Jimmie Gyovai

Sergeant Jimmie Gyovai (15337609) served in 3rd Combat Crew Replacement Center, 8th United States Army Air Force during the Second World War. Born on 18th December 1922, he was the son of Steve Gyovai and Ethel Papai Gyovai of Julian, Boone County, West Virginia, U.S.A.

In civilian life, Gyovai lived with his parents and seven siblings in an old mining town called Red Dragon in the Sherman District, Boone County, West Virginia, U.S.A. He graduated from Whitesville High School before working with his father and brothers Louis Gyovai, Joseph Gyovai, and Frank Gyovai in the Red Dragon mines. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 25th October 1942 at Fort Thomas, Newport, Kentucky, U.S.A.

Sergeant Gyovai died on 10th April 1944 while serving as an engineer gunner on B-26B #41-18150 “Winnie Dee”. The plane crashed on Chimney Rock Mountain in The Mourne Mountains near Newcastle, Co. Down. The crew was on a gunnery training flight from Toome Airfield, Co. Antrim, and flying at a low level in cloud when the incident took place. All 5 crew members died as a result. Two other Marauder aircraft on the same non-operational flight returned safely.

Burial first took place at Plot B, Row 2, Grave 7 of Lisnabreeny American Military Cemetery, Belfast on 20th April 1944. Exhumation from Lisnabreeny took place on 11th November 1947. In August 1948, Gyovai was repatriated to St. Nicholas’ Cemetery, Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, U.S.A. His name is on the Veterans Memorial in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, U.S.A.