John Lloyd D.Lovat d.11/11/1918

[valeriec]

John Lloyd's complete military file has been digitized and is now available to view online at Library and Archives Canada. It is 87 pages and I just went through it. There is no indication that he served in either a regular or reserve military unit before his enlistment in the CEF. Also, there is no indication that the scars that are on his face and neck are from time served in the military. They are not indicated on his attestation papers either. Are you sure, these are pictures of John Lloyd. If anyone is interested in reading his complete file, go to the Attestation Papers at LAC and instead of viewing them, click on to the digitized file. The process to digitize is slow but there are several files that have been completed.

[Crunwere]

Thanks for the observation - I thought it was just a cuff too!

Hadn't realised the military file was now digitised but it has been bought by members of his family.

I thought it weird that no mention was made of his scars at all.

The pictures were forwarded to my friend (married to John's grt nephew) by John Lloyd's grandson so we had no reason to believe it was not him - nor actual proof that it was either - not in black and white anyway.

[Crunwere]

Try the CEF study group (google) first one looks like a Engineers badge the other very difficult.

http://cefresearch.ca/

  Thanks mmm45 - just registering there now.

[Crunwere]

Been accepted on the CEF forum so have now posted the pictures and queries there and a link back to here if anyone wants the full story.

[RedMystic]

I thought the dress in the 1st photo looked more recent than 1908 but I'm no expert. Jim is pretty dead-on usually!

As for the wound stripe: The British Army began awarding a brass "Wound Stripe" in 1916, with approval by King George V. The badge was worn on the left forearm, fastened through the uniform cloth. Additional badges were granted for subsequent wounds. Soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force, Canadian Expeditionary Force, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and other Empire troops followed suit in the First World War, and issued wound stripes according to British practice.

[Crunwere]

Well the military discussion is continuing on the DEF forum - here http://www.cefresearch.ca/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10770 if anyone wants to follow it.

We are debating now whether the first image is the same man.

Anyway nothing conclusive to report back yet.

[Rhosgoch]

Just to add my thoughts to the discussion.

The second photo is definitely John, but he looks like a man who has gone through a war, so I think the photo was taken in early 1918 when John was convalescing before returning to Canada. Then everything falls into place. John was "exposed to shellfire" on the Somme in November 1916 which affected the left side of his body and his heart. Those scars are on the left side of his face and neck and could have been caused by the flash of the explosion.
 
Also in the photo he is holding a stout walking stick essential to a man who found it difficult to walk very far. He also looks thin and frail which would fit with his medical description in hospital.

The first photo is more likely to be another family member, perhaps from his wife's family. It doesn't look like the same man.

Rhosgoch

[RedMystic]

Here's a update for those of you watching this thread. There is a writer in Alberta who specializes in ghost towns of Western Canada. He got special permission to hike in to the ghost town of Lovett (in the bush on mining lease) & will be doing a story on John Lloyd.

He is viewing several ghost towns / cemeteries in the Edson / Nordegg area this weekend. This morning he is off to Lovett.  He wrote the following on his FaceBook page earlier today.

Johnnie wrote: "It's 10 a.m. Saturday morning. My wife and I are heading out soon from our hotel in Edson. We meet an archeologist at 11:45 a.m. And go on our ghost town tour. We had to get special permission to do this as these sites are on private corporate property. The weather so far is near perfect. Last night was pouring rain. This morning I got up early to find an old abandoned pioneer cemetery north of Edson. It took a while to find it through rough dense brush but I found it. The scene was very sad. I will post pics Sunday night on NobleGhosts."

[Crunwere]

Thanks for the update - hope he has some luck!!