LLOYD, Francis Claude
| Service Number: | 221 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 April 1915, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 26th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Roma, Queensland, 5 May 1892 |
| Home Town: | Roma, Maranoa, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Toowoomba Grammar School |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Toowoomba, Queensland, 20 December 1971, aged 79 years |
| Cemetery: |
Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne Brind, Wall AD, Niche 21 |
| Memorials: | Clayfield Bowling Club Honour Roll, Sydney Reserve Bank of Australia (Commonwealth Bank) Honor Roll WW1, Toowoomba Grammar School WW1 Bravery Deeds, Toowoomba Grammar School WW1 Honour Board, Townsville Railway Station Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Corporal, 221, 26th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' |
|
| 24 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 221, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Brisbane | |
| 12 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 221, 26th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 10 Jul 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, 26th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Nov 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
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"LIEUT. F. C. LLOYD, D.C.M., Was in Gallipoli for about six months, and was in the first batch of men sent from Egypt to France, where he has been fighting pretty well ever since. A younger brother, Victor, was previously mentioned in despatches." - from the Queenslander 30 Sep 1916 (nla.gov.au)
Biography contributed by Virtual Australia
Francis Claud Lloyd was born in Roma, Queensland, and worked as a clerk at the Commonwealth Bank in Brisbane. He was 22 years old when he enlisted in the 26th Infantry Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 29 April 1915. Lloyd stayed with the 26th Battalion throughout his service and was at Gallipoli, then in France and Belgium, fighting in many of the major battles in which the AIF was involved between 1916 and 1918.
While holding the position of adjutant,* Lloyd rose through the ranks from Sergeant to Captain and had a distinguished record of service. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in September 1916 for his service during the attacks at Pozières ridge. Despite being wounded in both legs and in the head, he remained on duty organising the men into the correct formation and seeing his wave safely off before receiving medical attention.
The following year, in March 1917, Lloyd also received the Military Cross for the ‘tactical ability, skill and dash’ he showed during the attack on Malt Trench, north of Warlencourt, France, in which he not only captured enemy trenches but also repelled the enemy counterattack. Lloyd was recognised once more in February 1918 when he was mentioned in despatches and also received a personal letter from General Birdwood congratulating him for the awards that he had received.
Wounded twice more after the attack on Pozières ridge – the second time in March 1917 in action near Lagnicourt in northern France – he once again remained on duty despite his injuries. The third time Lloyd was wounded was during his Battalion's last action on 3 October 1918. The Battalion was part of the operation to breach the Beaurevoir Line, the third and final line of the Hindenburg defences. Lloyd suffered severe gunshot wounds to the neck, abdomen and left thigh and was invalided back to England where he spent the next few months recovering.
Lloyd was discharged from service on 25 November 1919. He returned to Australia and resumed his post at the Commonwealth Bank, remaining in banking throughout his career.
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