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In January 1939 he became [[Officer Commanding]] [[No. IX Squadron RAF|No. 9 Squadron]],<ref name=air/> equipped with [[Vickers Wellington|Wellingtons]]. Later in 1939, with [[World War II]] under way, he was promoted to [[Group Captain]] and given command of [[RAF Marham]].<ref name=air/> His stay at RAF Marham was brief and in November 1939 he was appointed to the staff of [[No. 3 Group RAF|No. 3 Group]] and, in May 1940, he became Senior Air Staff Officer at [[No. 2 Group RAF|No. 2 Group]].<ref name=air/>
In January 1939 he became [[Officer Commanding]] [[No. IX Squadron RAF|No. 9 Squadron]],<ref name=air/> equipped with [[Vickers Wellington|Wellingtons]]. Later in 1939, with [[World War II]] under way, he was promoted to [[Group Captain]] and given command of [[RAF Marham]].<ref name=air/> His stay at RAF Marham was brief and in November 1939 he was appointed to the staff of [[No. 3 Group RAF|No. 3 Group]] and, in May 1940, he became Senior Air Staff Officer at [[No. 2 Group RAF|No. 2 Group]].<ref name=air/>


On 1 June 1941, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding in [[Malta]],<ref name=air/> with the difficult task of protecting the island from German and Italian air attacks as well as attacking Axis shipping delivering supplies to [[Rommel|Rommel's]] ''[[Afrika Korps]]'' in North Africa. However, his lack of knowledge of fighter tactics and the dominance of the [[Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants#Bf 109F|Messerschmitt Bf 109F]] against the outdated [[Hawker Hurricane]], prolonged the [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|Siege of Malta]]. When [[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Albert Kesselring]] was appointed to lead the Axis air-offensive from December 1940, RAF Command at last reacted. After installing a fighter control room similar to those in the UK, from April 1942 they assigned the island two squadrons of [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s totaling 47 aircraft, which led later that year to the Allies moving to an offensive campaign.
On 1 June 1941, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding in [[Malta]],<ref name=air/> with the difficult task of protecting the island from German and Italian air attacks as well as attacking Axis shipping delivering supplies to [[Rommel|Rommel's]] ''[[Afrika Korps]]'' in North Africa. However, his lack of knowledge of fighter tactics{{citation needed}} and the dominance of the [[Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants#Bf 109F|Messerschmitt Bf 109F]] against the outdated [[Hawker Hurricane]], prolonged the [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|Siege of Malta]]. When [[Generalfeldmarschall]] [[Albert Kesselring]] was appointed to lead the Axis air-offensive from December 1940, RAF Command at last reacted. After installing a fighter control room similar to those in the UK, from April 1942 they assigned the island two squadrons of [[Supermarine Spitfire]]s totaling 47 aircraft, which led later that year to the Allies moving to an offensive campaign.


He was assigned to RAF headquarters in the Middle East as Senior Air Staff Officer in 1942 and commanded the [[Northwest African Coastal Air Force]]<ref>[http://www.warwingsart.com/12thAirForce/nacaf.html Northwest African Coastal Air Force]</ref> and then the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force in 1943.<ref name=air/> His role there was to carry out harrying of enemy transport by land and sea.<ref>[http://3.www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_no23sqn_pr_feb_44_base.html Public Relations Release, No.23 Squadron, February 1944]</ref> In February 1945 he began planning and eventually took command of [[Tiger Force (air)|Tiger Force]],<ref name=air/> a Commonwealth heavy bomber force which was intended to join the air offensive against Japan but was disbanded shortly after the nuclear bombings of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] effectively ended the war.<ref>[http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=29 John Herington ''Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 &mdash; Air: Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945'' (1st edition, 1963); "Chapter 18 The Last Battles : The Way Home".] (Australian War Memorial), p. 449</ref>
He was assigned to RAF headquarters in the Middle East as Senior Air Staff Officer in 1942 and commanded the [[Northwest African Coastal Air Force]]<ref>[http://www.warwingsart.com/12thAirForce/nacaf.html Northwest African Coastal Air Force]</ref> and then the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force in 1943.<ref name=air/> His role there was to carry out harrying of enemy transport by land and sea.<ref>[http://3.www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_no23sqn_pr_feb_44_base.html Public Relations Release, No.23 Squadron, February 1944]</ref> In February 1945 he began planning and eventually took command of [[Tiger Force (air)|Tiger Force]],<ref name=air/> a Commonwealth heavy bomber force which was intended to join the air offensive against Japan but was disbanded shortly after the nuclear bombings of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] effectively ended the war.<ref>[http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=29 John Herington ''Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 &mdash; Air: Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945'' (1st edition, 1963); "Chapter 18 The Last Battles : The Way Home".] (Australian War Memorial), p. 449</ref>

