Sgt Don W. Freeman, tail gunner of the B-17 42-31560 “Hot Rocks”, took off from station 110 in Polebrook, Northamptonshire, UK on a bombing mission over Ludwigschafen, Germany. Three of their engines failed, causing them to lose altitude. A flak hit on the fuselage prompted the crew to bail out, but it was aborted by the plane’s mid-air explosion, killing three crewmen. Freeman landed safely and managed to escape back to the UK. His full E&E report is #2010.