Museum Victoria holds photographs, postcards, letters and documents relating to the World War I service of Dudley Arnold Langford Townley.

Townley was born in Esk, Queensland on 10 February 1895 and signed his attestation paper in Gayndah to serve in World War I on 24 October 1914. He was a 19-year-old surveyor's cadet, just 5' 5" tall, who had previously served in his school cadets and the Citizen Forces. He was placed in the 5th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Light Horse Brigade - service # 299, and later served in the 2nd Reserve Light Horse Regiment and 13th Light Horse.

Townley embarked in Sydney for Egypt on 21 December 1914, on board the Persic. He initially served in Egypt (but apparently not Gallipoli) and was quickly promoted (see below). He sailed from Alexandria, Egypt to Marseilles, France in June 1916, and was there for Christmas 1916, and remained in Western Europe and Great Britain for the remainder of the war.

After the war he married Miss Freda Gwyn, to whom he had often written, in England. He sailed back to Austalia in May 1919, and was discharged from service in Brisbane on 21 July 1919.

Rank:

Corporal - 26/1/1916
Acting Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS) - 21/4/1916
Second Lieutenant - 2/6/1916
Referred to as Corporal - February and August 1916
Adjutant 1st Anzac Army Corps - 30/12/1916 (relinquished 29/4/1917)
Lieutenant - 29/3/1917
Adjutant 1st Anzac Army Corps - 1/11/1917

References:

National Archives of Australia Series B2455, TOWNLEY DUDLEY ARNOLD LANGFORD

 

 

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