Dudley Lloyd-Evans, (1895 – 20 March 1972) was a Welsh-born soldier, airman and

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

. After being decorated for his infantry service during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he transferred to aviation, was credited with eight official aerial victories, and again won military honours for his valour. He remained in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

until the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

First World War

Dudley Lloyd-Evans' military career began when he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on 8 October 1914. He served in the

South Wales Borderers The South Wales Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for 280 years. It came into existence in England in 1689, as Sir Edward Dering's Regiment of Foot, and afterwards had a variety of names and headquarters. In ...

and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

for gallantry in December 1916. Lloyd-Evans then transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

and in early 1918 was posted to No. 64 Squadron as a

Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the ...

a pilot. He began a run of solo aerial victories on the last day of May 1918, when he destroyed a German

Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft of the German aircraft manufacturer ''Albatros Flugzeugwerke''. It was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatros fighter to see operational service with the (Imperial German A ...

fighter over

La Bassée La Bassée () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Population Heraldry Personalities La Bassée was the birthplace of the painter and draftsman Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761–1845). Another native was Ignace Franç ...

. He scored the second time on 25 July 1918, destroying a

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

. Another fell under his guns on 21 August. Two days later, he destroyed a two-seater

LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (L.V.G. or LVG) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal (Berlin), Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman Aviation Works, Farman-type aircraft. The company c ...

reconnaissance plane over

Cantin Cantin () is a commune of the Hauts-de-France region in the Nord department in northern France. It is southeast of Douai. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 647 communes o ...

. On 3 September, he drove down a Fokker D.VII out of control for his fifth win, becoming a

. Two days later, he drove another one down northeast of

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

. On 18 September 1918, he capped his career as an ace by destroying one Fokker D.VII and driving another one down. His exploits won him a Distinguished Flying Cross, which was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

after war's end.

Inter-war period

Lloyd-Evans was granted a short service commission as a

flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

in the

(RAF) on 24 October 1919. This commission was later confirmed as permanent. He won a

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

to his Distinguished Flying Cross in lieu of a second award in 1921 for an aerial rescue sortie in

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...

. On 1 July 1925 Lloyd-Evans was promoted to flight lieutenant. On 3 January 1930 he was posted to the staff of

RAF Middle East Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that h ...

. On 24 January 1936 he was posted to No. 8 Flying Training School at

RAF Montrose Royal Air Force Montrose or more simply RAF Montrose is a former Royal Air Force station in Forfarshire (now more commonly called Angus) in Scotland. It became the first operational military aerodrome to be established in the United Kingdom on 2 ...

. On 1 October 1937, Lloyd-Evans was promoted to

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

. Evans was posted to No. 5 Flying Training School at

RAF Sealand MOD Sealand (formerly RAF Sealand), is a Ministry of Defence installation in Flintshire, in the northeast corner of Wales, close to the border with England. It was a Royal Air Force station, active between 1916 and 2006. Under defence cuts an ...

for administrative duties on 4 January 1938. Lloyd-Evans married Margaret Ralston, daughter of Sir Harry Hope in 1939.

Second World War and retirement

Lloyd-Evans then rose to the rank of temporary wing commander on 1 June 1940. On 10 September 1945, he reverted to retirement, retaining the rank of wing commander. Dudley Lloyd-Evans died on 20 March 1972 in Cheltenham, England. He was buried in Grave A80, St. Mary Magdalene's Churchyard, Boddington, Gloucestershire.

Honours and awards

* Military Cross :Temporary 2nd Lieutenant Dudley Lloyd Evans, South Wales Borderers ::For conspicuous gallantry in action. He wired the portion of the enemy's intermediate line which was captured that night. Later, he led a bombing attack with great courage and initiative. * Distinguished Flying Cross :Lieutenant (Acting-Captain) Dudley Lloyd Evans, MC. (South Wales Borderers) ::A brilliant fighting pilot who has carried out numerous offensive and low-bombing patrols with marked success. He has accounted for six enemy aeroplanes, and in these combats in the air he is conspicuous for dash, determination and courage. * Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross :Flying Officer Dudley Lloyd Evans, MC, DFC. ::For gallantry, skill and devotion to duty on 1 November 1920, while accompanying another machine on reconnaissance. Owing to engine trouble the second machine, with pilot and observer, had to make a forced landing in hostile country. A party of mounted Arabs at once started firing at the observer, who was dismantling a Lewis gun. On seeing this, Flying Officer Evans landed at great peril to himself, took both officers his already loaded machine, and getting off with much difficulty, returned to Headquarters.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * Shores, Christopher, et al. (1990). ''Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces, 1915-1920''. Fortress Publications. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd-Evans, Dudley 1895 births 1972 deaths People from Newport, Wales Welsh aviators British World War I flying aces Royal Air Force wing commanders Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Military Cross