2nd Lt. Robert Bales was a pathfinder on D-Day. You can see him here in front of plane #10.
Bales said that a Colonel Bagby showed up at the last minute before takeoff and insisted on going with the team. Bales was displeased but outranked. It turned out that Bagby was a SHEAF planner who couldn't stand not knowing how the assault turned out, so he went along AWOL. He asked Bales how to rig up, as he had never jumped before! Bagby jumped successfully and got to see his assault. Later, under heavy fire, he asked Bales to get him to the beach so he could get back to England, saying the Eisenhower was going to kill him. Bales declined but gave him a man that he could ill-afford.
Some time later, Lt. Bales was at SHEAF HQ in connection with some experimental radio beacon gear and heard someone call out "Hey Bales!" It was Bagby, who explained why he had jumped under such strange circumstances.
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