Sir Owen Edward Pennefather Lloyd

He faced close-range fire to reach a fallen officer at Sima.

Sir Owen Edward Pennefather Lloyd, VC, KCB, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, on 1 January 1854. Educated at Fermoy College and Queen’s University, Cork, he gained medical qualifications in Edinburgh and entered the Army Medical Department as a surgeon on 4 August 1878. His corps later became part of the Royal Army Medical Corps. He served in the Anglo-Zulu War and Sekukuni operations of 1879, followed by the First Boer War, including the siege of Standerton in 1880–1881.

During the Kachin Hills Expedition of 1892–1893 in Burma, Surgeon-Major Lloyd was attached to the 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. When Sima Post was attacked on 6 January 1893, Captain Boyce Morton was wounded outside the fort. Lloyd and Subadar Matab Singh went to his aid under close enemy fire. Lloyd remained with Morton while Singh fetched help, then assisted in carrying him back. Morton died shortly afterwards. Lloyd’s determination to reach and protect him earned the Victoria Cross, presented at Mandalay on 24 March 1894.

The official citation, published in The London Gazette, 2 January 1894, issue 26472, page 1, reads:

“During the attack on the Sima Post by Kachins, on the 6th January last, Surgeon-Major Lloyd on hearing that the Commanding Officer, Captain Morton (who had left the fort to visit a picket about 80 yards distant) was wounded, at once ran out to his assistance under a close and heavy fire, accompanied by Subadar Matab Singh. On reaching the wounded Officer, Surgeon-Major Lloyd sent Subadar Matab Singh back for further assistance, and remained with Captain Morton till the Subadar returned with five men of the Magwe Battalion of Military Police, when he assisted in carrying Captain Morton back to the fort, where that Officer died a few minutes afterwards. The enemy were within ten or fifteen paces keeping up a heavy fire which killed three men of the picket, and also Bugler Purna Singh. This man accompanied Captain Morton from the fort, showed great gallantry in supporting him in his arms when wounded, and was shot while helping to carry him back to the fort. (The Native Officer and five sepoys above alluded to have been awarded the Order of Merit.)”

Lloyd subsequently undertook medical duties with boundary commissions on the Mekong and Burma frontier, and held senior appointments in South Africa, Dover and India. Appointed Surgeon-General on 17 November 1909, he became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1910. He retired on 1 January 1914 but returned during the First World War as Director of Medical Services, Southern Command. This medical-administrative service is distinct from his three documented combat tours. His final rank was Major-General on the retired list from 18 September 1918, distinct from his earlier Surgeon-General appointment.

He later served as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Medical Corps and was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1923. Lloyd died at St Leonards-on-Sea on 5 July 1941 and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London.