Robert Kylius was Bombardier in the 306th Bomb Group/423rd Bomb Squadron and completed 12 missions. His 13th mission was on B-17 #42-5717 on the 16 February 1943 operation to the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was attacked by fighters and Pilot William Warner was killed by enemy fire. Co-Pilot Arnold Carlson continued the flight but a/c crashed near Guillac, 7km SW of Ploërmel (Morbihan), France. Bob Kylius evaded capture with the help of French citizens and members of the Résistance. Fed, clothed, sheltered, transported all the way to Southern France, he crossed the Pyrénées mountains and arrived in Spain on 5 June. He was briefly interned there before being guided to Gibraltar which he reached on 26 June 1943. Flown back from there to Bristol, UK on 29 June 1943. His evasion is documented in his Escape & Evasion Report E&E #46 which may be viewed at: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5554685

He even got to shake hands with King George VI of England.