LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Sydney James LLOYD
Service No: 408524
Born: Maryborough VIC, 19 February 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Cranwell
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 3 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft IB222), North Sea, 1 February 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Kiel War Cemetery, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sydney Solomon and Matilda Augusta Lloyd, of Rodborough, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Maryborough VIC
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1022 hours on 1 February 1943, Wellington IB222 took off from Cranwell detailed to carry out a daytime non-operational navigational training flight. At 1115 hours a message was received stating that the aircraft was returning to base with an oil leak and its position at the time was 54.42N 001.58E. At 1230 hours a fix was obtained and at 1245 hours the aircraft sent out a distress message giving position 54.36N 000.49E. After that nothing was heard from the aircraft, which failed to return to base. There was nothing to indicate why the aircraft had ditched. The sea was fairly calm, and an extensive search was carried out with no result. Two bodies were later washed ashore.
The crew members of IB222 were:
Sergeant Kenneth Garnet Ford (1386532) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Sydney James Lloyd (408524) (Observer)
Sergeant Geoffrey Overhill (1214571) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Eric Bernard Parr (1314452) (RAFVR) (Front Gunner)
Sergeant Peter Joyce Smith (1383525) (RAFVR) (First Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Leslie Charles Trent (1208379) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
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, 166/24/25