Five: Captain E. Townson, 1/7th Battalion Manchester Regiment

1914-15 Star (Lieut., Manch. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt.); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, these unnamed, good very fine (5) £140-180

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Manchester Regiment.

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Eric Townson was born in Salford, Lancashire on 26 January 1890 and educated at Bloxham School, Banbury. Employed as a Law Student he joined the 6th (T.F.) Battalion Manchester Regiment as a Private on 12 July 1909. Was commissioned in the 7th (T.F.) Battalion in March 1911 and promoted to Lieutenant in June 1913. Mobilized on the outbreak of war, he sailed from Southampton on 10 September 1914 on board the Grantully Castle, arriving at Alexandria on 25 September 1914, serving in ‘B’ Company. On 7 May 1915 the battalion landed at ‘V’ Beach, Cape Helles, Gallipoli and was soon in action. However, Townson, suffering from a variety of illnesses was invalided back to Alexandria on 26 June 1915 and thence to England in July. Having made a recovery he rejoined the battalion in Gallipoli in November 1915 and remained with it until its evacuation during the following January. Serving in Egypt, he was promoted to Captain in August 1916. With the battalion he entered France in March 1917. Placed on Sick Leave in August 1918 and discharged from the Army in January 1919.

In 1919 he passed his Law Society examinations and gained a LL.B. and was employed as a Council Solicitor at Brighton Town Hall. In June 1921 he was transferred to the Territorial Army Reserve Class 1 and moved back to Salford where he married. He relinquished his commission in April 1923. In September 1926 he was appointed Town Clerk and Solicitor for the Tottenham Urban District Council, a position he held until 1947. On his retirement he moved to the Barrow-in-Furness area of Cumbria. He died on 30 June 1953. With a quantity of copied research.