Gerald Lyons

Rank: Private First Class, U.S. Army

Serial: 32267199

Unit: 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division

Entered service from: New Jersey

Died: November 21, 1944

Buried at: Plot L, Row 21, Grave 17, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands

Awards: Purple Heart

Private First Class Gerald Lyons was born in Windy Hill, Maryland in 1910, the fourth of five sons born to Frederick and Sarah Julia Lyons. The 1920 Census shows Frederick Lyons and family living in Trappe, Talbot County, Maryland, where Frederick owned a farm. By 1930 Gerald Lyons and his brothers had all left home. When the census was taken in April of 1930, Frederick Lyons had lost the farm and was working for another farmer, while his wife was working as a housekeeper for a private family.

Gerald Lyons eventually came to Gloucester City, New Jersey. The 1940 census shows him lodging at 213 Market Street and working as a truck driver. He later moved to 824 Division Street. He had finished one year of high school, was unmarried, and still working as a driver before being called to national service.

Gerald Lyons was inducted into the Army on May 8, 1942 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. After completing basic training, he was assigned to the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. He landed on Omaha Beach with the 29th Division on D-Day, took part in the siege at Brest, and took part in the action that resulted in the fall of Aachen, Germany in October of 1944.

The 29th Division was pulled out of the line to receive replacements, training, and to re-equip at the end of October. Gerald Lyons and his unit stayed for some time in the Dutch town of Kerkrade, where he met Jan Schlangen. In October of 2013, Jan Schlangen wrote:

Since 1945 I take care of the Grave, in Margraten, Netherlands, from the killed American soldier Lyons, Gerald (29th Division — 116 Inf. Reg. Serial number: 32267199).

I met Gerald personally before he was entering Germany. He was a very quiet person, always together with his sergeant Stanley.

A few days after they left our home in Kerkrade, Holland to cross the border with Germany, Stanley came back to tell us that his mate Gerald was killed in action by driving with his jeep on a mine.

Through the US. Army Human Resources Command we know that he was killed in Süggerath in the neighbourhood of Geilenkirchen in Germany.

Also we have gotten the address of his sister (Mrs. Elizabeth Conley, 332 South 8th Street) and his brother (Fred V. Lyons, 430 Hunter Street). Both have lived in Gloucester, New Jersey.

However we are sure that they will not live anymore, but it is possible that there are children or grandchildren still living. If so than we would be very gratefully if we could get a picture of Gerald.

— Jan Schlangen, St. Jansganck 16, 6466 LB Kerkrade, Netherlands

Gerald Lyons was killed in action on November 21, 1944. He was buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands. He was survived by his brothers Fred, William, and Charles and his sister Elizabeth Lyons Conley.