Sergeant Henry Tothamer was the navigator and a gunner of the B-26 Marauder 43-34605 "My Gall II" when it experienced engine trouble while returning from a mission to bomb Rastatt Bridge (aborted due to their inability to find it). The airplane was on its first mission, having replaced “My Gal”, lost on December 23rd. The last report received from the crew indicated they were going to bail out 5 miles from Besancon. However, the pilot attempted to land it on one engine. The plane cartwheeled on impact, its bombs exploding and killing everyone aboard.