Lloyd Montgomery CHAMBERLAIN

Serial Number: NZ40914
RNZAF Trade: Air Gunner
Date of Enlistment: 9th of April 1940
Rank Achieved: Flight Sergeant
Flying Hours: 318 hours
Operational Sorties: 8 ops

Date of Birth: 16th of April 1913, at Hamilton
Personal Details: Lloyd was the son of Lionel Shafto Chamberlain and Rhoda Chamberlain of Horsham Downs. He was educated at Wanganui Collegiate, and was keen on football, tennis and swimming.

When Lloyd first applied to join the RNZAF on the 8th of November 1939 he was working on his father's farm at Horsham Downs. However in the interim before being called up he had moved to the Cambridge district. His parents had previously lived in Cambridge and perhaps Lloyd still had family connections here - it's possible he may also have lived and worked inthe Cambridge district preiously. On this occasion he had taken a job shearing at Gordon Vosper's well known farm "Dingley Dell", at Pukekura, Cambridge. He worked there alongside Bill Stuart and Ron Watts, who both also later joined the RNZAF.

Lloyd had also spent several years in the Territorials as a member of the Waikato Mounted Rifles.

Service Details: Lloyd volunteered in November 1939, and was eventually called up for training on the 9th of April 1940. On this date he enlisted at RNZAF Levin to train at the Ground Training School.

On completion of this he was posted to No. 1 Air Gunners and Air Observer's School at RNZAF Ohakea to train in aerial gunnery in Vickers Vincents. He completed this course and gained his Air Gunners badge on the 7th of June 1940, and was promoted to Sergeant.

It is recorded that he embarked for Britain on the same day, the 7th of June 1940. This seems a little odd, and may be a mistake.

On arrival in England, Lloyd was posted on the 30th of July 1940 to No. 1 School of Army Co-Operation at Old Sarum, Wiltshire.

In September 1940 he was posted to No. 2 (Army Co-operation) Squadron which was based at Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. The squadron, flying Lysanders, then moved to Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire.

On the 30th of July 1941, Lloyd was posted to No. 20 Operational Training Unit at Lossiemouth, Morayshire, where he was crewed up, and completed his training as an Air Gunner on Wellington bombers.

He and the crew ended up being posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron on the 31st of October 1941, at Feltwell, Norfolk. With the squadron, he was actually posted into the crew of Squadron Leader Peter James Robert Kitchins DFC, RAF, who had also just arrived on the squadron to take over the post of 'B' Flight Commander.

Lloyd completed the following operations with No. 75 (NZ) Squadron:

Details of Death: Lloyd took off from RAF Feltwell, Norfolk with his crew in Vickers Wellington III X3588, of No 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF, at approximately 19:40-20:35hrs on the 12th of March 1942. They were taking part in a raid on Emden, Germany (in which 40 aircraft took part, and 3 were lost). The aircraft was lost without trace. The six crew members were presumed dead.
Commemorated at: Lloyd and his fellow crew members are commemorated on panel 117 of the Runnymede Memorial.

Connection with Cambridge: Lloyd was formerly a resident of Cambridge, New Zealand prewar

Note: Details of this airman's death were sourced from the excellent volumes of 'For Your Tomorrow' by Errol Martyn. And details of his No. 75 (NZ) Squadron service come from the squadron's official history compiled by Squadron Leader Ron Macfarlane, RNZAF Retired.

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