From the collection of Mrs June Moyle (nee Tugwell).
Lloyd John Tugwell was born at Victor Harbor on 30 August 1911, the eldest of two children of William Thomas Tugwell and Mary May Tugwell (nee Attrill). He was educated at Victor Harbor Public School and as there was no high school in the town at that time, Lloyd caught the train to Strathalbyn daily to undertake his secondary schooling. Working as a machinist when he enlisted in the Citizens Military Forces on 16 December 1941, Lloyd stated his normal trade as being a fibrous plasterer. He had married Edith Ellen Lord the previous year, on 23 March 1940, and his home address was shown as 437a Esplanade, Henley Beach. Lloyd was posted to the Australian Army Pay Corps and given the serial number S41367, however he was not called up for fulltime duty until 19 May 1942.
Men serving in the militia forces could only serve in Australian or its territories, which included New Guinea. To serve overseas, a soldier had to enlist in the AIF.
When Lloyd enlisted in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 11 February 1944, he held the rank of corporal and was working in the District Accounts Office, Adelaide. His occupation at that time was as a distillery assistant working for Tolley Scott & Tolley (or T.S.T.) at their distillery at Stepney.
Due to his sporting injuries, Lloyd was medically graded ‘A2’ which made him ineligible for front-line service. At this time Edith moved to Victor Harbor, her address was recorded as “Bourke” Street.
On 26 April 1944, Lloyd was posted to the District Accounts Office in the Northern Territory, arriving there on May 6th. His transport would have been by train to Alice Springs and thereafter, by road convoy to Darwin.
On 9 October 1944, Lloyd was evacuated to the 107th Australian General Hospital (AGH) at Adelaide River, suffering from diarrhea, a common illness at the time. Held for in hospital one week, Lloyd re-joined his unit on 16 October. On 18 January 1945, Lloyd was evacuated to the 107th again, on this occasion suffering from a lacerated left leg; how the injury was caused is not stated in his service file. The wound kept Lloyd in hospital for nine days, he returned to his unit on 27 January. On 21 February 1945, Lloyd was appointed Lance Sergeant; this rank was an appointment given to corporals so they could fill the post of usually held by a sergeant.
On 10 August 1945, Lloyd was detached to No 71 Australian Depot Cash Office (ADCO), remaining with the unit until 1 September when he was posted to the Timor Force Office. He sailed aboard HMAS Parkes from Darwin and disembarked at the Timorese port of Kupang, the present day capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tengerra on 12 September. The day before, the Australian Army Detachment Timorforce arrived in Kupang and took the surrender of all Japanese forces on Timor. Lloyd remained with the Timor Office until 20 November when he returned to Darwin by plane. The next day, Lloyd was detached to No 71 ADCO until 27 December, when he returned to the District Office prior to being posted back to Adelaide on 7 January 1946. After a stint of leave, Lloyd was demobilised on 18 February 1946.
Post-war, Lloyd returned to Tolley’s at Stepney until Tolley’s ceased distillery production at Stepney. Lloyd and the family then moved to Victor Harbor where he worked for builder Arch Appleby. The building and construction on the south coast boomed post-war and Lloyd later worked with Ginger Davis in the fibrous plastering business. Prior to his retirement, Lloyd worked for the S.A. Railways Department in the Victor Goods Shed.
In sport, Lloyd excelled in football and was Best and Fairest for the Victor Harbor Football Team’s A-Grade in 1929, 1932 and 1934, their Captain in 1932, 1934 and 1948, and Coach for the years 1948-1952. He won the Great Southern Football Association’s Mail Medal, along with the Edwards Cup on three occasions, which allowed him to retain the Cup.
His football career included a number of years with Norwood Football Club for the 1933 season and 1935 to 1940; he was selected for the State Team to represent South Australia on two occasions. Lloyd was a talented cricketer and played for the Victor Harbor Cricket Club and also a member of the Victor Harbor Surf Life Saving Club.
There were two children of the marriage – June (b 1941) and Wendy (b 1948). Lloyd John Tugwell died on 11 September 2001.
Lloyd’s younger brother, Douglas William Tugwell (b 1922, d 2002) served in the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War (PA2529 Able Seaman D.W. Tugwell).
References:
Service file of SX35100 Lloyd John TUGWELL purchased from the National Archives of Australia.
Norwood Football Club website:.
Information supplied by Mrs June MOYLE (nee Tugwell).
Compiled by the Victor Harbor RSL History Research Team, October 2020.