Feb 012014
 

Lt Colonel Corden-Lloyd OBE MC

Graveside Memorial Service held 17th February 2018

At Winchester by Fellow Riflemen

Corden-Lloyd was commissioned into the 10th Princess Mary`s Own Gurkha Rifle, he later transferred to the Royal Green Jackets. He was subsequently seconded to the SAS. In 1971, corden-Lloyd look part in Operation Demetrius. He was awarded the Military Cross for distinguished service in Northern Ireland in 1972, although at the time the details of his action were not published for security reasons. He became the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets in 1976, that very same year he was invested as an Officer of the British Empire (military)

Corden-Lloyd`s  2nd battalion the Royal Green Jackets battalion were deployed to Northern Ireland in December in 1977, at a time when hostilities in the province were at their peak. A few days after their arrival, Corden-Lloyd`s troops suffered their first casualties and regular engagements with the Provisional IRA  continued over the following weeks. On the 17th of February, a Green Jacket`s observation post deployed around the village of Jonesborough began to take heavy fire from the “March Wall”, which drew parallel to the border with the Republic of Ireland to the east, along the Dromad woods. The soldiers returned fire, but the short distance to the border and the open ground prevented them form advancing.

Corden-Lloyd, as commanding officer, along with Captain Philip Schofield and Sergeant Ives flew in a Gazelle helicopter from the base at Bessbrook Mill to assess the situation and provide information to the troops. while hovering over the scene of the engagement, the aircraft came under fire from the IRA. The pilot lost control of the aircraft during a turn at high speed to avoid ground fire, the helicopter hit a wall and crashed into a field. some 2,000 meters from Jonesborough. Corden-Lloyd was killed instantly, while the other 2 passengers were wounded.

The shooting down of a British Army helicopter and the death  of such a high-ranking officer was used as propaganda by the  Provisional IRA, which published a report of the action in an Phoblacht. Corden-Lloyd had been accused by republican sources of brutality against the Catholic civilians during the Green Jackets tour of 1971. However, Corden-Lloyed was awarded a posthumous mention in  dispatches by the British Government, ` in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Northern Ireland.

He was married with 3 sons at the time of his death,

Lt Colonel Corden-Lloyd OBE MC

Is buried in Winchester.

Pictures by Ken Cox

Sourced from Wikipedia