Lionel was the eldest son of George and Isabella Ryan. His father was a shipbroker and died in 1916. The family lived in Kingston, Surrey where Lionel was born.

He matriculated in 1907. In the 1911 census, he is living with his parents and brothers and a sister and is employed as a Merchant’s Clerk.

Both of his brothers were killed in WW1, Warwick in 1916 and Edward in 1918. Edward was awarded the Military Cross.

On 18 September 1926, Lionel sailed from Southampton to Quebec on the Empress of France. His employment was “shipping” and his intention was to live in Hong Kong.

In November 1931, he sailed to New York from Southampton on the Empress of Britain and is described as Freight Agent.

He sailed on the same ship to Quebec on 8 October 1936. Employed in “shipping”, a resident of Hong Kong, he gives his address as on the two previous occasions at St. John’s, Somers Road, Reigate.

An address for him in the college archives shows that he was employed by Canadian Pacific.

He was interned by the Japanese after the fall of Hong Kong and was the 111th person to die in the Stanley Internment Camp. He died on 27 February 1945 and is buried in the Stanley Cemetery.