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Auction: 22103 - Orders, Decorations and Medals VII - e-Auction
Lot: 405

'The Board find that he was wounded in the face and head on the left side by fragments of shell and by [the] teeth of the man standing next to him who was blown to pieces.'

Report of the Medical Board on Captain O. Lloyd

The campaign group of three awarded to Captain O. Lloyd, Cheshire Regiment, who was seriously wounded in action; he later became a War Poet, Theatre Critic and Teacher

1914-15 Star (Lieut. O. Lloyd. Ches. R.); British War and Victory (Capt. O. Lloyd.), contact marks, very fine (3)

Oscar Lloyd was born at Newark-On-Trent, Nottinghamshire in June 1890, the son of Walter and Esther Lloyd. Enlisting as a Gunner with the North Riding Battery, Royal Field Artillery on 8 August 1914 Lloyd applied for a commission with the Infantry as soon as possible. Commissioned Lieutenant with the Cheshire Regiment on 25 January 1915 he entered the war in France in September 1915 with the 11th (Service) Battalion. Their early stay in the trenches was relatively quiet however from the very start Lloyd was taking inspiration from his experiences, with the first poem 'K.G.H.F. Killed in Action' a reference to a fellow officer of the Battalion killed on 1 December 1915. As the war ground on the Battalion was thrown into increasingly heavy fighting starting with the defence of Vimy Ridge in May 1916 before being moved to the Somme.

Attacking towards Thiepval from the South on 3 July they suffered horrific losses with the Commanding Officer killed trying to reinforce the attack with the Reserve Company. Of 6 officers and 657 other ranks who advanced that day just 6 officers and 350 men made it back to British lines. Lloyd was fortunate to be one of the 6 survivors however he did not escape without injury, suffering appalling wounds as a result of a shrapnel and bone shards from a nearby unfortunate. His left leg permanently crippled Lloyd continued to serve and was promoted Captain in October 1916 being appointed commander of the 75th Trench Mortar Battery. Unfortunately his leg showed no signs of recovery and on 28 December 1917 was deemed unfit for active service.

Going on to work for the Colonial Education Service in Malaya Lloyd became a lover of travel and culture, though noted for being 'invincibly English'. Returning to Britain he continued to teach but in his spare time he lived a busy life being a regular contributor to his local newspaper writing theatre views under the pseudonym 'Stryx'. Lloyd also contributed his poems to The Welsh Outlook with such titles as 'Going West', 'The Last Peal' and 'A Thrush in Flanders'. He died in June 1956 at Chichester, Sussex; sold together with copied research including service papers, army lists and census data as well as copies of the recipient's poems, an article written on his career and his application for teaching work after the war along with photographs, M.I.C. and details on the movements of 11th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

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Sold for
£280

Starting price
£110