The Man Who Ran London During the Great War: The Diaries and Letters of Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd, Gcvo, Kcb, Dso, (1853-1926)

In 1913 Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd was appointed to the supreme position reserved for Guardsmen, the command of the London Districts. The war saw an extension of his responsibilities to include the hospitals and main railway termini in the metropolis. He was also put in charge of the construction of the defensive circle of trenches around London. Whether it was meeting hospital trains returning from the front with wounded soldiers, or visiting areas of the City that had suffered from the Zeppelin and Gotha Bomber air raids, Francis Lloyd’s presence would help to revive the population’s flagging morale. This led him to be described by newspapers as ‘The Man who runs London.’

Richard Morris is an author and historian.