▁was ▁hit ▁by ▁fla k . ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁anti - air craft ▁fire ▁he ▁took ▁violent ▁ev as ive ▁action , ▁this ▁reduced ▁his ▁alt itude ▁to ▁only ▁ ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁escape ▁the ▁fla k ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁clear ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁rear ▁gun ner ▁was ▁wounded , ▁the ▁front ▁cabin ▁full ▁of ▁smoke ▁and ▁the ▁port ▁engine ▁over he ating . ▁R ather ▁than ▁abandon ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁be ▁captured , ▁Mans er ▁tried ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁crew ▁to ▁safety . ▁The ▁port ▁engine ▁then ▁burst ▁into ▁fl ames , ▁burning ▁the ▁wing ▁and ▁reducing ▁air speed ▁to ▁a ▁danger ously ▁low ▁level . ▁The ▁crew ▁made ▁prepar ations ▁to ▁abandon ▁the ▁aircraft , ▁by ▁then ▁bare ly ▁cont roll able ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁crash ▁in ev itable . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁was ▁by ▁now ▁over ▁Belg ium , ▁and ▁Mans er ▁ordered ▁the ▁crew ▁to ▁b ail ▁out ▁but ▁refused ▁the ▁offer ▁of ▁a ▁par ach ute ▁for ▁himself . ▁He ▁remained ▁at ▁the ▁controls ▁and ▁sacrific ed ▁himself ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁save ▁his ▁crew . ▁As ▁the ▁crew ▁par ach uted ▁down ▁they ▁saw ▁the ▁bom ber ▁crash ▁in ▁fl ames ▁into ▁a ▁dy ke ▁at ▁B ree , ▁Belg ium , ▁north ▁east ▁of ▁Gen k . ▁ ▁Pil ot ▁Officer ▁Bar nes ▁was ▁taken ▁prisoner , ▁but ▁Serge ant ▁B ave yst ock , ▁Pil ot ▁Officer ▁H ors ley , ▁Serge ant ▁King , ▁Serge