The post-War 'Cyprus operations' M.B.E. group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Commander L. A....

The post-War ‘Cyprus operations’ M.B.E. group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Commander L. A. d’E. Lloyd, Royal Navy, late Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Cyprus (Lt. Cdr. L. A. D’E. Lloyd. R.N.) mounted court-style for display, good very fine (5) £800-£1,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Alan Hall Collection, June 2000. M.B.E. London Gazette 31 December 1957: ‘For distinguished service in operations in Cyprus during the period 1 July to 31 December 1957.’ Lawrence Aylmer D’Estampes Lloyd was appointed a Midshipman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in April 1943, when he joined Combined Operations Headquarters under Vice-Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. And he was likewise employed when advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in July 1943 and to Lieutenant in January 1944; the inclusion of his two campaign stars suggests he was at one stage detached for operational service. Granted a permanent commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy in January 1946, he enjoyed several seagoing appointments over the following decade, among them the Antarctic Patrol Ship Protector in 1949-50. After being advanced to Lieutenant-Commander in January 1954, he joined Aphrodite in May 1956, the Cyprus base of the Flag Officer Middle East. The advent of the Cyprus emergency in the previous year had prompted the rapid arrival of supporting arms, military and naval, and Aphrodite’s staff were given responsibility for three specific areas of the island: Central – Nicosia, South – Episkopi and East – Famagusta; at the height of the troubles Episkopi had a Local Command Centre, looking after two destroyers and five other vessels. As one member of staff later recalled: ‘With the advent of the Commandos, the Amphibious Warfare Squadron and half a dozen Coastal Minesweepers, in addition to our Patrol Boats, our traffic level has shot up into the clouds. In September alone we handled 951 encrypted signals with a total of 70,033 groups and 1,019 unclassified signals.’ It was likely for his work under just such operational pressure that Lloyd was awarded his M.B.E., which insignia he received at Buckingham Palace on 21 March 1958. He joined the staff of the C.-in-C. Nore in the same month but was placed on the Retired List on account of ill-health in March 1961. He died in February 1976.