David Lloyd Owen: Difference between revisions
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|birth_place=[[Hampton, London]], [[England]] |
|birth_place=[[Hampton, London|Hampton, Middlesex]], [[England]] |
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|death_place=[[Norwich]], [[Norfolk]], England |
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==Early life and military career== |
==Early life and military career== |
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Born in [[Hampton, London]], [[England]], on 10 October 1917, David Lloyd |
Born in [[Hampton, London|Hampton]], in the county of [[Middlesex]], [[England]], on 10 October 1917, David Lloyd-Owen, the son of Captain Reginald Charles Lloyd-Owen, was educated at [[Winchester College]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]. Upon [[Passing out (military)|passing out]] from the latter, he was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)]] on 27 January 1938.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34477|page=588|date=28 January 1938}}</ref><ref name="TelObit">{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1310650/Major-General-David-Lloyd-Owen.html | title=Telegraph Obituary | accessdate=5 April 2013 | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=7 April 2001}}</ref> He was with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment, then commanded by [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Robert Knox Ross|Robert Ross]], in [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]] during the [[1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine|Arab revolt]]. Among Lloyd Owen's fellow officers in the battalion was [[Michael Forrester]], another future [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|major general]]. He later served in the [[Libyan Desert|Western Desert]] from 1939 to July 1941, during [[World War II]], when he joined the [[Long Range Desert Group]] (LRDG). |
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==World War II== |
==World War II== |
Revision as of 18:35, 30 January 2019
David Lloyd Owen | |
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Born | Hampton, Middlesex, England | 10 October 1917
Died | 5 April 2001 Norwich, Norfolk, England | (aged 83)
Service | British Army |
Years of service | 1938–1972 |
Rank | Major General |
Service number | 74596 |
Unit | Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) |
Commands | 24th Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) Long Range Desert Group |
Battles / wars | Arab revolt in Palestine World War II |
Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Mentioned in despatches (2) |
Major General David Lanyon Lloyd Owen CB, DSO, OBE, MC (10 October 1917 – 5 April 2001) was a British soldier and writer. During the Second World War he commanded the Long Range Desert Group.[1]
Early life and military career
Born in Hampton, in the county of Middlesex, England, on 10 October 1917, David Lloyd-Owen, the son of Captain Reginald Charles Lloyd-Owen, was educated at Winchester College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Upon passing out from the latter, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) on 27 January 1938.[2][3] He was with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment, then commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ross, in Palestine during the Arab revolt. Among Lloyd Owen's fellow officers in the battalion was Michael Forrester, another future major general. He later served in the Western Desert from 1939 to July 1941, during World War II, when he joined the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).
World War II
He took part in a number of operations, including the SAS raid on Tobruk in August/September 1942, which earned him the Military Cross. He was wounded in an air raid on the LRDG base at Kufra in October 1942 and nearly lost an arm. He rejoined the LRDG in February 1943, when they underwent training in Lebanon before being sent to the Aegean.
He took command of the LRDG at the end of 1943 after the death of his predecessor Jake Easonsmith during the Battle of Leros. He based himself at Bari in southern Italy from which he mounted a successful raid on Corfu and staged operations in the Dalmatian islands and Yugoslavia. In September 1944, he was parachuted into Albania at night. Shortly after landing he fell 30 ft into a ravine and severely damaged his spine.[4]
Despite being in continual pain, Lloyd Owen directed special forces operations in the mountains for the next three months. Eventually he was evacuated to Italy, was successfully operated on, and told not to return to his former activities. He managed to bluff his way past a medical board and returned to Albania, although this time by boat. The LRDG was eventually disbanded in June 1945. For his leadership in the Balkans, Lloyd Owen was awarded the Distinguished Service Order that year.
Post-War
After the war, he had various appointments in Britain, including a period on the staff at Sandhurst. In 1952, he was appointed Military Assistant to the High Commissioner in Malaya. He then commanded the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Royal Regiment from 1957 to 1959. In the early 1960s he led 24 Infantry Brigade Group in Kenya and was then, from 1966 to 1968, GOC, Cyprus District. From 1968 to 1969 he was GOC, Near East Land Forces and, from 1969 to 1972, president of the Regular Commissions Board. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1954 and Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1971.
He wrote two books about his experiences – The Desert My Dwelling Place published by Cassell in 1957 and again by Panther Books the following year, and more recently Long Range Desert Group 1940–1945: Providence Their Guide, republished by Leo Cooper/Pen & Sword Books in 2001.
Personal life
He married Ursula Barclay (known as Ursie) and had three sons; Michael, Piers and Christopher.
Bibliography
- Fitzroy Maclean's Eastern Approaches (Jonathan Cape Ltd)
- Bill Kennedy Shaw's Long Range Desert Group (Collins).
References
- ^ Condell, Diana (16 April 2001). "David Lloyd Owen". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "No. 34477". The London Gazette. 28 January 1938. p. 588.
- ^ "Telegraph Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. 7 April 2001. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ Daily Telegraph "Obituary of Michael Parsons", 1 November 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
External links
- 1917 births
- 2001 deaths
- Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies
- British Army generals
- British Army personnel of World War II
- British military personnel of the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- Companions of the Order of the Bath
- Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
- Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- People educated at Winchester College
- People from Hampton, London
- Queen's Royal Regiment officers
- Recipients of the Military Cross