus and Tail Gunner George Carl Janser,  as the pilot attempted the maintain control of the stricken B-17, he ordered the remaining crew to bailout. Just as the crew was bailing out the B-17 exploded, breaking in half, six of ten crew managed to survive. Four were captured by the Germans, the other two were found by the French resistance and reached neutral Spain. The day after the crash, Belgium civilians found the body of 2Lt Arthur Pickett in a field, tangled in his parachute.