SSgt John C McLaughlin was the left gunner of the B-17G-1-BO 42-31110 QE-M "Pacific’s Dream" when it took off from Station 468 Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK, on December 31st, 1943 during Mission VIII BC171 in order to bomb the Cognac-Châteaubernard area. At 1221, just after they had dropped their bombs, the plane was hit by flak. Two engines caught fire and one was rendered inoperable. Unable to maintain formation, the pilot lowered the plane and ordered the crew to jump. After gliding a bit, the plane meandered to what is now the D144 and crashed. Upon reaching the ground, McLaughlin’s evidence was buried by nearby children. A teenager hid him in the woods. A gendarme and local Gestapo came looking for him. He was spotted by the gendarme who motioned for him to put his head down before moving on. He moved on a ways and ended up hiding in an outhouse until the mayor of Bouneau came to collect him with Fier and Dymek. They moved on to Limoges with Maurice Lacherez, a Frenchman. They were then evacuated to the UK by the Francoise/Pyrenees Mars 44 escape route. His full escape report, #580, can be found at http://arcweb.archives.gov.