George Alfred Lloyd, (15 December 1920 – 16 August 2022), known as Peter Lloyd, was an Australian aviator and entrepreneur. From the 1950s, Lloyd was involved with administering aero clubs in Australia and internationally, as well as promoting air sports and air safety.

Early life

Lloyd was born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1920, and attended

Sydney Church of England Grammar School , motto_translation = , established = , type = Independent single-sex and co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school , grades = Early learning ...

, and then the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

.''Who's Who in Australia 2016'', ConnectWeb.

Military service

On 31 May 1940, Lloyd enlisted in the

Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial ...

for service in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was assigned to the 2/6th Field Regiment and saw action in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, ending his service as a

lance-sergeant Lance sergeant (LSgt or L/Sgt) is an appointment in the armies of the Commonwealth and formerly also a rank in the United States Army. Commonwealth Lance-sergeant in the armies of the Commonwealth was an appointment given to a corporal so they c ...

. On 8 March 1945, Lloyd was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

for gallant and distinguished service in the South-West Pacific.

Aviation career

On his return to Australia, Lloyd worked as an entrepreneur and grazier. In 1951, Lloyd was elected treasurer of the

Royal Aero Club of New South Wales Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

, and in 1955, he qualified as a pilot. In 1957, Lloyd became president of the club, a position he held for ten years, and then again from 1972 to 1974. He built up the club from poor condition to the largest aviation school in the British Commonwealth. In 1958, Lloyd became president of the Federation of Australian Aero Clubs, and set about greatly increasing the federation's membership and promoting aviation sports throughout Australia. Representing Australia Lloyd served as treasurer-general of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale - The World Air Sports Federation from 1976 and then FAI President from 1986-1988.

Personal life and death

Lloyd turned 100 on 15 December 2020, and died on 16 August 2022, at the age of 101.

Honours

* In 1964, Lloyd was made an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) as president of the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales. * In 1969, he received the

Oswald Watt Gold Medal The Oswald Watt Gold Medal is an Australian aviation award named for Oswald Watt (1878–1921), a decorated pilot in World War I. It originated in 1921 after the death of Oswald Watt and is awarded for "A most brilliant performance in the air or th ...

—Australia's highest aviation award. * In 1989, Lloyd was awarded the

FAI Gold Air Medal The FAI Gold Air Medal was established in 1924 by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and was first awarded in 1925. This award and the Paul Tissandier, Paul Tissander Diploma are the FAI's two highest awards. It is reserved for those who ...

—one of only three Australians to have won the award. * In the 1990 Australia Day Honours, Lloyd was made an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for service to aviation and international relations. * In 1992, he was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...

. * In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, Lloyd was upgraded to a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AC), for eminent service to the aviation industry, particularly to the advancement of air safety in Australia, through leading roles with national and international aeronautical organisations, and airsport associations. * In 2016 he was awarded the

by the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd, Peter 1920 births 2022 deaths Australian centenarians Men centenarians Australian air racers Companions of the Order of Australia Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Australian Army soldiers Australian Army personnel of World War II University of Sydney alumni