Special Forces
Roll Of Honour
Special Forces
Roll Of Honour
Home
Categories
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New articles
New media comments
New profile posts
New article comments
Latest activity
Entries
Roll Of Honour
Awards
Popski's Private Army Roster
Operations
War Diaries
Today In History
Web Links
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Home
Forums
Entries
Awards
Townsend, Eric
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Rangers in World War II
By Robert W Black
M-Mother: Dambuster Flight Lieutenant John 'Hoppy' Hopgood
By Jenny Elmes
Message
<blockquote data-quote="John Robertson" data-source="post: 41990" data-attributes="member: 1"><p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>SURNAME</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Townsend </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>FORENAME</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Eric </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>UNIT</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Middle East Commando (A Squadron) </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>RANK</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Captain </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>NUMBER</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>107206 </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>AWARD</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Military Cross </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>PLACE</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Egypt 1942 </em></p> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><strong>ADDITIONAL INFORMATION</strong></li> </ul> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>parent unit Royal Army Medical Corps</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>born 17.11.1907 Skipton,Yorkshire</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>son of Arthur and Mrs (nee Hill) Townsend,Pen-y-Bryn,Skipton,Yorkshire</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>educated Ermysted's Grammar School,Skipton,Yorkshire</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Lieutenant 16.9.1939</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>WS Captain 16.9.1940</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>A/Major November 1940 and 6.5.1943</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>WS Major 26.7.1944</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>A/Lieutenant Colonel 18.4.1944</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>H/Major 1945-46 (retired)</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>72 A.A. Regiment (Hampshire) (RMO) September 1939-March 1940</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>206 Field Ambulance (N.Ireland) March-June 1940</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>53 General Hospital (Sudan and Eritrea) March-June 1941</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>51 (M.E.) Commando June 1941-January 1942</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Middle East Commando (Egypt) January-August 1942</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>166 Light Field Ambulance (Egypt,Syria) August 1942-March 1943</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>133 Field Ambulance (Palestine March-November 1943,Italy November</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>1943-April 1944) (award Mention in Despatches for 9.11.1943)</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>16 Parachute Field Ambulance 26.4.1944</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>POW 18.10.1944 Arnhem</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>POW number 90854</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>died 21.10.1971</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>Note from his son Jonathan</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>I know Eric's father (Arthur) was married 3 times and think his mother was called Hannah (I never met him). I know one of his marriages (his second?) was never consummated and that his third wife outlived him, committing suicide in 1961 - a sad tale. As you noted, Eric was born in Skipton and his father was the director of music at Ermystead's Grammar School, where Eric later went.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><em>I was the adopted son of Eric (he could have no children after his POW experience) and he was the kindest, most gentle, selfless, sensitive and loving father anyone could hope for and I still miss him even though he died in my final year at university in October 1971. My adopted mother was jealous of our relationship - (she always said we were almost joined at the hip) so she had me sent away to boarding school at the age of 9, which does little for an adopted child's confidence and security but does build resilience. Eric was a highly respected GP in West Cornwall since 1948 and adored by his patients; he got an OBE but died before it could be awarded and was President of the BMA for the South West of England. He died after 3 years of upper body motor neuron disease, the night before he was to be put on artificial tube feeding; he new all about this horrible, debilitating disease as ironically he had studied it as a medical student at Edinburgh University 30 years earlier - he was also on of the bravest men you could hope to meet.</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><a href="http://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?media/e-townsend.15405/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.specialforcesroh.com/data/xfmg/thumbnail/15/15405-89901305e69e4c4bc0ec7d34b2cdfd5c.jpg?1591399419" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a> <a href="http://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?media/e-townsend.15406/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.specialforcesroh.com/data/xfmg/thumbnail/15/15406-2237ddd110d9d6dc3718049e589e77bc.jpg?1591399419" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="John Robertson, post: 41990, member: 1"] [LIST] [*][B]SURNAME[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]Townsend [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]FORENAME[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]Eric [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]UNIT[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]Middle East Commando (A Squadron) [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]RANK[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]Captain [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]NUMBER[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]107206 [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]AWARD[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]Military Cross [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]PLACE[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]Egypt 1942 [/I][/INDENT] [LIST] [*][B]ADDITIONAL INFORMATION[/B] [/LIST] [INDENT][I]parent unit Royal Army Medical Corps[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]born 17.11.1907 Skipton,Yorkshire[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]son of Arthur and Mrs (nee Hill) Townsend,Pen-y-Bryn,Skipton,Yorkshire[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]educated Ermysted's Grammar School,Skipton,Yorkshire[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]Lieutenant 16.9.1939[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]WS Captain 16.9.1940[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]A/Major November 1940 and 6.5.1943[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]WS Major 26.7.1944[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]A/Lieutenant Colonel 18.4.1944[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]H/Major 1945-46 (retired)[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]72 A.A. Regiment (Hampshire) (RMO) September 1939-March 1940[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]206 Field Ambulance (N.Ireland) March-June 1940[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]53 General Hospital (Sudan and Eritrea) March-June 1941[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]51 (M.E.) Commando June 1941-January 1942[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]Middle East Commando (Egypt) January-August 1942[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]166 Light Field Ambulance (Egypt,Syria) August 1942-March 1943[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]133 Field Ambulance (Palestine March-November 1943,Italy November[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]1943-April 1944) (award Mention in Despatches for 9.11.1943)[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]16 Parachute Field Ambulance 26.4.1944[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]POW 18.10.1944 Arnhem[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]POW number 90854[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]died 21.10.1971[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]Note from his son Jonathan[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]I know Eric's father (Arthur) was married 3 times and think his mother was called Hannah (I never met him). I know one of his marriages (his second?) was never consummated and that his third wife outlived him, committing suicide in 1961 - a sad tale. As you noted, Eric was born in Skipton and his father was the director of music at Ermystead's Grammar School, where Eric later went.[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][I]I was the adopted son of Eric (he could have no children after his POW experience) and he was the kindest, most gentle, selfless, sensitive and loving father anyone could hope for and I still miss him even though he died in my final year at university in October 1971. My adopted mother was jealous of our relationship - (she always said we were almost joined at the hip) so she had me sent away to boarding school at the age of 9, which does little for an adopted child's confidence and security but does build resilience. Eric was a highly respected GP in West Cornwall since 1948 and adored by his patients; he got an OBE but died before it could be awarded and was President of the BMA for the South West of England. He died after 3 years of upper body motor neuron disease, the night before he was to be put on artificial tube feeding; he new all about this horrible, debilitating disease as ironically he had studied it as a medical student at Edinburgh University 30 years earlier - he was also on of the bravest men you could hope to meet.[/I][/INDENT] [INDENT][URL="http://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?media/e-townsend.15405/"][IMG]http://www.specialforcesroh.com/data/xfmg/thumbnail/15/15405-89901305e69e4c4bc0ec7d34b2cdfd5c.jpg?1591399419[/IMG][/URL] [URL="http://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?media/e-townsend.15406/"][IMG]http://www.specialforcesroh.com/data/xfmg/thumbnail/15/15406-2237ddd110d9d6dc3718049e589e77bc.jpg?1591399419[/IMG][/URL][/INDENT] [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Home
Forums
Entries
Awards
Townsend, Eric
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…
Top