William Roberts Hoopes

Military
media-6521.jpeg UPL 6521 Crew #664
Elmo Maiden Crew
466th BG - 786th BS

Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B), Gustave J. Roussel (E), Guerino G. Petti (N), Herbert Rosenkoff (CP), William A. Thomason (TT), Elmo Maiden (P), Kenneth W. Chester (NG), Joseph R. Zebrowski (R/O)

B-24J-5-DT #42-51532 Code: U8-W

Photo taken on 27 December 1944 after crash landing at an airfield in Belgium.

Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom

Object Number - UPL 6521 - Crew #664 Elmo Maiden Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B),...

Assigned to 786BS, 466BG, 8AF USAAF. Leo Mower crew. Damaged by flak and fighters and landed in Sweden on 21-Jun-44 in B-24 'Lovely Lady's Avenger' 44-40093. Interned (INT) Sweden.



"Wasn't scheduled to fly the mission. One of gunners, Harry Melin, turned up with an injured hand and was unable to fire his guns. It was too late to find a replacement gunner." (Wasn't scheduled to fly the mission, means he wasn't on the mission, not that he replaced Melin. - Chris Brassfield, 466th BG Historian



Hoopes was not with the Mower crew when they were interned in Switzerland. There were only eight men aboard Lovely Lady's Avenger. Both Melin and Hoopes were absent. The other 8 men were interned until mid to late December. Hoopes was onboard with the Elmo Maiden Crew when they crash landed in Belgium on 27 December. Hoopes:

1. Couldn't be in two places at once

2. The interned crewmen were not returned to duty in the ETO.



Awards: AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 705741
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Hot Rock
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 446th Bomb Group 703rd Bomb Squadron 705th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: That Red Headed Gal
The wreckage of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40093) nicknamed "Lovely Ladies Avenger" of the 466th Bomb Group that has crashed in Malmo, Sweden. 21 June 1944. Image via E Olov Sundgren. Handwritten caption on reverse: '466th BG place unknown.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Lovely Lady's Avenger
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron

Places

Aerial photograph of Attlebridge airfield, looking north, the fuel store and a T2 hangar are in the upper centre, 31 January 1946. Photograph taken by No. 90 Squadron, sortie number RAF/3G/TUD/UK/51. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Chagrin Falls, OH 25 August 1920

Enlisted

Houston, TX 16 March 1942 Houston, Texas

Other

Returned to Duty (RTD)

Belgium 27 December 1944 Crash landing at an airfield in Belgium in B-24 42-51532, 27-Dec-44. RTD

Other

Discharged USAF

31 May 1962 Honourable discharge.

Died

Harris County, TX 26 September 1996

Buried

Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery Houston, Harris County, TX 29 September 1996 Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery Houston, Harris County, Texas
Pasadena, TX, USA

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian
"Attlebridge Arsenal" - Brassfield & Wassom, page 194-195
Unpublished memoir of Leo Mower - 466th BG Archives

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL by Wassom & Brassfield, page 347

William Roberts Hoopes: Gallery (2 items)