William was born in Australia on the 12th June 1914 and baptised on the 7th October 1914. He was the only son of Norman Dickenson Lloyd and Marjorie Lloyd of Australia. He had a younger sister Beatrice Margaret.
In 1939 he married Rachel Margaret Lloyd (née Cook), of Chelsea, London. B.A. (Cantab.). They resided in Berkshire.
As a Lieutenant serving with No 3 Commando he was wounded in December 1941 at Vaagso.
On the 12th July 1943, two days after taking part in the invasion of Sicily, No.3 Commando re-embarked on board the Prince Albert commando carrier at Syracuse to prepare for a second attack. This time they were tasked with taking and holding the Malati Bridge near Lentini, ten miles behind enemy lines and five miles inland from the sea. They were to hold it until the arrival of the 50th Division.
They landed at a beach near Agnone about 20 miles north-west of Syracuse. After capturing the bridge from the Italians and removing the demolitions they had laid, a counter attack by the Germans with support of Tiger tanks inflicted heavy casualties on the exposed men of No.3 Commando. Eventually they were ordered to withdraw but the bridge was saved from the demolition that the Germans had planned. After the fall of Catania, General Montgomery ordered that a stone be carved with "3 Commando Bridge" and this stone cemented into the Punta del Malati Bridge.
William died during these operations at Agnone and the Bridge at Malati (3 Commando Bridge).
Posthumously promoted to captain he also received a posthumous Mention in Despatches in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in the field. This was announced in the London Gazette No 36828 dated 7th December 1944.
Buried in Syracuse War Cemetery, William is also commemorated on the Australia National Roll of Honour.
Sources: CWGC, Find My Past, Ancestry, Casualty Lists / National Archives file WO417/5.
London Gazette 36828, page 5616, the peerage, Commando Veterans Archive, Special Forces Roll of Honour)
(Bio: Woose)
Find Grave, 2012-06-03
