LLOYD, George Henry

NAME                    LLOYD          George Henry
RANK                    Flying Officer / Air Bombardier        42728                                                                                                                  RAF Bomber Command - Group 6                                                                                      SQUADRON         No. 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit
                              Dishforth Airfield in Yorkshire
                              Squadron Markings DH                                                                                                          Born                      June 12, 1925 - Wingham - Township of Turnberry - County of Huron                                          Residence             Wingham - Ontario                                                                                                                        Died                       March 4, 1945          19 years   8 months
Cemetery              Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery - Harrogate - North Yorkshire - England
                              H G 15
Parents                 Mr. Richard and Minnie Lloyd -Wingham                                                                            Brothers                John Lloyd - Wingham - Ontario                                                                                          Sisters                   Miss Alberta and Miss Margaret Lloyd - Wingham - Ontario

George was born in Wingham on June 12, 1925 and he received his education at Wingham Public School from 1931-38 and Wingham Collegiate from 1938-42 . The family would have attended St Andrews Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed playing baseball and hockey. His hobby was stamp collecting. He was employed in Wingham by C.E. Ritchie as a clerk.

Canada
                                                                                                                                                                                He enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on December 29, 1942 in London. At the time he received the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At enlistment he stood 5' 10" and weighed 136 pounds. He had a medium complexion with hazel eyes and brown hair.                                                                                                                                      He was attached to the London Recruitment Centre until May 16, 1943 and at that time he was sent to No. 5 Manning Depot in Lachine - Quebec and then on June 26 he returned to Ontario to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto. His first posting took place on July 11 to No. 6 Initial Training School in Toronto where his average was 69% and while posted here received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. His next posting sent him west to the prairies of Saskatchewan on October 4 to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School in Dafoe. He had a 82% in ground training and a 68% in air training.                                                                                                                          Then it was east to Manitoba on January 30, 1944 to No. 7 Air Observer School at Portage la Prairie. His average in ground training was 79% and his average in air training was 79%. He received the rank of Sergeant here. On March 10 he was posted to No. 1 Aircrew Graduate Training School in Maitland - Nova Scotia.

Overseas

As soon as Sergeant arrived in Maitland it was then 50 miles to Halifax, board the ship and he embarked from Canada for overseas. A week later on May 10 he disembarked in the United Kingdom and the next day reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. His first posting overseas was to RAF No. 10 Advanced Flying Unit based at RAF Dumfies - Dumfries & Galloway - Scotland on July 18. While he was posted here he achieved an average of 78%. Later in the summer on August 22 his next posting took him to RAF No. 24 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Honeybourne - Worcestershire. It was here he received the rank of Flying Officer.                         As the year was coming to an end he was posted on December 15 to RAF 76 Base based at RAF Topcliffe in North Yorkshire.

In the Field

On January 12, 1945 he was posted to RCAF No 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Dishforth - North Yorkshire After leaving the Operational Training Unit the crews would come to the Heavy Conversion Units to learn to fly and operate the heavy four engine bombers. They had to become familiar with the Halifax and most
of these aircraft had seen better days flying operations over enemy territory. They spent time in the air for about 2 weeks and this program took in circuits around the airfield doing landing and take offs, air to air firing at a target being pulled by another aircraft, practice bombing, three engine flying and landings, fighter affiliation exercises, night flying and then night bombing. The duties on the flight of March 3 was a sweepstake and bombing detail flight. Flying Officer Lloyd was the Bombardier. Halifax Mk III  NA 612   S (Sugar) lifted off from the runway at 7:10 pm. They were on the crosswind leg of the flight at 1:12 am on March 4 and flying with their navigation lights on. The crew observed another aircraft approaching with its navigation lights on as well and shortly after this there was a burst of cannon fire which tore through Halifax NA 612. The navigation lights were on because they were preparing to land at RAF Dishforth. The Halifax was burning and falling toward the ground and it crashed at Brafferton - North Yorkshire. It crashed at 1:12 am on March 4 and Flying Officer suffered multiple and fatal injuries.                                                                                                                                                                Flying Officer LLoyd was buried on March 8, 1945 with full military honours at 10:30 am at the Royal Air Force Regional Cemetery at Harrogate - Yorkshire.

RAF Bomber Command on the night of March 3/4 attacked Kamen in Germany because of its synthetic oil plants and  Ladbergen in Germany because it was on the Dortmund-Ems Canal and the canal was vital to the German military. There were 22 aircraft from Group 5 who were heading for Ladenburg and there 234 aircraft heading for Kamen. There was a diversionary force from various groups which included Heavy Conversion Unit 1664 during 1945 and these tactics were known as  "Operation Sweepstake". These aircraft would drop parcels of window to confuse the enemy .

On the night of March 3/4 the Luftwaffe flew "Operation Gisela" and 100+ Junkers 88s began following the two main bombing streams back to England and in near prefect skies one of the planes lost was Halifax NA 612  S. One pilot of a JU88 was Lt. Arnold Doring of 10/NJG3 and from his log book it is certain he was the pilot who shot down Halifax NA 612 with Flying Officer LLoyd on board. He then headed east passed over RAf Topcliffe and shot up the runway and continued east . He fired on a car and on a empty stock passenger train . Lt Doring was still flying east toward the coast and overflew RAf Wombelton but used his guns anyway and as he flew over Scarborough he used his machine guns to shoot up the streets and then flew in a east-north-east direction and landed in Denmark to his base at Aalborg.

The mother of George Mrs. Minnie LLoyd received the Memorial Cross in January 1946 and the medals awarded to Flying Officer Lloyd were teceived in December of 1946 and included the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques of the Wingham High School and St Andrews Presbyterian Church as well as on the Wingham Cenotaph. He is also remembered at the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial and in the Books of Remembrance which can be found in the Centre Block if the Canadian Parliament. He is also honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is honoured and remembered on the Halifax NA 612 Memorial located in St. Peter's Church in Brafferton - North Yorkshire.