Kenneth Lloyd, a veteran of World War 2 battles in North Africa and in Europe, died on 24 May 2011.
He was called up on the day war was declared and served in the Cheltenham Squadron of the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars.
The RGH was sent to North Africa in August 1941, and in November the unit was in action in the desert when he was a tank driver. He survived tank battles up to and beyond Benghazi in 1941 and 1942. In 1943 the unit was disbanded and the Cheltenham Squadron of 2 RGH was posted to The 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars.
After further service in 8H in the Middle East, the unit returned to the UK and trained for the landing in Normandy. From a tank landing craft, he drove a Cromwell tank up the beach to become involved in the battles around Caen.
The tank he drove at that time was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel C. Goulburn – later Brigadier – the unit commander.
Later Kenneth Lloyd was promoted to Sergeant and was moved to the unit’s Recce troop equipped with Stewart light tanks.
The 8th Hussars moved on through France, Holland and Belgium and eventually in 1945 entered Germany. When the war ended the unit moved into Berlin and was stationed at the Olympic Stadium. From there the unit took part in the Victory Parade which included the Cromwell tank which survived the Normandy battles.
On leaving the Army in 1946 Ken Lloyd studied to become a teacher at Cheltenham, his home town, and eventually became a head teacher.
He served as Justice of the Peace on the Cheltenham Bench and also became Chairman of the Cheltenham Branch of The National Union of Teachers and a long-standing member of the Committee of the RGH Comrades’ Association.
