Charles Edward Maurice Lloyd CBE (1899 - 1956)

Born 2 Feb 1899 in South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Sybil (Drummond) Lloyd — married 31 Dec 1921 in Caulfield, Victoria, Australia

Died 31 May 1956 at age 57 in Hollywood, Western Australia, Australia

Biography

Charles Lloyd CBE is Notable.

Charles Edward Maurice Lloyd CBE was born on 2nd February 1899 in South Fremantle, Western Australia (Australia). He was the second and only surviving child of Thomas Lloyd, a postmaster, and his wife Edith Lock. ^[1] His parents separated in 1901 and two years later his father committed suicide. Charles was subsequently raised by his mother, who worked as a telephone attendant at Coolgardie and then in Fremantle from 1909. He was educated at Beaconsfield, Fremantle Boys' Central and Perth Modern schools.

Military

Charles Lloyd CBE is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Commonwealth Military Force 1915-1946
Australian Imperial Force; Headquarters 6th Division; Headquarters 9th Division; 1 Australian Corps

Entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1915, Charles graduated in December 1918 and was commissioned as an Artillery Lieutenant in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Although too late to see action during the (First World) War, he was sent to the United Kingdom and later posted to France, embarking from Sydney in January 1919. Returning to the Permanent Military Force as the AIF was demobilised, he served with the British Army in England and India in 1919-20.

On 31st December 1921 Charles married Sybil Drummond, four years his senior, in St Stephen's Presbyterian Church (now Uniting Church), Balaclava Road, Caulfield, Victoria. ^[2] The young couple had two sons and a daughter.

Charles subsequently held junior staff and regimental postings in Australia during the 1920s, at the same time studying law at the University of Sydney. He then attended Staff College, Camberley, in the United Kingdom, during 1932-33. Charles was appointed Brigade Major of the 4th Division Artillery in Melbourne in 1934, and was promoted to Major in 1937. He was posted to the Directorate of Artillery at Army Headquarters in Melbourne from 1938 to 1939.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, 'Gaffer Lloyd', as he had become nicknamed, was seconded to the Second Australian Imperial Force (2AIF) for overseas service. He held administrative posts in the 6th Division and I Australian Corps in the Middle East during 1940. ^[3] Promoted to Colonel, he was posted to the 9th Division as the senior operational officer, serving as chief of staff to Major General Sir Leslie Morshead. ^[3] In March 1941, the 9th Division moved into the Western Desert and Libya. During the Siege of Tobruk which followed, Charles saw action between April and October 1941. Following their evacuation from Tobruk by sea, he served as chief liaison officer at AIF Headquarters, Middle East. ^[3]

Departing the Middle East in late January 1942, Charles was promoted to Brigadier and flew to Batavia in the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia). He subsequently filled a senior staff posting in General Sir Archibald Wavell's ABDA Command during its brief existence, holding the position of Deputy Intendant-General with the temporary rank of Major General between January and February 1942. ^[3] Rising from Major to Major General in less than two-and-a-half years, Charles became the youngest general officer in the Australian Army at the age of 42. Following the Netherlands East Indies campaign, he returned to Australia in April 1942 and reverted to the rank of Brigadier. Charles was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year;s Honours 1942 for his 'outstanding ability and sound judgement during the Tobruk Campaign'. ^[4][5] and Mentioned in Despatches (equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry) three times in 1941-42. ^[6] The CBE was presented to Charles by the Governor General at Admiralty House, North Sydney on 23rd June 1944. ^[4] In February 1943, Charles was promoted again to Major General and appointed Adjutant General at LHQ by the Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Thomas Blamey, remaining in this position until 1946. Leaving the full-time army, he transferred to the inactive reserve in February 1946. He was still aged just 47 years.

Post military career

Charles became a senior executive of the Argus & Australasian newspaper in 1946. He unsuccessfully sought Liberal Party pre-selection for a seat in Federal parliament the same year. ^[7]

In 1948, he was appointed to the government committee that reported on the administration of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.

He was next tasked by the federal government as Chief of the United Nations Refugee Organisation in Australia and New Zealand in 1948-51, followed in 1951-53 as Chief of Mission of the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency in 1951-53.

On his return to Australia, Charles took up the position of vice-chairman of Navcot (Aust.) Pty Ltd, a private enterprise which was involved in bringing refugees from Europe to Australia as part of the post-war immigration program.

Final parade

Still aged just 57 years and whilst visiting Perth to catch up with extended family, Charles Lloyd took ill and passed away on 31st May 1956 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Hollywood, Western Australia. He is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery, Western Australia. ^[8] He was survived by his wife of 34 years, and their daughter and two sons.

Sources

1. ↑ Western Australia Birth Index #1499/1899
2. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #11952/1921
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Generals.dk; accessed 27 Feb 2022
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Australian War Memorial honours and awards (recommendation): CBE; accessed 27 Feb 2022
5. ↑ Australian Honours: CBE; accessed 27 Feb 2022
6. ↑ [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P11035177 Australian War Memorial: gazetted in London on 30 Dec 1941, 30 Jun 1942 and 3 Dec 1942
7. ↑ Military History; accessed 27 Feb 2022
8. ↑ Western Australia Death Index #1348/1956

See also

• Clark, Chris. 'Lloyd, Charles Edward Maurice (1899–1956)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2000; accessed online 14 Mar 2019.
• Wikipedia profile: Charles Lloyd; accessed 26 May 2018.