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name
HOOPS, Fred Eugene - Date of
birth
3 April 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Pratt City, Jefferson County, Alabama -
Hometown
Jefferson County, Alabama
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
34103933 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
32nd Bombardment Squadron,
301st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
2 November 1943 - Place of
death
Mollram, Austria
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 12 | 4 |
Immediate family
-
Members
James A. Hoops (father)
Mary (Grady) Hoops (mother)
Morris Hoops (brother)
Madrean Hoops (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30127 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft factory and surrounding industrial complex
MACR: 1094
More information
S/Sgt Fred E. Hoops worked on a farm. He enlisted at Fort McClellan, Alabama on 16 May 1941.Witness statement of Alexander Walker, S/Sgt 32nd Bomb Squadron: "I was flying Ball Turret on A/C # 42-30333 and A/C # 42-30127 was flying right wing in our second element. Fighters attacked A/C #42-30127 as it was on the bomb run and set #4 engine on fire. The plane fell back away and then came back up into position and salvoed its bombs. The fighters hit him again and #1 engine started to smoke. The plane started down in a circle for about 2000 feet and then started right down. About 9000 feet from the ground the plane blew up. No chutes came out of this plane".
He was taken prisoner and died of his injuries in a hospital in Austria. The entire crew of nine men was killed. Robert E. Beutke and Raymond W. Irwin are buried at Lorraine Cemetery and James J. Funk is buried at Ardennes Cemetery.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.usaafdata.com, www.fold3.com– MACR, www.ancestry.com - Funk Family Tree, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, The Birmingham News - 22 December 1943