Francis Lloyd (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd GCVO
KCB
DSO
(12 August 1853 - 26 February 1926) was a British
army officer. He rose to become Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards
and General Officer Commanding
London District
.
, Shropshire
, and his wife Lady Frances Hay, daughter of the 11th Earl of Kinnoul
. He was sent to Harrow School
, but left after three years.
in 1874. He transferred to his father's regiment, the Grenadier Guards
, later that year. Two years later he was promoted to full lieutenant. He obtained his captaincy in 1885 and in the same year took part in the Suakin Expedition
as signalling officer to the Guards Brigade. He was mentioned in dispatches for his service at the Battle of Hasheen. He was appointed regimental adjutant of the Grenadier Guards in 1889. In 1892 he was promoted to major. He became Commandant
of the School of Instruction for Militia and Volunteers in 1894 and Commander of the Guards Depot in 1896. In 1898 he was again promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
He took part in the Nile Expedition
and fought at the Battle of Khartoum
in 1898, again being mentioned in dispatches and receiving the Distinguished Service Order
. He was Commanding Officer
of 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards
throughout the Second Boer War
and was severely wounded at Biddulphsberg in Orange River Colony
. He was made a Companion of the Bath
in April 1901.
He was promoted to the rank of brevet colonel in 1902 and was Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion of his regiment from 1903 to 1904. In 1904 he became Commander of 1st (Guards) Brigade at Aldershot
with the rank of Brigadier-General. He was made General Officer Commanding
the Welsh Division, Territorial Force
in 1909 and appointed a Commander of the Victorian Order
. On the occasion of the coronation of George V
in 1911 he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath. In 1913, at the age of 60, his command of the Welsh Division expired. He was promoted to Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards
and General Officer Commanding
London District
.
, he was responsible for the defence of London
, particularly from attack by Zeppelin
s, and was given delegated powers over trains and hospitals. In 1915 he was appointed to the largely honorary position of colonel of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
. He was made Knight of Grace of the Order of St John
in 1916. In 1917 he was requested to continue in command of London District, and was promoted to Lieutenant-General. In September 1918 he was appointed Grand Cross of the Victorian Order
.
Lloyd was awarded a number of decorations by the states allied
to the United Kingdom: the Belgian
Order of the Crown
and two Serbia
n orders: the Order of St. Sava
and the Order of the White Eagle.
In retirement he became a member of London County Council representing Fulham East. He made his home at Rolls Park in Chigwell
, Essex
where he died in February 1926. He was survived by his wife Mary née Gunnis of Leckie
, Stirlingshire
. The couple had no children. His funeral service was held at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks
on 4 March and he was buried at Aston Hall on the following day.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(12 August 1853 - 26 February 1926) was a British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
army officer. He rose to become Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards
Major-General commanding the Household Division
The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the troops of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is also General Officer Commanding London District.-Recent Commanders:The holders of this office include:...
and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
London District
London District (British Army)
London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District, it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so...
.
Family and early life
He was the eldest son of Colonel Richard Lloyd, Grenadier Guards of Aston Hall, OswestryOswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and his wife Lady Frances Hay, daughter of the 11th Earl of Kinnoul
Thomas Hay-Drummond, 11th Earl of Kinnoull
Thomas Robert Hay-Drummond, 11th Earl of Kinnoull was the son of Robert Hay-Drummond, 10th Earl of Kinnoull. He served as Lord Lyon King of Arms from 1804 until 1866, succeeding his father in that office...
. He was sent to Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, but left after three years.
