John Hardress-Lloyd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Hardress Lloyd
Hardress-Lloyd in 1911 in the United States
Born	(1874-08-14)14 August 1874
Died	28 February 1952(1952-02-28) (aged 77)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army → 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards → 21st Lancers → Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers → Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands held	3rd Tank Brigade
Battles/wars	Tirah Campaign Second Boer War First World War → Western Front → Gallipoli → Battle of Arras
Awards	DSO (January 1917) Bar (July 1918) French Légion d’Honneur
Relations	John Lloyd (writer) (great nephew)

Brigadier-General John Hardress Lloyd DSO (born August 14, 1874 – died February 28, 1952) was a brave soldier and a talented polo player from Ireland. He earned special awards like the DSO and the French Légion d’Honneur for his service in the British Army during World War I. As a polo player, he even won a silver medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics with the Irish team!

About John Hardress Lloyd

John Hardress Lloyd grew up in an Irish family with ties to County Offaly. His father, John Lloyd, was a lawyer. John was the second of seven children and the oldest son.

He married Adeline Wilson in 1903. They did not have children. John Hardress Lloyd was also the great-uncle of John Lloyd, a famous TV producer who created shows like Blackadder.

Polo Achievements

John Hardress Lloyd was a fantastic polo player. Polo is a team sport played on horseback, where players use mallets to hit a small ball into the opposing team's goal.

At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, he was part of the Ireland team that won a silver medal. His teammates were John Paul McCann, Percy O'Reilly, and Auston Rotheram. The Ireland team was part of the larger Great Britain Olympic team. In 1911, he also led the England polo team in a match played in the United States.

Military Career

John Hardress Lloyd began his military journey in the British Army in 1894. He started as a second lieutenant in the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards. He quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a lieutenant in 1896.

Early Service and Boer War

He served in the Tirah Campaign in India from 1897 to 1898. Later, he joined the 21st Lancers in South Africa during the Second Boer War. During this time, he worked as an aide-de-camp (a personal assistant) for Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Locke Elliot. He left the 21st Lancers in 1902.

World War I Service

When World War I began, John Hardress Lloyd returned to service. He first served on the Western Front in Europe. He then joined the staff of Major-General Beauvoir De Lisle in the 1st Cavalry Division.

He followed De Lisle to Gallipoli when De Lisle took command of the 29th Division. In May 1916, John Hardress Lloyd became the second-in-command of the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Just a month later, he became its commanding officer. For his brave leadership, he received the DSO in January 1917.

Leading the Tank Brigade

In February 1917, he was given command of D Battalion. This was one of the first units of the Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps, which later became the Royal Tank Regiment. This unit used early tanks in battle.

His battalion first saw action at the Battle of Arras (1917). This included a difficult operation at Bullecourt in April 1917. On April 27, 1917, the 3rd Tank Brigade was formed, and John Hardress Lloyd was put in charge. He led this brigade until the war ended.

He was promoted to Brigadier-General on April 16, 1918. In July, he received a Bar to his DSO, meaning he earned the award a second time. He was also mentioned in official reports six times for his excellent service. The French government honored him by making him a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur.