WOFF Robert Bruce Lloyd 431780

Robert Bruce Lloyd was born at Moonee Ponds on 8 August 1925 and attended Scotch College Melbourne from 1937 to 1940 as a weekly boarder and a member of Littlejohn House. Bruce served in the RAAF from 1943 to 1946 and was demobilised as a warrant officer. He realised his dream of becoming a pilot, flying Spitfires in the 85, 452 and 457 Squadrons. Bruce became company director of his parents' company P W & E Lloyd Pty Ltd. He retired to Cobram to enjoy its cheap golf. Bruce died on 8 August 2010.

A58-84 F.VC BS219 Arrived in Australia on SS Hoperidge 23/10/42. Rec 1AD ex UK 28/10/42. Arrived in RAF Desert colours. Resprayed Mid Stone with Fr Green. Rec 457Sqn RAAF ex 1AD 09/11/42. Coded "X", then XB-X and later ZP-X and carried "Jiminy Cricket" Motif and had 2 Jap kill markings forward of the motif with 457Sqn RAAF. Accident 1710hrs 11/10/43 when landing at Livingstone Strip during high winds, causing the aircraft to touch down some 30 yards from the beginning of the strip, resulting in the aircraft having the fuselage torn by a stump. The pilot made an immediate go around and successfully landed without further damage. Pilot; F/Sgt T.F.R. Payne was not injured. Rec 7RSU ex 457Sqn RAAF 13/10/43. Rec 452 Sqn RAAF ex 7RSU 14/12/43. Rec 14ARD ex 452 Sqn RAAF 16/06/44. Rec 2OTU ex 14ARD 22/09/44. Rec 8OTU ex 2OTU 01/11/44. Accident 2220Hrs 19/11/44 at Parkes NSW when taking off. Aircraft landed on otherside of boundary fence after aborting take-off. Pilot: Sgt R.B.Lloyd Serv#431780 not injured. Rec 6AD ex 8OTU 27/03/45. Survey of aircraft 28/06/45 ex 5MG approved to have converted to components. Engine #RR M46 79337. ADF SERIALS

Robert Bruce Lloyd was discharged from No 5 SFTS on the 13th of February 1946.

Phil Listemann (The History of 457 Squadron) and David Hamilton
Updated by Vince Conant August 2013
The Spitfire Association

Near Morotai Island, Halmahera Islands, Netherlands East Indies. 1944-12-30. Six pilots of the famous No. 452 (Spitfire) squadron RAAF which was among "the few" in the battle of Britain and is now serving at Morotai in the south-west Pacific find time for some mild formation practice during an afternoon hunt for "targets of opportunity" in the Halmahera's area. The leader is 408970 Lieutenant L. S. Compton of Caulfield, Vic, in camouflaged Mark viii (c) aircraft coded QY-T.

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Livingstone, NT. February 1943. Group portrait of pilots of No. 457 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF on the wing of one of their aircraft - ZP-X (Jiminy Cricket). Identified personnel are: Flying Officer F. D. Hamilton of Sydney, NSW; (missing on the same day) Pilot Officer A. H. Blake of Vic; Sergeant (Sgt) R. Watson of Lismore, NSW; Sgt R. Briggs of Sydney, NSW.

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