Colin Maurice Townsend DSO (1927 - 2006)

Born 3 Sep 1927 in Ingham, Queensland, Australia

Husband of Betty (Whitlock) Townsend — married about 1955 in Tasmania, Australia

Died 10 Jun 2006 at age 78 in Gympie, Queensland, Australia

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Biography

LT COL Colin Townsend DSO

Colin Townsend DSO was born in Queensland, Australia

Colonel Colin Maurice Townsend DSO was born on 3rd September 1927 in Ingham, North Queensland, Australia.

Colin Townsend DSO is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Regular Army c1946-1980
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment; Royal Military College; 1st Military District

After graduating from Royal Military College, Duntroon, in late 1948 Colin was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Infantry. He deployed to Japan as a Lieutenant, with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) and the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. ^[1]

He served as a Captain in South Korea with 3 RAR from 28th September 1950 to 19th July 1951 and with the 1st Australian Reinforcement Holding Unit from 22nd to 24th August 1951, a total of 298 days in country. ^[2] He was subsequently awarded the Australian General Service Medal for Korea and the United Nations Service Medal Korea.

While posted to the 18th National Service Battalion in Tasmania, Colin met and courted Betty 'Lee' Whitlock, an officer in the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC). ^[1]

He next wrote the Standing Operating Procedures to be used by infantry battalions in Vietnam and was sent to the Jungle Warfare Centre, Canungra, in Queensland's south east in 1965, in prperation for, arguably, his greatest career assignment: Colin was appointed Commanding Officer of the newly-formed 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) on 6th June 1965.

Colin and Lee married and, being based at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, in Brisbane's north west, made their home in nearby Ashgrove. ^[3]

His right-hand man at 6 RAR – his Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) – was Warrant Officer Class 1 George Chinn DSC, a soldier with vast experience including with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV). ^[4] They took 6 RAR to South Vietnam from 31st May 1966; during which the battalion's greatest moment was the Battle of Long Tan, involving primarily the battalion's D Company, in August. ^[5] Colin was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 1st August 1967. ^[6][7] For his war service Colin was awarded the Vietnam Medal by the Commonwealth Government and the Vietnam Campaign Medal by the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Following the battalion's return to Australia on 30th May 1967, George was succeeded as RSM by Warrant Officer Jim Cruickshank, a former Royal Marine who had served with the Australian Army in Korea with 3 RAR and had tropical experience with the Papuan Independent Rifles. ^[4] During the following months, Colin and Jim oversaw the battalion's re-location to Townsville, in North Queensland. ^[1]

Colin handed the battalion over in January 1968 when he was next posted. He was later promoted to Colonel and appointed commandant of Royal Military College Duntroon. His final career posting was to the 1st Military District Queensland as commanding officer. On 14th July 1977 he was awarded the National Medal ^[8] with First Clasp ^[9] Seeing the unliklihood of being promoted to Brigadier, he retired from the Army with the rank of Colonel in 1980, aged just 53 years. ^[1]

Colin was a cattle breeder

For the next thirteen years Colin raised beef cattle at Amamoor, on the Mary River eighteen kilometres south of Gympie, Queensland. In 1993, Colin and Lee 'sold the farm' and moved into Gympie; whereupon he became actively involved in the Gympie RSL Sub Branch, Legacy, St Peter's Anglican Church, Vietnam Veteran's Association, Gympie Muster and Woodworks Museum. ^[1]

Authorised only in March 2006, Colin became entitled to be awarded the Australian Defence Medal.

Aged 78 years, Colin passed away on 10th June 2006 in Gympie. At his funeral at St Peter's Church, members of 6 RAR carried his coffin to the hearse. A cortege of about 100 vehicles then proceeded to the Gympie Cemetery,where Colin was laid to rest in the same grave as his late wife, Lee. ^[1]

Honours and awards

Colin deservedly received several honours and awards, in order of precedence:

• Distinguished Service Order
• Korea Medal (British Government)
• United Nations Service Medal Korea (United Nations)
• Vietnam Medal
• Australian General Service Medal for Korea
• National Medal
• Australian Defence Medal
• Vietnam Campaign Medal (Republic of Vietnam)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Day, Michelle. https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/gympie/australia-farewells-a-true-hero/news-story/dc9eb6f7cccc553b4c48c11f083ec6d3 The Courier Mail, 20 Jun 2006; accessed 23 Mar 2023
2. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: 17000 Captain Colin Maurice Townsend; accessed 21 Aug 2022
3. ↑ Parliament of Australia; accessed 23 Mar 2023
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Australians at War film archive; accessed 23 Mar 2023
5. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: 17000 Lieutenant Colonel Colin Maurice Townsend; accessed 21 Aug 2022
6. ↑ Australian Honours: DSO; accessed 21 Aug 2022
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: DSO; accessed 21 Aug 2022
8. ↑ Australian Honours: National Medal; accessed 21 Aug 2022
9. ↑ Australian Honours: National Medal First Clasp; accessed 21 Aug 2022

See also

• FitzSimons, Peter. The Battle of Long Tan. Hachette Australia, Sydney NSW, 2022. ISBN 978-0-7336-4661-4.
• Ham, Paul. Vietnam: The Australian War. HarperCollins, Sydney NSW, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7322-8780-1.