Martin, Lloyd George

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Lloyd George Martin
October 1918 – September 1997
Lloyd Martin, Belgium, 1944.jpg
Place of birth Meaford, Ontario
Place of death Langley, British Columbia
Place of burial Barrie Union Cemetery, Barrie Ontario
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Canadian Army
Years of service 1935-1968
Awards Canadian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Canadian Forces Decoration
Lloyd George Martin (October 1918 - September 1997) was a Canadian soldier and a member of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals who served in the Northwest Territories and Yukon Radio System and during the Second World War.

Early Years

Lloyd was born in October 1918 (some records show 1917) to parents Sidney Thomas Martin and Mary Coleman (nee Windatt) at Meaford Ontario. He was one of 5 children, the middle child with an older brother and sister as well as a younger brother and sister. He completed high school but did not work before joining the military.

Service

On 7 November 1935, at the age of 18, Lloyd joined the Canadian Army (Permanent Force) in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and was assigned Regimental Number 40162. He undertook training at The Canadian Signal Training Centre at Camp Borden. His stay at Camp Borden seems to have been routine as his name only appears in Orders for periods of furlough (leave) and related to two hospital stays for undisclosed conditions, from 4-24 June 1936 and 11-15 December 1936. In August 1937 he moved to Vimy Barracks at Barriefield Ontario, now Kingston, when the School was moved there to take up it's new home.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, he attested for service with the Canadian Army (Active Force) on 1 September 1939. It is known that he spent some time training in Nova Scotia prior to proceeding overseas in 1942. Once there, he joined 4th Canadian (Armoured) Divisional Signals with whom he served throughout the war. On 18 April 1942 he was made an Acting Corporal and later that month, on the 27th, he was confirmed in that rank. Effective 15 October 1942 he was appointed to the rank of Lance Sergeant. In January 1943 he proceeded on an Armoured Fighting Vehicle Signal Duties Course for a four week period. Late 1943/early 1944 he attended a Senior NCO's Course with Royal Signals at Yorkshire.

Following D-Day, Lloyd embarked in the UK on 20 July 1944 and disembarked in France on the 22nd. He proceeded to serve in Northwest Europe, Belgium, Holland and Germany. On 16 July 1945 he was promoted Acting Sergeant. In October 1945, Lloyd was NCO in charge of an education trip to Paris France for a small number of soldiers from his unit. For his service, was awarded the 1939-45 Star, France & Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45 and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas clasp.

Returning to Canada after the war and continued to serve in the Canadian Army and his regimental number was further modified to be SP40162. Lloyd was first attached to No. 12 District Signals in April 1946 and he settled in Regina Sask with his war bride. Lloyd spent one year in Regina prior to being transferred to Whitehorse Yukon Territory where he was the Senior NCO at the Whitehorse Station of the Northwest Territories and Yukon Radio System for 8 years. In 1954 he was awarded the Canadian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for 18 years of service.

In 1955 he was transferred to the Vancouver Wireless Station in Ladner, British Columbia. In 1963 he was transferred to West Germany and served as part of the British Army on the Rhine as part of the NATO forces at Rheindahlen, a base near Dusseldorf Germany. In 1965 he was transferred back to Vancouver Wireless Station for his final three years of service. He completed two tours of duty at Alert Wireless Station on Ellesmere Island as well earning him the Special Service Medal with Alert Bar.

In 1967 he was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal and in 1968, the Canadian Forces Decoration. Having attained the rank of Master Warrant Officer, Lloyd was honourably discharged on 15 December 1968 after more than 33 years of service.

Personal Life

In June 1945 Lloyd was granted permission to marry Lilian Eva Whale, a native of Wembley England, who was a radio operator in the Royal Air Force. They were married by September as evidenced by Lloyd changing his Next of Kin declaration to his new wife. Together, they had three sons, Peter born in 1948, Steve in 1949 and Wayne in 1955.

In semi retirement, the family moved from Ladner to Surrey, BC where Lloyd worked for several years as a letter carrier for Canada Post. He and his wife subsequently moved to Salt Spring Island off the coast of Vancouver for several years before they finally fully retired and moved to Langley BC where they lived until Lilian passed away in 1993 and Lloyd in September 1997. Lloyd was cremated and the ashes buried in the Martin Family plot at Barrie Union Cemetery in Barrie Ontario.

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Northwest Territories and Yukon Radio System Portal