LLOYD, Maurice Charles Humphrey..DSC and Bar
Sub-Lieutenant, Maurice Charles Humphrey LLOYD, DSC and Bar
Aged 20
H.M.S. Hindustan, Royal Navy
Died of his Wounds on Wednesday 24th April, 1918
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Born in Exning on 17th December 1897 [Newmarket 3b:521], the son of Lt.Col. Charles Patterson and Aileen Rosa LLOYD (née MERRY) of Rose Hall, North End, Exning
(later of 28 Church Square, Rye, Sussex). 1901 census...At Rose Hall, North End, Exning were Maurice [3] and his mother Aileen Rosa [30] born Brighton, his sisters Winifred E [3], born Exning and Dora E [2] born Exning and 2 servants. Winifred Eileen LLOYD was his twin sister. His father was away. 1911 census...Maurice was at the Royal Naval College, Osborne,Isle of Wight. The family, father Charles LLOYD [50] a private estate agent, born New Zealand, mother and two sisters and three servants were still at Rose Hill Farm, Exning. |
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His navy record is quite comprehensive but it is the comments on his S206 (personal fitness report) at the end that are quite fascinating. September 1910 -August 1914 Training establishments, amongst them Dartmouth; August 1914-14th November 1914 HMS Isis (Eclipse class Cruiser); 14th November 1914 to HMS Pembroke (shore establishment); November 1914 to 22 September 1916 HMS Cornwallis (Duncan class re Dreadnought battleship); 25th April 1915 HMS Cornwallis. "Whilst under heavy fire on 25th April, assisted to secure the lighters which formed a pier between "River Clyde" and the shore" Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. 8th May 1915 admitted to Cottonera Military Hospital in Malta with gunshot wounds to back and right ankle, slight wound; 8th July 1915 Left Malta on cruiser HMS Theseus to rejoin HMS Cornwallis; 28th November 1915 admitted Malta Hospital for observation (looks like enteric fever); Mentioned in dispatches on 14th March 1916; 15th September 1916 promoted Acting Sub Lieutenant; 22 September 1916 to 18 September 1917 HMS Blenheim (Blake class cruiser) (for HMS Grasshopper, a destroyer); 18th May 1917 promoted substantive Sub Lieutenant; 5 October 1917 to 5th April 1918 to HMS Dominion (battleship and parent ship for the Zeebrugge raid); 18th April 1918 to HMS Hindustan (depot ship for HMS Iphegenia); 1st raid on Zeebrugge 22nd/23rd April. 23rd April 1918 Admitted to Hospital Ship "Liberty"; 24th April 1918 Died of his wounds. 24th July 1918 gazetted award of Bar to D.S.C.;19th February 1919 Mentioned in dispatches. Despite all the above his naval personal fitness reports (Form S206) are far from glowing. 14 February 1917 Conduct Satisfactory - Ability Average- "This young officer has a very bad memory, not enough training, and owing to wounds and sickness he has done very little time at sea". 4th July 1917 "Not suitable officer for Destroyer service as he cannot be trusted to do the simplest thing correctly. As W/K officer he is useless and his CO informs me he is lazy and makes no attempt whatsoever to improve. April 1918 Conduct Satisfactory - Ability below Average Not yet good physique "Careless and apathetic in performance of his duties. Has had a difficult job as senior of a gun room containing R2R mids.(?)but has not risen to the occasion. Unreliable. As well as his 2 D.S.C., he was twice mentioned in despatches which were gazetted on 14th March 1916 and 19th February 1919. Regardless of the number of "Mentions" only one oak leaf is added to the Victory Medal ribbon. From the above it may be his seniors did not think highly of him, but he was most certainly a very brave young man who seemed to be getting something right in the heat of action. It has to be assumed the reason for him not being recorded in "Our Exning Heroes" would be his family's later move to Sussex. The Times, Saturday, April 27, 1918, report on the Zeebrugge Raid: FALLEN OFFICERS:- SUB-LIEUTENANT MAURICE CHARLES HUMPHREY LLOYD, D.S.C., R.N., who died on April 24, aged 20, from wounds received the previous day in the raid, was the only son of Major C. P. Lloyd, the Buffs,and of Mrs. Lloyd, of Rye. He was born at Newmarket and was educated at Osborne and Dartmouth. He was appointed to Isis on the outbreak of war. He joined Cornwallis in December, 1914, and served with her as midshipman in the Dardanelles Expedition, and subsequently as sub-lieutenant in Grasshopper. He was one of the midshipmen who took part in the landing at V Beach from the River Clyde on April 25, 1915, and was awarded the D.S.C. for gallantry on that occasion. His DSC: Midshipman Maurice Charles Humphrey Lloyd, R.N. ("Cornwallis") While under heavy fire on the 25th April, assisted to secure the lighters which formed a pier between the ''River Clyde'' and the shore. The Bar to his DSC: Sub-Lieut. Maurice Charles Humphrey Lloyd, D.S.C., R.N. ("Iphigenia"). Showed great coolness under heavy fire, and by his bravery and devotion to duty set a fine example to his men. On abandoning ship, after she had been sunk, Sub- Lieut. Lloyd was severely wounded. This very gallant young officer has since died of wounds. |
| 8 V.C. were awarded as a result of this, the first raid on Zeebrugge, 4 of them by ballot. The VC can be awarded by ballot of members of a military unit if there are a great number of personnel considered worthy of the award. Of the total of eight VCs the Royal Marines voted for 2 men to receive the medal, and the Royal Navy also voted for 2 men,in each case, one officer and one other rank. The other four medals were awarded in the usual manner, by recommendation. |
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