Walter Townsend
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Walter Townsend was born in 1884 in Nottingham and was the son of Walter a lace maker and Mary Townsend née Senescall. His father Walter was born in 1858 in Tiverton and his mother Mary Senescall was born in 1863 in Castleworth, they were married in 1881 their marriage was recorded in the Nottingham Registration District, they went on to have the following children, William Henry b1882 Nottm, Alfred b1883 Nottm, Walter b1884 Nottm, Elizabeth b1888 Nottm, Priscilla b1889 Southwell, Robert b1890 Southwell, Fanny b1894 Southwell and Alice b1895 Southwell. By the 1911 census Walter has left his family home, he is shown as being 27 yrs a baker and is boarding at 89 Cumberland Street, Hull, he is boarding with George Black 29 yrs a baker and his family. Walter Townsend (junior) married his wife Lottie Reed in 1914 their marriage was recorded in the Sculcoates Registration District of East Yorkshire and they lived at 3 Brecon Avenue, Holderness Road, Hull.
Sergeant Walter Townsend enlisted on 10th September 1914 at Hull whist residing at Southwell and served with the 11th battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. He was promoted to Sergeant on 12th September 1914. He landed in France on 7th March 1916, he had been wounded, diagnosed with shell shock on 8th April 1916, and died due to uremic convulsions at No. 4 Casualty Clearing Station on 17th June 1916. The War Office decided that his death was not directly attributable to his military service but its underlying cause had been exacerbated by it. As a result, his widow was deemed ineligible for a pension but was granted a gratuity. He is buried in Beauval Communal Cemetery, Somme, France.
This was the second occasion that Lottie Townsend had cause to feel aggrieved at the treatment she had received at the hands of the authorities. A Separation Allowance had initially been denied to her, as, for whatever reason, it was believed that the marriage had been entered into solely for the purpose of securing a Separation Allowance. Walter Townsend's late employer made a statement that their relationship was genuine and of long-standing, pre-dating the war in fact, in support of the claim, which was eventually accepted. Above information is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 and is extracted from his army service record. One of his brothers, Corporal Robert Townsend, 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was killed in action on 25th November 1915. He is buried in Chapell-d'Armentieres New Military Cemetery.
No Photos