Revision as of 16:41, 25 May 2016

Sir Hugh Lloyd
Air Vice Marshal Lloyd, AOC Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Forces, stands beside the Bristol Beaufighter in which he flew to Britain, 18 March 1944
Born12 December 1894
Leigh, Worcestershire
Died14 July 1981
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1915–1953
RankAir Chief Marshal
Commands heldNo. 9 Squadron
RAF Marham
Malta
Northwest African Coastal Air Force
Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force
Tiger Force
Far East Air Force
Bomber Command
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Military Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Pughe Lloyd GBE, KCB, MC, DFC (12 December 1894 – 14 July 1981) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

RAF career

Lloyd joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper in 1915 during World War I:[1] he was wounded in action three times before enlisting as a cadet in the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and joining No 52 Squadron,[1] flying the RE.8 on army co-operation missions. After the war, he remained with the RFC (which became the Royal Air Force in 1918) on a permanent commission.[1]

In January 1939 he became Officer Commanding No. 9 Squadron,[1] equipped with Wellingtons. Later in 1939, with World War II under way, he was promoted to Group Captain and given command of RAF Marham.[1] His stay at RAF Marham was brief and in November 1939 he was appointed to the staff of No. 3 Group and, in May 1940, he became Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 2 Group.[1]

On 1 June 1941, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding in Malta,[1] with the difficult task of protecting the island from German and Italian air attacks as well as attacking Axis shipping delivering supplies to Rommel's Afrika Korps in North Africa. However, his lack of knowledge of fighter tactics[citation needed] and the dominance of the Messerschmitt Bf 109F against the outdated Hawker Hurricane, prolonged the Siege of Malta. When Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring was appointed to lead the Axis air-offensive from December 1940, RAF Command at last reacted. After installing a fighter control room similar to those in the UK, from April 1942 they assigned the island two squadrons of Supermarine Spitfires totaling 47 aircraft, which led later that year to the Allies moving to an offensive campaign.

He was assigned to RAF headquarters in the Middle East as Senior Air Staff Officer in 1942 and commanded the Northwest African Coastal Air Force[2] and then the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force in 1943.[1] His role there was to carry out harrying of enemy transport by land and sea.[3] In February 1945 he began planning and eventually took command of Tiger Force,[1] a Commonwealth heavy bomber force which was intended to join the air offensive against Japan but was disbanded shortly after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively ended the war.[4]

Postwar years

After two years as senior instructor at the Imperial Defence College, he was made Air Officer Commanding Air Command Far East, later retitled Far East Air Force.[1] He was made Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command in February 1950 before he retired in June 1953.[1]

Lloyd was President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the London Welsh Centre, from 1962 until 1964.[5]

Honours and awards

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Chf Marshal Sir Hugh Lloyd
  2. ^ Northwest African Coastal Air Force
  3. ^ Public Relations Release, No.23 Squadron, February 1944
  4. ^ John Herington Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 — Air: Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945 (1st edition, 1963); "Chapter 18 The Last Battles : The Way Home". (Australian War Memorial), p. 449
  5. ^ "Our Former Presidents: London Welsh Centre". London Welsh Centre website. London Welsh Centre. 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  • Lloyd, Sir Hugh, Briefed to attack: Malta's Part in African Victory (Hodder & Stoughton, 1949) (which inspired the film Malta Story)
Military offices
Preceded by AOC-in-C Air Command Far East
Redesignated AOC-in-C Far East Air Force from 1 June 1949 onwards
1947–1949 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command
1950–1953 		Succeeded by
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