Call Number:

1472

Repository:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Extent:

0.8 linear feet (2 boxes, 1 flat file)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Stephen H. Noyes papers (Collection 1472), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Date:

circa 1916-1925, undated

Creator:

Noyes, Stephen H., 1881-1932.

Abstract:

Captain Stephen H. Noyes served as an American aviator in France during World War I. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Distinguished Service Cross. This small collection of material that dates from the World War I era consists of several detailed photograph albums, correspondence, reports, orders, maps, and Army publications.

Captain Stephen Henley Noyes (1881-1932) was a Rhode Island native, Harvard graduate, and grandson of Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce. From Harvard, he received a degree in civil engineering and, by 1910, had found a job with the Pennsylvania Steel Company in Steelton, Pennsylvania. A few years later, he moved to Philadelphia to work as a bridge designer for the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1916, Noyes attended the Philadelphia School of Aviation in Essington, Pennsylvania, and applied to be an aviator in the Officer Reserve Corps, Aviation Section. He was transferred to Curtiss Aviation School in Newport News, Virginia, before being commissioned as a first lieutenant in 1917. Noyes went onto serve with both the 1st and 3rd Aero Squadrons and then joined the 12th Aero Squadron in July 1918. He was the commanding officer of his unit until October, when he was promoted to captain and reassigned to the 5th Corps Observation Group.

During World War I, as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, Noyes served as a pilot and flew reconnaissance missions over enemy lines. On these missions he photographed landmarks, railroads, highways, and rivers in surrounding areas. Noyes received the Croix de Guerre for his mission on July 6, 1918, when he attacked enemy forces, which allowed his observer to take the necessary photographs. He then attacked a second time and was forced to land behind enemy lines. On October 16 of the same year Noyes completed a dangerous mission to stake out advanced lines. In spite of approaching darkness and bad weather that forced him to fly at a low altitude, he obtained the necessary information while exposed to heavy enemy fire. After landing on a shell-torn field, Noyes walked to headquarters. For this action he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He was discharged from the Army in 1919.

This collection of Noyes's papers spans from about 1916 to 1919, with a couple certificates that date from 1925. In two boxes are his photograph albums, notes on aerial observations, orders and instructions, regional maps of France and Switzerland, and other papers relating to his military career. Few papers in the collection document Noyes's personal life, though some bits of genealogical information can be culled from his correspondence and application to the Officer Reserve Corps (Box 2, Folder 2). The bulk of the collection is in English, but the regional maps (Box 2, Folder 1) are in French and German, and there are other scattered items in the albums in French, German, and Italian.

The bulk of the collection consists of unusually rich photograph albums compiled by Noyes that document his European service. Three albums are in Box 1, one is in Box 2. The photos, of both a personal and a military nature, depict aircraft, fellow airmen, and local townspeople that he encountered during his service. There are also many aerial photographs that offer particularly interesting and detailed views of mostly French battlefields, towns, and terrain. In addition to photographs, the "Diary of Stephen H. Noyes" contains his written recollections of war service, French towns and locals, and military companions. The album "Copies of Orders," as the title suggests, contains copies of official documents Noyes received during the course of his service.

Beyond the albums, there are several folders of loose papers that include correspondence, reports, orders, maps, and publications. Particularly notable items include a set of letters from Noyes concerning his application to the Officer Reserve Corps (Box 2, Folder 2), a folder of orders and related correspondence, some of which suggest that Noyes, as commanding officer, was very well regarded among his peers (Box 2, Folder 3), and several of Noyes's own reports on policies and procedures (Box 2, Folder 4). Among these very detailed reports are Noyes's instructions to supply officers, discussions on aerial shooting, and notes regarding the Observation Corps.

Several large certificates found in the collection were removed to a flat file. These include his Distinguished Service Cross certificate and citation, as well as his Croix de Guerre certificate.