Noel E. Shoup Crew

NOEL E. SHOUP CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 11 Nov 1943 - photo: USA Training)

(Back L-R) T/Sgt Ben W. Bragg (E)(KIA), S/Sgt Robert T. Gribble (RWG)(KIA),
S/Sgt Nick Asvestos (LWG)(Evd), Sgt Donald B. Harrison (R)(KIA),
S/Sgt Harry C. Ross (TG)(KIA), T/Sgt William L. Hostetter, Jr. (BT)(KIA)

(Front L-R) 2Lt Byron F. Clark (N)(POW), 2Lt James Litherland (CP)(KIA),
1Lt Noel E. Shoup (P)(KIA), 1Lt Walter E. Ulbricht (B)

NOEL E. SHOUP CREW - 359th BS
B-17G #42-39769 Missmanooki (359BS)
(crew assigned 359BS: 11 Nov 1943 - photo: 20 Nov 1943)

(Back L-R) 2Lt James Litherland (CP)(KIA), 1Lt Noel E. Shoup (P)(KIA),
1Lt Walter E. Ulbricht (B), 2Lt Byron F. Clark (N)(POW)

(Front) S/Sgt Harry C. Ross (TG)(KIA), T/Sgt William L. Hostetter, Jr. (BT)(KIA),
T/Sgt Donald B. Harrison (R)(KIA), S/Sgt Nick Asvestos (LWG)(Evd),
T/Sgt Ben W. Bragg (E)(KIA), S/Sgt Robert T. Gribble (RWG)(KIA)

[photo from the 303rdBGA Archives]

Twenty-one Dispatched (18 credited) missions flown by 1Lt Noel E. Shoup:
(83 (26 Nov 1943), 84, 85, 86, 88, 91 (AS), 92 (AS), 94 (A), 95, 96 (A), 97 (AS), 98, 99, 101, 102, 103 (A), 104, 106, 108, 113, 114 (28 Feb 1944).
For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions. (A) Three non-credited aborted missions -- (AS) Three credited aborted sorties

Three Non-Credited aborted missions:

Mission 94 (Flight time 3:51) 31 Dec 1943, to bomb ship Orsono - #2 prop generator inoperative. #2 engine slinging oil
Mission 96 (Flight time 2:23) 5 Jan 1944 Kiel, Germany. Take-off late due to spark plug change. Failed to find formation. Turned back at Cromer, England
Mission 103 (Flight time 4:07) 3 Feb 1944 to Wilmshaven, Germany. Lost formation in clouds over the North Sea

Three Credited abortive sorties:

Mission 91, 22 Dec 1943 - All Squadrons failed to drop bombs
Mission 92, 24 Dec 1944 - All Squadrons failed to drop bombs
Mission 97, 78 Jan 1944 - #2 Supercharger out and #2 engine failure. Turned back over enemy territory

Seven B-17s flown by 1Lt Noel L. Shoup on his 12 dispatched missions:

42-38097 B-17G Nero (359BS) BN-Y - Missions 83, 88, 108
42-31183 B-17G (P) Bad Penny (359BS) BN-J - Mission 84
42-29894 B-17F Baltimore Bounce (359BS) BN-X - Missions 85, 86
41-24605 B-17F (P) Knockout Dropper (359BS) BN-R - Missions 91, 95, 98, 99, 101, 102, 103 (A), 106, 113
41-24561 B-17F (P) The Duchess (359BS) BN-T - Missions 92, 96 (A), 97
42-39786 B-17G (P) G.I. Sheets (427BS) GN-R - Mission 94 (A)
42-5306 B-17F (No name) (359BS) BN-Q - Mission 114

Mission 114, 28 Feb 1944 in B-17F 42-5306 (No name) (359BS) (BN-Q) to Bois Coqueral, France. B-17 became lost after the Groups second bomb run. Right wing came off after being hit by flak. The B-17 went down in a slow spiral. The nose broke off while the B-17 was spinning ejecting 2Lt Byron F. Clark (N)(POW) and 1Lt Charles J. McClain (B)(EVD). S/Sgt Nick Avestos (LWG)(EVD) also survived after jumping from the Waist Gun window. The seven other crewmen died in the crash of the B-17 that crashed near Translay, 13 km SW of Abbeville, France. (Missing Aircrew Report 7863).