Military career
Lloyd was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant into the 33rd (or The Duke of Wellington's) RegimentDuke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
in 1874. He transferred to his father's regiment, the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, later that year. Two years later he was promoted to full lieutenant. He obtained his captaincy in 1885 and in the same year took part in the Suakin Expedition
Suakin Expedition
The Suakin Expedition refers to two military expeditions led by Major-General Sir Gerald Graham V.C. to Suakin in Sudan with the intention of destroying the power of Osman Digna, the first in February 1884 and the second in March 1885.-The first expedition:...
as signalling officer to the Guards Brigade. He was mentioned in dispatches for his service at the Battle of Hasheen. He was appointed regimental adjutant of the Grenadier Guards in 1889. In 1892 he was promoted to major. He became Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the School of Instruction for Militia and Volunteers in 1894 and Commander of the Guards Depot in 1896. In 1898 he was again promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
He took part in the Nile Expedition
Nile Expedition
The Nile Expedition, sometimes called the Gordon Relief Expedition , was a British mission to relieve Major-General Charles George Gordon at Khartoum, Sudan. Gordon had been sent to the Sudan to help Egyptians evacuate from Sudan after Britain decided to abandon the country in the face of a...
and fought at the Battle of Khartoum
Battle of Khartoum
The Battle of Khartoum or Siege of Khartoum lasted from March 13, 1884 to January 26, 1885. It was fought in and around Khartoum between Egyptian forces led by British General Charles George Gordon and a Mahdist Sudanese army led by the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...
in 1898, again being mentioned in dispatches and receiving the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. He was Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
throughout the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and was severely wounded at Biddulphsberg in Orange River Colony
Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after this nation first occupied and then annexed the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War...
. He was made a Companion of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in April 1901.
He was promoted to the rank of brevet colonel in 1902 and was Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion of his regiment from 1903 to 1904. In 1904 he became Commander of 1st (Guards) Brigade at Aldershot
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
with the rank of Brigadier-General. He was made General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
the Welsh Division, Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
in 1909 and appointed a Commander of the Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
. On the occasion of the coronation of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1911 he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath. In 1913, at the age of 60, his command of the Welsh Division expired. He was promoted to Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards
Major-General commanding the Household Division
The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the troops of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is also General Officer Commanding London District.-Recent Commanders:The holders of this office include:...
and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
London District
London District (British Army)
London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District, it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so...
.
First World War
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was responsible for the defence of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, particularly from attack by Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s, and was given delegated powers over trains and hospitals. In 1915 he was appointed to the largely honorary position of colonel of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
. He was made Knight of Grace of the Order of St John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 1916. In 1917 he was requested to continue in command of London District, and was promoted to Lieutenant-General. In September 1918 he was appointed Grand Cross of the Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
Lloyd was awarded a number of decorations by the states allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
to the United Kingdom: the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
and two Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n orders: the Order of St. Sava
Order of St. Sava
The Order of St. Sava was a decoration instituted by the order King Milan I of Serbia in 1883. The Order of Saint Sava originally was established to recognize civilians for meritorious achievements in the arts and sciences. In 1914 a change was made permitting military personnel to receive the...
and the Order of the White Eagle.
Retirement
With the ending of the war, Sir Francis relinquished the command of London District in 1919, taking up instead the position of Food Commissioner for London and Home Counties. In 1920 was placed on the retired list.In retirement he became a member of London County Council representing Fulham East. He made his home at Rolls Park in Chigwell
Chigwell
Chigwell is a civil parish and town in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located 11.6 miles north east of Charing Cross. It is served by two London Underground stations and has a London area code.-Etymology:According to P. H...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
where he died in February 1926. He was survived by his wife Mary née Gunnis of Leckie
Leckie
Leckie is a surname and may refer to:* Bill Leckie* Campbell Leckie* Carolyn Leckie* David Leckie* James Leckie, Australian rugby union referee* James Leckie , New Zealand athlete* John Leckie* John Leckie...
, Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
. The couple had no children. His funeral service was held at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks
Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks
The Royal Military Chapel, St. James Park, known as the Guards Chapel, is the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in London. Built in 1838, the chapel was bombed during the Blitz in 1940/1941....
on 4 March and he was buried at Aston Hall on the following day.