TOWNSHEND, John Robert

NAME           TOWNSHEND      John Robert
RANK           Captain                                                                                                                                                                       I Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Infantry Division                                                                        UNIT             2nd Light Anti Aircraft Battery                                                                                                                                     Royal Canadian Artillery
                      “everywhere”                                                                                                                          Residence    Fort Frances - Ontario                                                                                                                    Birth             March 31, 1903 - Clinton - Townships of Goderich - Hullett - Tuckersmith Townships -                                                                         County of Huron - Ontario                                                                                    Died             May 1, 1941     38 years   1 month
Cemetery     Bonamargy Friary Graveyard - Ballycastle - County Atrim - Northern Ireland
Wife             Mrs.  Mabel Beatrice Townshend - London                                                                                      Sons            John, Robert and Roderick all of London - Ontario                                                                  Daughter     Patricia of London - Ontario                                                                                                      Brothers       Albert of Clinton - Ontario                                                                                                                                           William who was the Canon of the Diocese of Huron                                                                                                    Alvin of Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                      Sister           Mrs. Elanor Crich - Goderich - Ontario   

John was born in Clinton on March 31, 1903. He received his primary and secondary educations in Clinton and finished those in 1919-20. He then went to Queen's University and majored in Science between 1920-23. On November 12, 1923 he was married in Clinton. and from there he attended the College of Education at the University of Toronto from 1923-24. As a teacher he taught in Ottawa and Hamilton between 1924-26. He then taught in Port Arthur and then to Fort Frances where he was the Principal at the vocational and high school. 

Canada

While he attended Queen's University he became a member of the Active Militia of Canada Corps Reserve  with the Queen's University contingent and this was on November 30, 1923. While in Kingston he qualified for the rank of Lieutenant. On May 27, 1927 he in Port Arthur with the Active Militia and while here he qualifies for the rank of Captain. He is still with the Active Militia with the Lake Superior Regiment and on June 16, 1932 and is recommended for a transfer to "D" Company of the Kenora Light Infantry. He then qualified for the rank of Major to cover the vacancy left by the transfer of the Commander to another unit. On December 1, 1933 he receives the approval for a transfer to the 2nd Reserve Battalion with the rank of Major. Two years later on December 22, 1936 he is recommended for a transfer to the 17th Medium Battery of the 17th Medium Brigade of the Royal Canadian Artillery.                                                                                                                            He then travelled to Winnipeg and enlisted into the Canadian Active Service Force on May 15, 1940. Upon enlistment he was 5' 8" tall and weighed 157 pounds. He had a medium complexion with hazel eyes and brown hair. He was Taken on Strength at No. 10 District Depot and assigned to the Artillery Section. The next day he was posted to No. 103 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Winnipeg. Between May 23-27 he was "on command" to Fort Frances. Between December 16-29 he was granted a leave of absence.                       At the end of January 1941 he was Taken on Service with the 2nd Light Anti Aircraft Battery - Royal Canadian Artillery. At the beginning of February it is recommended he have the rank of Captain and be the Adjutant of the 2nd Light Anti Aircraft Battery but he reverts to the rank of Captain. On February 8th he is "on command" to Kenora and Fort Frances. On April 17, 1941 he is informed he is on transfer to the 2nd Light Anti Aircraft Battery with the Royal Canadian Artillery overseas. 

In the field                                                                                                                                                       

During the night of April 20, 1941 the SS Nerissa was in Halifax Harbour boarding her passengers for an
early morning departure. She was a ship of 5,583 tons and had crossed the Atlantic 39 times in the previous
15 years. She set sail for St. John’s in Newfoundland and then began her journey to Liverpool during the night of April 23, 1941 with 125 Canadian military men of the total of 306 souls on board. By April 30th, they had
reached the approaches to Ireland. Late that evening the SS Nerissa began to be shadowed by U-552
commanded by Enrich Topp. U-552 fired a spread of two torpedoes, and then a final third torpedo. One of the first two torpedoes struck the SS Nerissa at 00:27 of May 1, 1941. She had been struck on the starboard side just below the two lifeboats and now she was dead in the water with steam hissing and with no power or lights.
The order was given to abandon ship as the sea poured in when the final torpedo struck her and this split her
in two. There were screams coming from those in the water and then suddenly her bow reared up and she
sank vertically. This all took place in just over four minutes. Men had died in their cabins or in the corridors or perished when the lifeboats capsized. Some boats held much more than they were designed to hold and some boats were leaking from the explosions and those who baled could not keep up with the water coming in. In some cases the living were too weak to move those who had died from the boats. The following hours were of drenching waves, despair, cold and now some of those remaining turned to prayer.
Ireland was still 200 miles away and 75% of those on board had perished in the attack or from the elements
after she sank.
Today, some 66 years after the loss of the SS Nerissa, the people living on the west coast of Ireland still
look after the graves of those who died in the attack, sinking and sea elements. One of those men who is still
cared for is Captain John Robert Townshend.
The body of Captain Townshend was found off the north east coast of Ireland on the beach of Rathlin Island by fishermen on the evening of July 22, 1941. His remain were then taken to the mainland at County Atrim on July 23, 1941 and he was buried that afternoon at Bun-na-Mairge Graveyard - Ballycastle - County Atrim - Northern Ireland. He was buried with military honours and Christian rites.
During the Battle of the Atlantic - which began on the first day of the war and ended on the last day of the
war – the SS Nerissa was the only transport ship carrying Canadian troops to England to be lost.                                                                                                                                                                                                      John was awarded the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.                John is also honoured and remembered on the Goderich Ontario - Cenotaph. Being a native son up until his mid teens, I feel he should he honoured and remembered on the Clinton - Ontario Cenotaph. He is honoured and remembered on the Fort Frances - Ontario Cenotaph. John is honoured and remembered on the Fort Frances High School Memorial Plaque. He is also honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques in the Memorial Hall of Queen's University. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Clinton Collegiate.
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