MS 950 02

MS 950 02

Loyd family archive: Geoffrey Loyd papers

Series

Geoffrey Loyd was the third son of A.K. Loyd and his wife. He was born on 22 January 1890 and educated at Eton College, and subsequently Magdalen College, Oxford.

He entered the Scots Guards as 2nd Lieutenant in 1911, passing to full commission in 1913. In August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World, he travelled to France as part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade. He took part in the Battle of Mons, the retreat from Mons and the Battle of the Marne and Aisne. He was killed on 13 November 1914, aged 24, during the closing phases of the Battle of Ypres and is buried in the communal cemetery in Poperinghe, Belgium.

He was awarded the Légion d’Honneur for his reconnaissance work with the Divisional Cyclist Company.

20th century

The papers cover Geoffrey’s school days and wartime experiences. It includes correspondence, mainly comprising his wartime letters. It also includes photographs and his ‘pre-war regimental papers’.

One of the most substantial aspects of Geoffrey Loyd’s papers are his First World War papers, which include his war diary, maps and personal objects belonging to Geoffrey and which he had with him at the front. There are also papers relating to his military honours and memorials to Geoffrey.

The files are arranged according to the type of material, with the original order maintained. This is reflected by the following sub-series:

01: Correspondence
02: Photographs
03: Pre-war regimental papers
04: First World War papers
05: Memorials to Geoffrey Loyd