Lancaster WA118-ZN-Y Admiral Prune belonging to Squadron 106 departed at 6:30 pm on February 4, 1943, from the RAF Syerston near Nottingham, England. It was part of a mission of 188 aircraft including 77 Lancasters en route to Turnin to bomb industrial.

The last message received at their base at 22:30
indicated that they were rapidly losing altitude near to Dijon.

They were forced, having two engines on fire straight to attempt a controlled landing on a ploughed field surrounded by oak trees in the commune of Perrussel above the village of Valsonne.

Today, the area is a forest of fir trees bearing little resemblance to the landscape of 1943.

Four crewmen died, three British members of the Royal Air Force, N.B. Johnstone, G.R. Powel, W.M. Baker and a Canadian, F.L. Darlington.

The Canadian pilot D.L. Thompson and two other crew members, P. Ward and R.P.Sutton came out alive but were severely burned. R.P. Picken was the only one not to have been hurt.