Lyell Campbell Spence was born in Ottawa on the 5th of September 1895. He was the first child born to John Campbell Spence and his wife Clara Spence (nee Kerr). He grew up in Ottawa where his father was a school teacher. He enrolled in Medicine at Queen's University in 1912 or 1913.

On March 30 1915 he enlisted after having been a member of the Queen's OTC.

He joined the Queen's Hospital unit, trained in Kingston and went overseas with them.

He arrived in England 15 May 1915 and went to the Dardanelles 1 August 1915. On the 31st of May 1915 he was posted back to England for officer training. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant 15 November 1916. He went to France 14 December 1915 as part of reinforcements to infantry there. On 26 September 1917 he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps as an observer. October 22nd, 1917 he returned to England for a one-month course as an observer. But on the 21st of January 1916 he returned to France. He was appointed a flying officer observer on 28 February 1918.

On March 7th, 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross for "gallantry and devotion to duty as a forward observation officer (FOO) during an attack." The citation reads: “He established his station in the assembly trench and sent back valuable information, both to artillery and infantry. When the shelling became so intense that the wire could not be maintained, he repeatedly passed through heavy enemy barrages with valuable information. He showed the greatest initiative, courage, and determination throughout the operation."

On the 14th May 1918 he was "DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED" according to records in a dog fight over enemy lines. He was admitted to the 6th Casualty Clearing Station in France and died of his wounds 25 May 1918.

His grave is in the Pernes British Cemetery near Pernes-en-Artois, France.

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