In Memory of
LLOYD,ELLIS JAMES
Rank: Trooper Service Number: D/71121
Unit:Three Rivers Regiment, R.C.A.C. Division:12th Army Tank Regt.
who died 22 age
on the 15th July 1943
LLOYD,ELLIS JAMES
Rank: Trooper Service Number: D/71121
Unit:Three Rivers Regiment, R.C.A.C. Division:12th Army Tank Regt.
who died 22 age
on the 15th July 1943
Remembered with honour
AGIRA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
AGIRA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
Son of Jack and Minnie Lloyd, of Verdun, Province of Quebec
Born: 3 February 1921, Lachine, Montreal Region, Quebec
Enlistment: September 6, 1939,Montréal, Quebec
He was killed on outskirts of Grammichele when his tank exploded.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 2009-08-05
Ellis was killed in action during the heavy fightings between the Hermann Göring Division and the Canadians in Grammichele. According to the TRR's war diary the following happened:
"The town was defended by detachments from the Fourth Herman Göring Flak Regiment, which had put up stiff opposition.
During the attack, "A" Squadron lost one tank. Major C.B. Van Straubenzee, 2 in command, and Lieutenant Ryckman, with one carrier section, while on close recce of the town were fired upon by multiple flak guns. The 3 carriers were hit and set on fire and could not be recovered. The scout car, in which Major Van Straubenzee was riding, was also hit. The Major was wounded by a bullet through the shoulder but continued to direct the operations.
Lieutenant Ryckman, with great daring and coolness, when fired upon by the multiple flak guns directed the fire of the .5 Brownings on to the gun positions in order to show the tank commanders where the positions were. He first tried to communicate with the tanks by means of wireless but his wireless was dead. Through a hail of multiple flak fire he directed the fire of his own guns, the .5 tracer showing the position of the enemy guns to the tanks who were able to shell them out with 75 mm H.E.
Grammichele fell at approximately 1030 hours.
In this action "A" Squadron destroyed 1 PZKW Mk. 4 tank, 1 PZKW Mk3 and 3 self propelled Multiple Flak Guns. These tanks and guns were still burning when Colonel Booth and party entered the town.
We also knocked out 2 - 5 cm A/T guns, one of which had caused our first tank casualty - a chance shot into the petrol tank. Later the 3 burned out carriers were cleared from the road and left there.
The attack was supported by one company of the West Nova Scotia Regiment, who suffered only light casualties.
This was our first action and the Regiment gave a good account of itself.
Casualties suffered during the Grammichele action were:
D171121 Trooper Lloyd, E.J. (Killed in action)."
Ellis was initially buried near San Michele di Ganzaria and later reburied at Agira.
He lived with his mother in Verdun, Québec. His father passed away in 1925. Ellis had two brothers and eight sisters.
Find Grave, 2025-07-21
Information courtesy of the 