No.LT/LD/X5091, Telegraphist, Raymond Allan CLAYDON
Aged 23
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Raymond Allan CLAYDON was born in 4th March 1918 (Luton Q1-1918 3B:514), son of Allan C and Phylis Hlda Ethel CLAYDON (née FARRANT).
In the 1939 register his father Allan C CLAYDON [20-10-1892] master clothier and outfitter; mother Phyllis H.E. [25-11-1894] and sister Margaret H.Claydon [26-3-1924] later Mrs McDONAGH, were at 'Westdene', 8 Western Road, Great Yarmouth. There is one closed record. The Haverhill connection apparently is being from a Haverhill family. He married Dorothy L.BLAKE in 1939 (Hammersmith Q4-1939 1A:717). Raymond's address at death was 38 Marngravine Road, Fulham.
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| Raymond served as a telegraphist in the Royal Navy and was posted to HM Trawler Lord Lloyd. Built in 1933, Lord Lloyd was launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby for Pickering &aml; Haldane's Steam Trawling Co Ltd. On 7th September 1939 she was sold to the Admiralty and fitted out as an anti-submarine trawler FY157. By 13th September 1939, she was based with the 19th Anti-Submarine Group out of Harwich In 1940 her home port was Aberdeen but in reality the Lord Lloyd, under the command of Lt F. H. Thornton RNR, along with HMT Northern Star,looked after the occupation force of Iceland. Their job was to escort Icelandic merchant ships around the island delivering goods to Allied Army and Air Force personnel. German submarines were particularly active in the area around Iceland. The location of HMT Lord Lloyd in 1941 is unknown but Raymond died on 27th April. His death was registered as being in the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, not on board HMT Lord Lloyd. It is the date of his death that provides the clue as to what happened. Portsmouth was a key target for raids by the Luftwaffe. On 27th April 1941, Portsmouth suffered yet another devastating air raid with numerous mines, incendiaries and HE bombs being dropped. The raid caused wide spread damage all over the city and especially in the Dockyards. Raymond was killed during this air raid. A newspaper report published in the West London Observer on 16th May 1941 recorded that Raymond was buried in Haverhill on 7th May 1941.
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