Lieutenant Frederick William Chisholm Loftus Townshend
Frederick Townshend was born on 19 November 1897 at 46 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, son of land agent Charles Loftus Uniacke Townshend of Castle Townshend, County Cork, and his wife Beatrice Marguerite de Bunsen. His father had served as a captain in the 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles.
Townshend was educated at Winton House, Winchester, and Haileybury College, where he served in the school's OTC. His goal had been to compete for admission to Sandhurst in the examinations in November 1916, but new regulations changed the admission date, making him twelve days too old.
Instead, in February 1917 he enlisted in the Seaforth Highlanders (No.S/22546) at Dublin and joined the Trinity College OTC as an officer cadet. He formally applied for a commission on 13 April 1917, nominating the North Irish Horse as his preferred regiment. On 7 May 1917 he was sent to the No.2 Cavalry Cadet Squadron at Kildare for officer training.
Townshend was made a 2nd lieutenant on 15 December 1917 and posted to the North Irish Horse reserve regiment at Antrim, reporting for duty on 4 January 1918. He remained at Antrim for the duration of the war.
He relinquished his commission on 1 April 1920 and was granted the rank of lieutenant (with seniority from 15 June 1919).
In 1920 or 1921 Townshend emigrated to Rhodesia with his brother Edward Arthur, "having been approved by the British South African Company as a settler in connection with free gifts of land to ex-officers".
According to family records, the brothers purchased a farm at Rutherdale, near Shamva, north of Salisbury. Frederick's main interest was in developing golf courses, and he established one in Cape Town and another in Salisbury. He also founded a country club by the Salisbury golf club and this he bequeathed to them on his death.
He died in Harare on 3 November 1984.