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Koval Cyril G.

Name:
Cyril G. Koval
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
32453126
Unit:
526th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1960-05-04
State:
New Jersey
Cemetery:
Sacred Heart Cemetery, Johnsons Lane, Sayrevi
Plot:
southeast corner
Row:
streetside
Grave:
head of the row
Decoration:
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal w/ 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Comments:

SSgt Cyril G. Koval, right waist gunner of the B-17 42-29901, took off from station 117 Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, UK on a bombing mission over Nantes’ bridges and airfields. The B17 was hit by an aerial bomb dropped by an FW190-A6 of 10/JG-2, flown by Fw. Alfred Geisthardt. It seems likely that this hit the foreward fuselage as none of the crew in this section survived, whilst most of the rear fuselage crew managed to get out before the aircraft crashed near Grand-Fougery. The attack took place at 7000m at 15.48, as recorded by the Fw190 gun camera. Koval managed to bail out and was helped by French locals and the Resistance. However, he was captured by Germans on Christmas Eve. He was later deported to Stalag Luft 17B 3 at Gniexendorf, Austria. After the war he lived in Newark and married Florence Francis Jaworski (April 6,1946) whose husband had been killed during the war. She had two children from that marriage, Christopher and Alexis Evanga. He later moved to Sayreville NJ where they bought a house and had three children, Katherine, Maryanne, and Paul. He drove for Ballantine out of Newark. He did of cancer on May 4, 1960.