Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Frederick Fred Townley was a World War One soldier that was a part of the 27th Battalion. He was born on the 24th of May 1884 in the parish of Norwood. His mother, named Mary Symons Townley Knightsbridge, and his father, named John Townley. His brother, Curtis died when he was only 2 years old.

Townley enlisted to join the war on the 27th of January 1915. His age at this time was 30 years and 8 months. During his attestation, his bodily measurements were done, including his height, weight, hair colour and more. Townley was 5 foot, 4 inches and weighed 122 pounds (55kg). He had fair hair and brown eyes. Before his enlistment, he worked as a labourer.

The 27th Battalion left Adelaide on His Majesty’s Australian Transport (HMAT) Geelong, on 31 May 1915. The Battalion spent two months training in Egypt before landing in Gallipoli in September. At this time, The Gallipoli Campaign was coming to an end and the main plan was to retreat with very little casualties. In December, Townley and the Battalion had another stint in Egypt.

 In January, Townley suffered his first sickness whilst abroad. He was diagnosed with a medical condition on the 18th of January 1916. This was the first of many disruptions in in his time abroad, with the next coming on the 16th of February when he committed a crime whilst still being sick. His sickness ended on the 5th of march; however, his healthy period Mdidn’t last long as he re-entered the hospital only 8 days later due to anaemia. This disease occurs when there is a lack of red blood cells to carry oxygen to body tissues.

 After a month of sickness, he transferred to the 1st Australian Dermological Hospital (Bulford) as the 27th Battalion entered the Western Front for the first time. From the 13th of April to the 27th of March, he was absent from duty due to sickness. One month later, on the 19th of June he went absent without leave and was forfeited 8 days pay. Within the next month, he stayed with the 27th Battalion on the Western Front but was, unfortunately, admitted back to Bulford Hospital on the 28th of July. On the same date, the Battalion joined the Battle of Pozieres in France in The Somme.

After significant time spent in hospital, Townley took less than a month before he went absent again. He hadn’t re-joined the Battalion again until October where he took part in minor attacks during the German Withdrawal. The Battalion went back to Egypt where Townley once again was detached from his service to go to the hospital. Throughout the year, Townley forfeited many days pay through drunkenness. He also battled sickness at various times through the year. As 1917 ended, the 27th Battalion fought to turn back the German Offensive and Townley had to be forfeited 4 days’ pay due to neglect of duty.

In 1918, Townley started in the fight to turn back German Offensive which ended in April. He was Absent Without Leave in late April, which cost him 6 days’ pay. The 27th Battalion’s last action in the war was in October 1918 in the Beurevoir Line in France. After this, Townley moved to England for a return to Australia. A medical examination was performed on Townley just a few weeks prior to his campaign back to Australia. It stated that Townley had caught effort syndrome. Some symptoms of this includes shortness of breath, fatigue, and dizziness. At this time, Townley’s condition was weak. This sickness originated in France.

He began his journey back to Australia on the 6th of December 1918 and returned on the 22nd. He married Miss Elsie Beatrice Kemp on the 16th April 1919. Townley was discharged 2nd May 1919 for being medically unfit. Less than one month after his discharge in May, he passed away due to Mastoiditis (bacterial infection in his ear and skull) and Meningitis on the 13th of June in Keswick South Australia at only 35 years old. Frederick Townley served in the war for 4 years and 96 days, with more than 3 and a half of those years being abroad. His grave is in the Payneham Cemetery.

Elsie Beatrice Kemp was from Moonta South Australia. She married Frederick Townley of Adelaide on 16 April 1919 shortly after Frederick returned from overseas service in the army. Private Frederick Townley had been a soldier in Egypt and France for almost 4 years and returned to Australia on 30 January 1919. He had enlisted in January 2015 in Adelaide and his papers show his age at enlistment as 30 years and 8 months and his nominated next-of-kin to be his mother, Mary Townley of Knightsbridge South Australia.

Frederick was ill for much of his time overseas and spent time in various military hospitals on the continent and in England. After his return to Australia at the end of January 1919, Frederick Townley was hospitalised as rundown and anaemic. He was discharged from the army in May as medically unfit and died a month later on 13 June 1919 at the 7th Australian General Hospital, Keswick SA.  His death notice in the Adelaide newspaper was inserted by his wife, Elsie.

After Frederick died, Elsie Townley remarried in late 1919 to George Phillips and this marriage is registered in Victoria. Elsie died in Alexandra, Victoria on 15 December 1927 age 38. Her occupation at the time was given as waitress.