Roy Lovell
Full Name: Leroy Clyde Lovell
Date of Birth: September 26, 1920
Place of Birth: Manhattan, KS.
Father and Mother’s Names: Cloral Lovell and Harriet (Aiman) Lovell.
Spouse and Children's Names: Elizabeth Brown (West) Lovell-Wife. No children.
Date Entered Service: March 22, 1942.
Service Branch: Army Air Corps
Rank/Specialty: 2nd LT, Training Pilot.
Service ID: 17064677 and 0-666965.
Division/Company/Unit info: 823rd Basic Flying Training Squadron, Coffeyville Army Air Field.
Riley Connection: Roy was born and raised for most of his life in Manhattan, KS.
Date of Death (and Age): February 2, 1943 (22 years old).
Place of Death: Six miles NE of Coffeyville, Ks Army Air Field.
Grave Location: Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Riley Co., KS.
Bio: Leroy Clyde "Roy" Lovell was born in Manhattan, Ks. His father, who had served in WWI, owned the Lovell Radiator Company in 1921 on Kansas Ave. in Topeka. Roy's father sold his Radiator Company and by 1925 he and his family were living in Pittsburg, Ks. By 1930 his father began working in an ice plant in Manhattan, Ks. They lived at 530 Laramie St., but later moved to 711 Fremont St. where Roy and his brothers spent their teen years. In 1940, Roy and his family had moved to 917 Fremont St. and his father was still working at the local ice plant. Roy's brothers, Cloral, Jr. and Francis also served in WWII -- Cloral in the Army and Fran in the Navy. On February 2, 1943, 2nd Lt. Leroy Clyde "Roy" Lovell died while on a routine training flight. Roy took off from Coffeyville, Kansas Army Air Field with training Cadet Robert J. McWilliams and about 6 miles northeast of Coffeyville Air Field the plane crashed and both soldiers perished. Roy's father died in 1956 and his mother moved to 800 Vattier St. in Manhattan, Ks. She died in 1986.
