As it played out, while waiting for the next ship to bring him home, Billie took to the skies once more, in what was to be his last mission. He was flying over Les Ventes when his plane was shot down. According to those who witnessed it, his plane was definitely on its way to crash, yet he did not eject from the cockpit. There were people, innocent townsfolk, on the way of the crash site, if Billie did eject. As they watched in horror, Billie must have realized the problem. He made a split-second decision. For sure, he did not want to kill innocent people.