Townsend Raymond Pte 14585121
Personnel Entry
Name Townsend Raymond
Army number 14585121
Rank Pte
Decorations None known so far.
Date of birth 19/3/1925 - living at 4 Union Road, Bristol.
Age 74 at the time of his death.
Unit Conscripted into the General Service Corps March 1943. Basic Training at Colchester Primary Training Centre. Transferred into the South Wales Borderers 15/4/1943. Posted to the Brecknockshire Battalion. Served Normandy. Transferred to The Durham Light Infantry 1/7/1944 and posted to the 10th Battalion DLI - joined 4/7/1944. Posted ? Bn DLI after the Battalion was disbanded (to be ascertained). Returned to the UK for convalescence and was struck off the strength of 21st Army Group 4/12/1944 while at West Hartlepool (possibly with DLI Home Service or Holding Battalion). Posted to India - arrived 24/7/1945. Declared unfit for an Infantry role due to wounds sustained. Transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps 16/12/1945. Posted to Burma 13/11/1946. Posted Singapore - stationed at Changi. Ran the club at Changi Airport. Returned to the UK and released from service at Bristol 24/11/1947.
Company/Battery 10th Battalion - A Company, commanded by Captain Webster.
Platoon or other sub-unit Lieutenant Suffron's Platoon.
Task or role Infantryman.
Joined Brigade 01-Jul-44.
Promotions Lance Corporal 7/1/1944. Sergeant 12/5/1946. Temporary Staff Sergeant while serving at Mingaldon, Burma.
Wounded Yes, twice. Firstly on 11/7/1944 near Caen in the same action as Captain Webster. Secondly on 4/9/1944 (shrapnel wound to right knee) after the disbandment of 10th Battalion while serving with ? Bn DLI.
Prisoner of War
Died/Killed in action Died 30/3/1999 aged 74 at Bristol. Buried in Keynsham Cemetery.
Home address Son of George Edward (11/7/1894 - 1968) and Rosina (22/6/1892 - 1979) Townsend (nee Nicholls). At the time of the 1939 General Register, the family were living at 46, Ripon Road, Bristol. George was a Haulier (horse and cart - heavy worker) and Rosina was a Frier for Smith's Crisps. Raymond worked in the Cake Department of a Bakehouse. In Q1 1948 Raymond married Florence May Light (1926 - 2016) at Bristol. At the time, Raymond was working as a Coal Man and living at 5, New George Street, Bristol and Florence was living at 6, Stephen Street. Raymond subsequently qualified as a Motor Mechanic from April 1951.
Source table 10DLI
Sincere thanks are due to Paul Townsend for the information on his late father and his unit, together with his photograph.
