Thomas C. Badger, Mission August 10, 1944

Aug. 10 Briefed for Ploesti - everyone didn't care to go. Bad weather - no rendy [rendezvous] - engines hot to keep up. Over target ship to right of us received direct hit thru bomb bay - Kept on - We got direct hit #2 engine right wing [really left wing], flak creased Riley's helmet, Bomb bay doors shot up, hydraulic system gone, flak thru waist missed gunners, tail turret hit, rudders riddled - Made right turn out of flak, thought I'd never get out of flak, - When I did no. 2 out and all others surging - no. 2 and no. 4 props running away - Gave order to bailout - In plane alone ~-1 min. - trimmed ship and jumped - couldn't right myself - free fell for long time - pulled cord - sharp jerk - everything very quiet - Slipped chute past trees and landed in trees about 10 ft. high - Not hurt at all left spot thru thickest part of forest - saw house, railroad, field's - close calls to people - mosquitoes terrible - slept in furrow in corn field - couldn't sleep - terribly thirsty.

[ Transcriber note: The typed version generally follows the original hand written diary, using original language, grammar, punctuation and abbreviations, except that "&" in the original was usually changed to "and" in the transcript. Other added words are in [brackets]. ]