LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Richard Owen LLOYD
Service No: 401979
Born: Prahran VIC, 7 November 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 127 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 127 Squadron Spitfire aircraft RK861), Belgium, 3 November 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Limburg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Owen and Loma Dorine Lloyd, of Hampton, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Hampton VIC
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the afternoon of 3 November 1944 Spitfire RK861 flown by Flying Officer Lloyd was flying as Blue 1 on a bombing and strafing mission on gun positions near the village of Klemdort in the Netherlands. RK861 was hit on the run into the target, and the aircraft headed back towards allied lines followed by Blue 2. Having reached a position 10 miles west of Pilbur, Flying Officer Lloyd attempted a forced landing in a field. On his approach the aircraft struck a tree tearing off one wing, the fuselage rolled over several times, the aircraft broke up and he was killed.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/259