HOOD, Lloyd
NAME HOOD Lloyd
RANK Private 58234
1st Canadian Army - 4th Canadian Armoured Division - 10th Infantry Brigade REGIMENT Lincoln and Welland Regiment - 1st Battalion “not for ourselves, but for our country”
Royal Canadian Infantry Corp
Born January 9, 1920 - Essa Township - County of Simcoe Residence Brussels Died February 11, 1945 25 years 1 month
Cemetery Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery - Bergen op Zoom - Noord Brabant - Netherlands
12 E I
Parents Mr. John and Margaret Hood - Brussels Brothers Trooper Stirling Hood - Brussels Glen and Harvey Hood - Brussels Sisters Miss Doris and Susan Hood - Brussels
It is believed that Lloyd was born on January 9, 1920 in Simcoe County until he was the age of five. He and his family would have attended Melville Presbyterian Church. The Hood family then made Huron County their home.
After he obtained his education he was employed as a farmer on the family farm from the age of 18. Prior to his enlistment he drove truck for 2 years carrying milk, livestock and heavy goods.
Canada
Lloyd went to Kitchener on October 16, 1941 and enlisted into the Canadian Army. When he enlisted he stood 5' 10" tall and weighed 183 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and blond hair. He received the rank of Private and was attached to No. 10 Basic Training Centre in Kitchener. At the end of November 30 he posted to No. 1 District Depot in Windsor to attend trade school. From here he was posted to No. 11 Advanced Driving and Maintenance School in Woodstock on January 24, 1942 Then on March 6 he receives qualifications as a Driver IC Class I wheeled M/C Grade 3. Then on March 9 he completed a course in driver mechanics. He then is transferred to Camp Petawawa to the Royal Canadian Artillery Training Centre and given the rank of Private. On May 5 he Taken on Service with the 30th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Debert - Nova Scotia. On July he proceeds On Command to "G" Force in Goose Bay - Labrador. In 1943 on July 1 Gunner Hood was Taken on Service with the 22nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment at St. John - New Brunswick. On January 27, 1944 he was Taken on Service with No. 1 Transit Camp at Windsor - Nova Scotia. He then was Taken on Service to No. 12 Basic Training Centre in Chatham - Ontario. On March 11 he is Taken on Service with No. 29 Canadian Infantry Training Centre and attached to No. 5 Company at Camp Ipperwash. His next posting is to No. 5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School in Woodstock - Ontario to attend Driver I/C Course. On June 16 He is Taken on Service at No. 9 Canadian Army Motor Mechanic School in London. Then his next posting was on July 29 to No. 5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School in Woodstock. He now has the rank of Private On August 10 he qualified as a Driver IC Class III wheeled and a driver of a Universal Carrier Class III. On the last day of August he qualified as a Driver / Mechanic Group C. In the middle of September he is Taken on Service with No. 1 Training Brigade based at Debert - Nova Scotia. He had done training on the 303 Lee Enfield Rifle, the Bren gun, the PIAT and the Sten gun.
Overseas
On October 11 he is Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarks from Canada for overseas. The following day at sea he is Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army overseas and on the 21st Of October Private Hood disembarks in the United Kingdom. That same day he reported for duty at No. 2 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. On November 9 he is Taken on Service with No, 4 Reserve Canadian Infantry Corps.
In the Field
The following day he embarked from the United Kingdom and disembarked in north-west Europe on November 11, 1944 On January 28, 1945 Private Hood is Taken on Strength with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and is re-classified from a Driver / Mechanic to Driver. Those men of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment who fought in the Rhineland during the early months of
1945 were a part of the Lincs “lost generation.” During this period of time the regiment lost 600 men.
Their role in the Battle of the Rhineland was short but at the same time extremely intense. Early in February
they were strung out along the Maas River and spent this time in Loon op Zand recovering from their losses
and rebuilding. At this point in the war the 4th Armoured Division was still under command of the British Army.
At 11:00 hours on February 10th members of the regiment were doing training on a tank range and in fact
were in a mock battle with the support of tanks. Private Hood and others were advancing under covering
fire. “B” Company of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment were training and tanks of the British Columbia
Regiment were supporting them. The objective during the training was a hill about 600 yards in front of “B” company. Private Hood was with 6 Section and had come to within 25 yards of his objective when he was struck by fire. Nothing could be done for him on the field and the Section called the tanks who then called for medical aid.
Private Hood suffered severe and life threatening abdominal wounds and was taken to No. 15 Canadian
Field Ambulance and then taken to No. 32 British Casualty Clearing Station. He died at 12 am hours the following day on February 11, 1945 as a result of friendly fire wounds. Following his death Private Hood was originally buried in Goirle Civilian Cemetery.
In March of 1945 Lloyd's mother Margaret received the Memorial Cross and as well his mother received the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
Lloyd is honoured on the Brussels Cenotaph, on the Memorial Plaque of Melville Presbyterian Church and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
