Photographs: From the Collection of Lloyd Evans (4)

Help Wanted. Mysteries Abound re Lloyd's Travels

Lloyd began his journey as a Canadian sailor at a very young age.

In Ottawa? If you recognize the building, let me know

Introduction:

The many photographs in Lloyd's file are mainly his own. He told me he was not allowed to pack a camera but he obviously did not listen to whoever told him that. And we win as a result, and get a pretty good look at some of the people, places and things Lloyd encountered from 1941 - 45. Some of the photos were taken by others and because he left no captions or details re people's names, names of locations, etc., some mysteries will remain for a long time. 

If readers can identify certain details, please let me know. I will update the four entries I've put together as quickly as possible. I check my email and comment section regularly.

E.g., Readers can contact me re the location of the top photo, or provide details about any other photo, at gordh7700@gmail.com

I know Lloyd and other Canadian sailors visited nearby towns and cities while on leave in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sicily and Italy. I am guessing that the park below is in Glasgow or Edinburgh:

I am still guessing... Glasgow or Edinburgh:

My photo below was taken during a walk about in Edinburgh. The church in the deep background above may be of similar style.

This photo was taken from a vantage point offered by Edinburgh Castle, 1942 or 1943. I took similar photos - but in colour - from the same vantage point in 2014:

Edinburg Castle by GH:

I believe this encompasses the same area (Leith?) revealed in Lloyd's previous photo:

Richard Cavanaugh (below left) was in the Effingham Division (w my father), was killed during the Dieppe raid and appears in a few of Lloyd's photographs. Richard and Lloyd may have chummed around because they were both from Ottawa (the young lady and other sailor - unknown): 

R. Cavanaugh is mentioned among sailors killed at Dieppe in a book

called St. Nazaire to Singapore: Canadian Amphibious War, Vol. 1

Please link to page 121 - St. Nazaire to Singapore...

Lloyd Evans, the Musical Maestro?

At the Locarno Club on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow?

If you take pictures you may get some attitude!

Lloyd and Able Bodied (A.B.) Seaman Ashley MacDonald became good friends but, as posted earlier in Part 2, Ashley did not return home after the war:

After Lloyd's two years of oversea's service were completed he returned to Canada and was given (or volunteered for) other duties. Did they take him to a seaside port in Canada like the one below? No details re time or location of photo provided. Help wanted:

I provide here an excerpt from Lloyd's memoirs related to his service in Canada in 1944 - 45:

Return to Canada

We sailed the following morning as one of the escorts for a large convey to St. Johns, Newfoundland. The journey itself was uneventful insofar as enemy action was concerned. However, one night when I was on lookout duty on the bridge, I spotted a merchant ship through a clearing in the fog. It was on a collision course with our ship! I called out urgently to the bridge Officer and we went full speed ahead. It was just a freak of the fog that I was able to see the ship when the stern lookouts could not and even more remarkable, since my duties did not include looking to the stern. I'll never know if I changed the lives of hundreds of people that night but I wouldn't like to replay the action to find out!

On another occasion, I stood lookout in the Crows Nest. This put me a lot closer to my maker, in more senses than one, than all the bombing raids I'd witnessed. I had not fully regained my strength since my time in hospital and was still very weak in the legs. I found the climb up the mast almost impossible to negotiate with all the heavy bulky clothes essential for the North Atlantic winter. My legs seemed to be paralysed and the whipping motion of the mast made it impossible for me to move up or down. For a moment, I considered whether to fall off when I was over the steel deck or over the water. Either way, there was only one possible outcome. Self preservation must have kicked in, because I finally made it to the top of the mast and into the relative safety of the Crows Nest. The view from up there was unbelievable. When the ship was at the top of a wave, I could see almost all the ninety or so ships in the convoy and the next minute I couldn’t see any. On another day, there was a submarine alert at the rear of the convoy and we were dispatched back at full speed but couldn’t find anything and we rejoined the convoy at our usual station.

A planned transfer at sea to a corvette that was proceeding to Halifax was abandoned, so we found ourselves at HMCS Avalon in St. Johns, where we stayed for a week. During this time, I was able to try the famous or infamous "Newfie screech" before catching HMT Lady Rodney for the overnight run to Halifax. I went on leave for a month at home in Ottawa and Detroit and then reported to HMCS Scotian, where I learned that our flotilla had already left for overseas duties. The authorities refused to allow us to rejoin them, even though it was our wish to do so. Our two convoys had probably crossed paths as we journeyed to Canada. It was January 1944.

I heard they were looking for people to work in the Harbour Craft Office. I applied and was accepted as crew on one of the many harbour craft. One day I was informed that our craft was going to Shelbourne for the summer. The prospect of working for the particular officer in charge didn't appeal to me, so I applied for a Coxswain's course at the Leadership School in the dockyard and was accepted. At the end of the course I was given the craft stationed at McNab's Island at the entrance to Halifax harbour. My job was to ferry supplies and personnel between McNab's Island and the dockyard. It was 24 hours on and 24 hours off as there were 2 crews.

My Naval Chronicle, page 41

Please link to Combined Operations Command by Scotsman Geoff Slee for a look at the full memoir by Lloyd Evans.

Back in Canada or before he left to the United Kingdom?

Perhaps this photo will generate some interest. Help wanted re location:

The Group of Seven; Canadians in RCNVR/Combined Ops at ease in an English or Mediterranean port (Gibraltar?) with landing crafts hanging from davits. Most names supplied by Editor:

L - R (back): Unknown; C. Powers; Lloyd Evans from Ottawa; Don Westbrook

from Hamilton. L - R (front): Don Linder, Kitchener; Unknown; Doug Harrison

from Norwich, Ontario aka Editor's Dad. 1942 - 43

Is the landing craft in the water or strapped to a deck on an ocean-going liner or troop ship? Are they training in S. England or on their way around Africa prior to Operation Husky in Sicily, July 1943? Help Wanted:

L - R: Chuck Rose, Chippawa; Admiral Dewey?; Lloyd Evans of Ottawa

Lloyd with his parents in Ottawa:

Young Lloyd out front of a significant building. Ottawa?

Lloyd Evans in front of his home in Ottawa. December, 1941,

before shipping out; or December, 1943, after returning home

I tip my hat to Lloyd's son Stephen for allowing me to have and use his father's many excellent photographs. May Lloyd and others like him in RCNVR and Combined Ops be long remembered.

If readers have WWII photographs of a relative's travels in training or during the war years (especially if they relate to RCNVR and Combined Operations), please don't hesitate to send a copy to me for my instruction. I may be able to include it in a future entry on this site. gordh7700@gmail.com

Please click here to view Photographs: From the Collection of Lloyd Evans (3)

Unattributed Photos GH