Royal Canadian Air Force
Lloyd Liesch was born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, on 10 January 1925 to parents David and Lizzie. As an infant, his family moved to Barnes Crossing, where he lived with eight younger siblings on a rural homestead.
In 1943, Lloyd joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 18. “I had hoped to train as a pilot. But when I enlisted, I was told they didn’t need any more pilots.” He instead trained as a flight engineer. He credited the military for advancing his education. “I was a farm boy growing up as far north as you could, and in the wilderness.” The basic schooling he received as a boy was minimal. The military taught him various skills useful in his service and in civil life.
Lloyd ventured across the country, having been stationed across Canada. His first posting was to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. “I was no sooner there, then I was transferred to Portage la Prairie, other stations, and then all the way to Dartmouth.” He also recalled training in the Laurentian region in Quebec.
Lloyd’s career shifted from flight engineer to intelligence. He believed the intelligence course was offered to him due to his German heritage. While his grandparents spoke German, he never learned the language from them. Lloyd took this intelligence course somewhere in the mountains near Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was unaware that he was being trained as a spy. He remembers when he and about 12 other trainees arrived. The instructor’s directions were clear, “gentlemen, you have just spoken your last words of English” as the men were handed an English to German dictionary. Lloyd quickly learned German through intense immersion, “I was pleased to learn the language and shocked my parents and my grandparents when I came home [on] my first leave and spoke to them in German.” While he enjoyed his work, everything was so secretive that he tried his best not to remember the sensitive material that crossed his desk. He took an oath to never talk about the clandestine information he was exposed to. Lloyd stated, “I kept my promise.”
Ultimately, the war ended before Lloyd could be deployed overseas. He was thankful. One of his best friends was serving in a reconnaissance unit and lost his life to an enemy bullet. If he had deployed behind enemy lines, he understood that his fate could have also been devastating.
After being discharged from the Air Force in 1946, Lloyd made his way west to British Columbia. He was interviewed and hired by David Spencer’s Department Store in Victoria. A few days later, “the Spencer name was off the building and T. Eaton was on the building.” He worked for Eaton’s for 20 years, working his way up to a manager position. Nearing retirement, his boss shared that he had ‘good news’ and ‘bad news’ for Lloyd. “I said, ‘What’s the good news?’ ‘Well, you’ve been promoted again,’ came the reply. ‘Well then, what’s the bad news?’ ‘You’ve got a new assistant, and his name is Robert Eaton!’” Lloyd was tasked to share all the ins and outs of the business with a young Eaton, who would eventually become President of Eaton’s Department Store. Using his experience as a home furnishings manager at Eaton’s, he established Liesch Interiors, which he successfully led for 15 years before selling the business and retiring.
Lloyd and his wife Beth raised their family on Vancouver Island, and in 2021, Lloyd moved to Broadmead Veterans Memorial Lodge in Victoria, British Columbia. He served as the elected President of the Veterans Association Group. Lloyd and other members met twice a month, supporting veterans living at the lodge through visits with isolated veterans, addressing unjust social issues, and ensuring important dates are recognized. They organized a variety of services for D-Day, Remembrance Day, and the Battle of the Atlantic. “We mustn’t forget our veterans. So many have slipped through the cracks and even find themselves living on the streets. We all need to do our part. I am pleased I can still do that while living here at the Lodge.” Lloyd has fond memories of his time in the military, although he still wishes he had become a pilot, “I showed them. I got my personal pilot’s license after the war” he said.
Lloyd passed away on 5 July 2025 in Victoria, British Columbia at 100 years old.
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