Crew Notes:

Ten original 1Lt Shoup crewmen

1Lt Noel E. Shoup (P)(KIA) - 18 credited missions flown - First mission (83) flown with a combat orientation crew 2Lt Thomas J. Quinn, Pilot. All other missions flown as First Pilot.

Missing in Action Telegram
Certificate from President Truman

[click image for larger view]
2Lt James Litherland (CP)(KIA) - 16 credited missions flown: 15 with 1Lt Shoup (All Shoup missions except 83, 84 and 85); With 2Lt Charles F. Hanselmann (1 mission - 90).
2Lt Byron F. Clark (N) POW) - 16 credited missions flown: 9 with 1Lt Shoup (84, 85, 86, 88, 91, 92, 95, 97, 98, 114); With 5 other Pilots (7 missions -83, 90, 93, 100, 104, 109, 110).
1Lt Walter E. Ulbricht (B) - 32 credited missions flown: 15 with 1Lt Shoup (All Shoup missions except 83, 85, 114); With 7 other Pilots (17 missions - 93, 114, 116, 117, 124, 125, 131, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 146, 164, 161, 162, 164). Completed combat tour (32 credited missions) on 29 May 1944 (Mission 164).
T/Sgt Donald B. Harrison (R)(KIA) - 14 credited missions flown: 14 with 1Lt Shoup (All Shoup missions except 83, 97, 99, 113); With other Pilots - none.
T/Sgt Ben F. Bragg (E)(KIA), T/Sgt William L. Hostetter, Jr. (BTG)(KIA), S/Sgt Robert T. Gribble (RWG)(KIA), S/Sgt Harry C. Ross (TG)(KIA) - 17 credited missions flown: 17 with 1Lt Shoup (All Shoup missions except 83); With other Pilots - none.
S/Sgt Nick Asvestos (LWG)(EVD) - 13 credited missions flown: 13 with 1Lt Shoup (All Shoup missions except 83, 85, 86, 104, 106); With other Pilots - none. Evaded capture on mission 114, 28 Feb 1944, and returned to Molesworth on 17 May 1944 (E&E Report 633).

Substitute crewman on mission 114

1Lt Charles J. McClain (B)(Evd) - Fourteen credited missions flown: With 1Lt Shoup (Mission 114); 13 missions with other Pilots: 4 missions with 2Lt Harold S. Bolsover (82, 83, 91, 95); 9 missions with other Pilots 87, 88, 93, 97, 100, 102, 104, 109, 110 - most as a Lead Crew Bombardier). Was shot down on 28 Feb 1944, (Mission 114). Became a POW and escaped three days later and evaded further capture. Returned to Molesworth on 21 June 1944 [E&E report 752). Was awarded the Silver Star Medal for 26 Nov 1943 mission #83) and DFC Medal for 20 Feb 1944 mission #109. Was the second President of the 303rd BGA on 27 August 1977. See his biography here.

Five Crewmen who are buried in European American Cemeteries

At Normandy American Cemetery near Coleville-sur-Mer, France T/Sgt Ben F. Bragg (E), T/Sgt William L. Hostetter, Jr.(BTG) and S/Sgt Robert T. Gribble (RWG)
At Ardennes American Cemetery at Neupre, Belgium 1Lt Noel E. Shoup (P) and 2Lt James Litherland (CP)

[photos courtesy of Brenda Shoup Baumert and Sandra Shoup Hammons, nieces of Noel E. Shoup]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rd BGA Historian Emeritus]