ROYAL Naval veterans and former pupils of Bradford Grammar School attended a memorial service for a Second World War veteran who later taught Russian to British spies in the Cold War.

Charles Courtenay Lloyd, who has died aged 102, was honoured at a Bradford Cathedral service attended by some of his past pupils from Bradford Grammar School, where he taught modern languages for 20 years.

Mr Lloyd, who died at his family’s home in Spain, was buried alongside his wife at Charlestown Cemetery in Baildon. His remains were brought back to England for the burial, at his request.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Mr Lloyd's grandaughters sang at the service Mr Lloyd's grandaughters sang at the service

Three generations of Mr Lloyd’s family attended the memorial service and guests included Bradford Grammar School headmaster, Simon Hinchcliffe and former pupils David Jones and John Asquith, who gave eulogies. Also attending were the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, David Pearson and representatives of the Royal Navy and the British Royal Legion.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Deputy Lord Lieutenant David Pearson with other guests Deputy Lord Lieutenant David Pearson with other guests

Mr Lloyd was senior master of languages at Bradford Grammar School from 1964-1983. He could speak German, Russian, French, Norwegian, Spanish, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, Swedish and Danish.

In 1940 he enlisted in the Navy and served on board HMS Norfolk in the North Atlantic, destroying German U Boats, and HMS Mansfield, loaned to the exiled Norwegian Navy. As British Liaison Officer, he decoded messages for the British Admiralty and Norwegian Navy, and for his part in the Liberation of Norway was awarded the Liberty Medal from King Haakon VII.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: CC Lloyd in naval uniform in 1940 CC Lloyd in naval uniform in 1940

In Oslo he worked for the British Admiralty as chief disarmament officer, supervising the surrender of German forces. From 1946-48 he was an intelligence officer in Germany, involved in dismantling the Nazi regime and catching war criminals.

Read our feature on CC Lloyd here: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/20087147.memorial-service-planned-popular-bradford-grammar-school-teacher/

In 1948 he resumed his studies in Cambridge, graduating in German and Scandinavian and later did an MA in Modern Languages. He became a Russian teacher with the Joint Services School of Languages, a major Cold War initiative. About 5,000 National Servicemen did the courses, known as ‘Spy School’ to the KGB, to learn Russian for Britain’s intelligence operations. It was teaching these courses that he met Princess Elena Von Lieven, a Russian princess whose family fled the Russian Revolution. They married in 1953.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Masha Lloyd with her father, CC Lloyd, and a book she wrote about him which she presented him with on his 100th birthday Masha Lloyd with her father, CC Lloyd, and a book she wrote about him which she presented him with on his 100th birthday

In 2005 Mr Lloyd went to live with daughter Masha and her family in Madrid. Masha told the memorial service: “When he turned 100, tributes poured in about his contribution in the war. He looked at me and said: ‘But I wasn’t a hero’. All those who fought for our country are heroes. My father was one of the few surviving veterans able to tell their story. He would be amazed too that so many BGS boys remember him. How many people remember with such gratitude and fondness a teacher from over 50 years ago?

“When he was a little boy he had a picture of a fawn above his bed with the words ‘Be a good beast, suffer in silence’. That was his motto in life. Whenever tragedy struck, he would just carry on. He lost his brother Raymond aged 16 to polio. In 1971 he lost his beloved sister Gloria and all her family in an air crash and latterly his wife and son, Elena and George, to cancer. He suffered in silence but continued to enjoy life the best he could.”

* Masha Lloyd's book, The Biography of C. Courtenay Lloyd, is available online.